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MEA Reverses Decision to Sell Tickets Exclusively in Dollar

Middle East Airlines, Lebanon's national carrier, on Sunday reversed a controversial decision to sell travel tickets exclusively in U.S. dollar, TV networks said.

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Nasrallah Hails Govt. 'Courage', Urges Opposition, Majority to Form Panel

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday lauded Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the ministers of his government for accepting their posts amid the dire economic and financial situations in the country.

“We must laud the government’s PM and ministers for their courage to shoulder responsibility, because we will face difficult and sensitive circumstances,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech commemorating Hizbullah’s slain leaders as well as Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

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Senior Iranian Official to Visit Lebanon Sunday Evening

Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani will arrive in Beirut on Sunday evening, the Iranian embassy said.

A statement issued by the embassy said Larijani will lead a delegation comprising parliamentary and political figures on a two-day visit.

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Saudi Official Slams 'Iranian Militias who Assassinated Hariri'

Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman on Sunday commemorated Lebanon’s slain ex-PM Rafik Hariri in two tweets.

“Rafik Hariri was martyred 15 years ago. He was a reformist national leader who led the journey of reconstruction and achieving stability in his country,” Bin Salman, who is the king’s son and the brother of the kingdom’s powerful crown prince, tweeted.

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FPM to Sue MEA over Obliging Customers to Pay in Dollar

The Free Patriotic Movement announced Sunday that it will file a lawsuit against Lebanon’s national carrier, the Middle East Airlines, after the company said customers can no longer pay for their tickets in Lebanese lira.

The FPM said the lawsuit will be filed by its “corruption files officer”, the lawyer Wadih Akl, at the request of Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil.

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Report: Washington Considering Ways to Help Lebanon Recover Stolen Funds

A senior U.S. State Department official confirmed in an interview with al-Arabiya net on Saturday that relations between the United States and the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab “depend on his commitment to implement reforms and to fighting endemic corruption.”

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Pompeo: Hariri’s Killers Must be Brought to Justice

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday that “Hizbullah” individuals involved in the “terrorist” assassination attack of ex-PM Rafik Hariri must be brought to justice.

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Report: Lebanon Must Adhere to Dissociation Policy to Get International Assistance

In order for crisis-hit Lebanon to get international assistance for its crippling economy, it must first kick start a series of reforms mainly committing to the dissociation policy as devised in the government’s policy statement, Asharq al-Awsat reported on Saturday.

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Hariri Says Bassil is 'Shadow President', Decries '2nd Assassination of Rafik Hariri'

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri on Friday launched a fierce attack on Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil and lamented that some parties are seeking what he called a second assassination of Rafik Hariri.

“President (Michel) Aoun knows that I respect him, but unfortunately I dealt with ‘two presidents’ and I had to deal with a ‘shadow president,’” Hariri said at a rally marking the 15th anniversary of Rafik Hariri’s assassination, apparently referring to Bassil.

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Clashes between Protesters, Mustaqbal Supporters in Central Beirut

Several clashes broke out Friday at Beirut’s Martyrs Square between anti-government protesters and supporters of al-Mustaqbal Movement.

Internal Security Forces members and army troops intervened several times and separated between the two groups.

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