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GCC Discusses Measures to 'Confront Hizbullah' as Salam Meets Gulf Envoys

The Gulf Cooperation Council on Wednesday discussed measures aimed at “confronting Hizbullah” as Prime Minister Tammam Salam held talks with the ambassadors of the Gulf states.

“The council of GCC foreign ministers discussed the measures that must be taken to confront Hizbullah,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced after a council meeting in Riyadh.

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Smuggled Internet Services Endanger Security and Squander Funds

Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb stressed on Wednesday that investigations will continue to uncover the perpetrators behind installing illegal internet networks in several areas around Lebanon, As Safir daily reported.

“The probe will continue until the details on the violating companies and their owners are uncovered,” Harb told the daily in an interview.

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Moody's Says GCC Measures Have Limited Impact on Financial Situation

Moody's said that the latest measures taken by Gulf Cooperation Council states, which urged their nationals to refrain from traveling to Lebanon, will not have a direct impact on the country's financial situation.

The credit rating company said that the proportion of visitors coming from the GCC countries has already fallen since 2011 for security reasons.

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Arab Parties in Israel Condemn Blacklisting Hizbullah, Drawing Anger

Arab parties in Israel's parliament have condemned the recent designation of Hizbullah as a terrorist organization by several Gulf Arab states.

Two parties from the Joint List, an alliance of Arab-backed parties, on Monday criticized the move by the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council.

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IS Leader Found Dead in Outskirts of Arsal

The dead body of an Islamic State militant was found in the al-Ajram area in the outskirts of the northeastern town of Arsal, the state-run National News Agency reported on Monday.

Hussam Trad, aka Abou Bakr al-Qari, was found sustaining a gunshot wound to his head, NNA added.

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Drone Spying on Army Checkpoints Falls in Sidon

A small remote controlled aircraft fell on Monday near one of the army's checkpoints, that extend in several areas around the refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh, in Sidon triggering concerns that the military is being monitored from the skies, As Safir daily said on Monday.

Reports said that the drone is an intelligent flying camera usually used to take visuals in weddings, and was flying over the camp and one of the army's checkpoints.

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MEA Assures its Planes are Equipped to Handle Thunderbolts

Lebanon's Middle East Airlines denied on Saturday reports alleging that an electric malfunction hit a plane's electronic equipment en route from Turkey to Lebanon, and assured that its planes are equipped to handle thunderbolts.

“A company's aircraft had suffered a lightning strike due to bad weather conditions over the northern region of Turkey. Planes usually face such conditions. It is our duty to make clear that all our planes are equipped to protect against thunderbolts,” MEA said in a statement.

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Protests Against Reduction in UNRWA Services Continue

Palestinian factions in Tripoli's refugee camp of al-Beddawi held a sit-in on Saturday protesting the UNRWA's continued reduction in medical and educational services that it supplies to the refugees due to lack of funds, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Palestinian Resistance factions, the popular committees and members of the civil society in al-Beddawi camp in the northern city of Tripoli held a sit-in in the presence of members of the Central Crisis Cell and the camp's officials, NNA added.

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Report: Halted Arms Grant Will be Delivered to Saudi Arabia

The French weapons that were supposed to be given to the Lebanese army as part of a Saudi grant will be delivered to Saudi Arabia after the donation was halted last month, the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat quoted sources on Saturday.

French diplomatic sources following up closely on the Lebanese file and the Saudi decision that halted a $4 billion grant to the Lebanese army and security forces told the daily that they “understand” Riyadh's position in light of the “fabrications of Hizbullah” and believe that the “Lebanese government’s official decision is confiscated by the party.”

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Report: Salam Tasks Mashnouq Instead of Bassil at Islamic Summit

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has tasked Agriculture Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq instead of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil to represent him at the Extraordinary Islamic Summit on Palestine end of this week, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

“The invitation has been addressed to Salam and he is free to assign any of the ministers,” sources at the Grand Serail told the daily.

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