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Salam to Call for Cabinet Session, Rejects to Give up to Paralysis

Prime Minister Tammam Salam is expected to call for a cabinet session next week for “refusing to give up to paralysis,” his sources said Friday.

The sources quoted Salam as saying that “giving up to the logic of paralysis” is not part of his “dictionary.”

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Declaration of Winning Waste Management Bids Postponed as Activists Scuffle with Police

A committee tasked with evaluating waste management tenders on Wednesday postponed declaring the winning bids pending further assessment, as anti-trash protesters scuffled with security forces outside the Council for Development and Reconstruction where the meeting was held.

“It is necessary to have more than one evaluation for every region,” said Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq after the meeting.

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Salam Denies Decision to Dump Waste at Beirut Port as Employees Suspend Strike

Prime Minister Tammam Salam informed Health Minister Wael Abou Faour on Wednesday that there was no decision to dump the capital's waste at Beirut Port.

The state-run National News Agency said Abou Faour telephoned Salam to brief him about the dangers of dumping waste at the port, mainly because of the presence of grain silos there.

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Abou Faour: Lebanon on Verge of Disaster because of Waste Crisis

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour warned on Monday that Lebanon's air, food, and water are at risk from the ongoing waste disposal crisis, urging the state to take “immediate measures” to resolve the problem.

He said during a press conference: “Lebanon is on the verge of a health disaster because of the crisis.”

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Scores, Including Suspected Syrian Terrorists, Arrested

The Lebanese army said on Monday that it has arrested two Syrians on the main road of Labweh-Arsal in the eastern Bekaa Valley on suspicion of belonging to terrorist groups.

A communique issued by the military command identified the two suspects as Mohammed Mustafa al-Jaour and Khaled Mohammed al-Ghawi.

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Zarif Begins Lebanon Visit, Lauds Salam's 'Major Role' in 'Stability, Anti-Terror Fight'

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif began a two-day visit to Lebanon on Tuesday by meeting Prime Minister Tammam Salam.

“We discussed cooperation between the two countries and bilateral ties,” said Zarif after the Grand Serail talks.

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Salam Hinges on Cabinet Support to Confront Planned Demos

Sources close to Prime Minister Tammam Salam have expressed confidence that there is consensus to confront Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's call for street demonstrations against the military extensions.

“Each day has its own events,” the sources said. “Salam is not alone responsible for confrontation.”

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EU Boosts Humanitarian Funding for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

The European Union announced on Friday an additional €17 million assistance to help Lebanon confront the Syrian refugee crisis, amid growing concerns over the worsening humanitarian situation.

“This additional aid will enable the Lebanese secondary health service to treat more refugees. The high cost of health services in Lebanon, which are largely privatized, has made it difficult for refugees to seek the treatment they need,” the EU delegation in Beirut said in a press release.

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Environment Minister Pledges to End Trash Crisis in Upcoming Days

Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq revealed on Friday that a number of tenders have been made by companies to handle Lebanon's waste disposal crisis.

He declared during a press conference: “We will announce our decision over which company will tackle the disposal in the upcoming days.”

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AUB Responds to Waste Crisis, Launches Workshop to Exchange Knowledge with Municipalities and NGOs

Confronted with a combustible waste crisis that mainly affected Beirut and Mount Lebanon, AUB faculty members took the lead by forming a taskforce whose aim is to share scientific knowledge among municipalities and NGOs in the hopes that they would be empowered to find optimal solutions to the ongoing crisis.

In response to a call launched last week by Dr. Najat Saliba, chemistry professor, AUB professors from all faculties quickly mobilized and met on a regular basis, creating working groups that could address the problem, from its public health, environmental health, and waste management aspects.

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