Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi has revealed that he asked the judicial authorities to refer the latest attack in the northern city of Tripoli to the Judicial Council as reports emerged that the suicide bombers received orders from top wanted terrorists Osama Mansour and Shadi al-Mawlawi.

Rifi told local dailies published on Monday that he gave orders for the attack on a cafe in Tripoli's mainly Alawite Jabal Mohsen neighborhood to be referred to the Council similar to the bombings of the Sunni al-Salam and al-Taqwa mosques in 2013.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour stated on Wednesday that the food safety campaign has seized the media spotlight and improved the state's position, expressing satisfaction at what he and the government have reached so far.

“The food safety campaign has seized media spotlight, but I am proud that the government and I have presented an acceptable example to protect the citizen,” said Abou Faour in a press conference.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi announced Monday that he “personally” trusts Arsal deputy municipal chief Ahmed Fleiti, who has embarked on a mediation mission in the case of the captive servicemen, while noting that the man has not yet received an official authorization from the government.

Two people were injured Sunday as a personal dispute erupted into gunfire in the Tripoli district of el-Mina, state-run National News Agency reported.

Two al-Jadeed TV journalists and a member of the Zahle Municipality were assaulted Thursday by gunmen loyal to MP Nicolas Fattoush and his brother Pierre during the filming of a TV report on the construction of a controversial cement factory.

"The colleagues Yumna Fawaz and Saad Ayyad were beaten up, threatened with weapons and detained by bodyguards loyal to Pierre Fattoush in Zahle,” al-Jadeed TV said.

The crisis cell tackling the case of the Arsal captives focused during its latest meeting on the arrest of women and children linked to the Islamist kidnappers, reported As Safir newspaper on Tuesday.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi told the daily: “I was clear that I am against the arrest of any man, woman, or child. I support the arrest of a perpetrator no matter who he may be.”

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi said politicians and judicial authorities were to blame for the procrastination to take into trial Islamist inmates at Roumieh prison.

Rifi told al-Liwaa daily published on Monday that he came up with a plan to speed up their trials.

A technical coordination committee was formed on Thursday to follow up the recent food scandal, which saw the closure of restaurants, slaughterhouses and other institutions since Health Minister Wael Abou Faour launched his campaign against violators earlier this month.

The ministerial committee on food safety met under Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail.

A couple and their relative were kidnapped Sunday in the northern city of Tripoli in connection with a marriage dispute.

“A man, his wife and his cousin were abducted in the Tripoli area of al-Dam wal Farz over family disputes,” state-run National News Agency revealed, denying earlier media reports that said the abductees were two women and a child.

The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc on Tuesday noted that interpreting Article 24 of the Constitution would clearly define the stipulations of equal power-sharing between Christians and Muslims in state institutions.

“The interpretation of Article 24 of the Constitution can lead to passing an electoral law that respects the rules of equal power-sharing and truly reflects the will of the popular components,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.