Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said that Speaker Nabih Berri is the only national authority capable of handling the current phase in the country and of finding a solution to the crisis.

“The only national reference capable of wisely handling the governmental crisis is Speaker Nabih Berri. He is capable of finding a solution,” Mashnouq told An Nahar daily on Friday.

Three people were injured Thursday evening when a hand grenade was hurled at a cafe in the Tripoli neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen, state-run National News Agency reported.

“Security forces immediately arrived on the scene and launched an investigation,” NNA said.

A lunch meeting on Thursday gathered Army chief General Jean Qahwaji and Commando Regiment commander Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, several TV networks and newspapers reported.

The meeting took place at a restaurant in downtown Beirut, the reports said.

Activists from the You Stink anti-trash movement dumped a number of trash bags Thursday outside the residence of Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq in protest at authorities' failure to address the garbage crisis.

“In response to the government and Minister Mashnouq's policy of concealing the garbage and killing us with it instead of subjecting it to treatment … and because we have the right to defend ourselves against the deals of death, groups from the You Stink campaign have taken the trash to where it belongs – to Minister Mashnouq's house,” said a statement issued by the movement.

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged on Thursday 5 Lebanese and a Palestinian for planning terrorist attacks against the army, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Four of the Lebanese are already under arrest while the Palestinian is at large.

The cabinet failed on Thursday to take any decision as ministers traded blame and accusations on several issues, including the extension of the terms of top military brass, despite a relatively calm session.

Before the session, Prime Minister Tammam Salam insisted to discuss urgent issues, but the Free Patriotic Movement ministers wanted to stick to the government's working mechanism and the appointment of top military and security officials.

Security forces said on Thursday that they have arrested the suspected rapist of a 14-year-old girl in the Metn town of Rawda.

A communique issued by the Internal Security Forces said a man complained to police in Bourj Hammoud on July 18 that a 34-year-old man had kidnapped his minor daughter.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said Thursday that he would take more escalatory measures if needed but stressed that he would give dialogue a chance amid fresh warnings by his son-in-law Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.

“We will resort to escalation if needed, but we back dialogue,” Aoun was quoted as telling reporters at his residence in Rabieh.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat have discussed ways to “remove the obstacles” facing state institutions, Hariri's press office announced on Thursday.

The statement said the meeting took place at Hariri's residence in France on Wednesday night.

Employees of the Beirut Port held a sit-in on Thursday protesting an alleged government decision to use a nearby real estate as a dump site.

MTV said that more than 100 employees staged the sit-in and prevented trucks transporting goods from entering the port causing long queues at the Port entrance.