Syrian women waiting for pre-natal care at a Lebanese clinic know their pregnancies may end prematurely due to stress and fear, and that they may be unable to provide for their babies.

Many of the women are unable to cover the high cost of hospital care in the northern portal city of Tripoli, home to thousands of Syrians uprooted by the conflict that has ravaged their country for nearly two years.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Friday that the government is committed to the draft law that it referred to parliament.

“An active law already exists, that of the 1960 law,” which was adopted during the 2009 elections, he remarked.

An arrest warrant was issued on Friday against the brother of Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammad Fneish over his links to the drug scandal that erupted in Lebanon in 2012.

MTV reported that Judge Jean Ferneini issued the arrest warrant against Abdul Latif Fneish in connection to the case of the illegally imported medications.

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil announced on Friday the opening of the pre-qualification period for oil exploration companies interested in exploring Lebanon's offshore oil and gas reserves.

“The deadline for submitting applications will be on March 28 and the Petroleum Authority will announce after three weeks the list of accepted companies then we will begin the round of tenders, which will last until the end of the year,” Bassil said at a press conference.

The army arrested 11 people in the Bekaa region of Arsal on Thursday and Friday as part of the security measures it has undertaken in the area, reported the National News Agency Friday.

It said that 11 people, including four Syrians, were arrested for the possession of arms and military equipment.

Several inmates staged a protest in Bloc B in Roumieh prison over transferring another prisoner into another cell inside the facility, vowing to escalate their actions, the state-run News Agency reported on Friday.

Around 60 inmates began rioting overnight over transferring prisoner Mohammed Abdul Hajj to the department of convicts.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stated that an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law, specifically the Orthodox Gathering draft law, is not linked to constitutional rules, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday.

He told the newspaper: “President Michel Suleiman should not bother rejecting the law because it does not require consensus seeing as it is an electoral mechanism.”

The cabinet will hold an extraordinary session on Monday to avert a decision by the Syndicate Coordination Committee to protest the government's failure to refer the new wage scale to the parliament.

The cabinet was set to hold a meeting Tuesday, however, Prime Minister Najib Miqati told reporters at the Grand Serail that the session will be held ahead of the strike to avoid it.

Two people were killed and at least four wounded when a Mercedes car, pickup truck and a van collided on the highway connecting the southern city of Sidon with the South early Friday.

The state-run National News Agency reported that a Toyota pickup truck, a Mercedes 500 collided with a van parked on the side of the road.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati headed on Friday a meeting for previous premiers to brief them on the results of the discussions with Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani to resolve the dispute over the elections of the Higher Islamic Council.

The meeting was held in presence of former PMs Fouad Saniora and Salim al-Hoss in the absence of former PM Omar Karami.