Former minister Mario Aoun on Monday described Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's recent remarks on caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud as "unprecedented."

Aoun said the patriarch's comments in support of Baroud were unprecedented given the fact that al-Rahi is the highest Maronite religious authority in the country, suggesting that the remarks were not only aimed at voicing support for Baroud's return to the interior ministry in the new cabinet.

The Phalange party condemned on Monday the “criminal attack” that targeted a Zahle church on Sunday, noting that it is most likely linked to other attacks that had taken place against churches in the Jbeil and Metn areas and the South.

It said in a statement after the weekly meeting for its politburo: “These attacks threaten Lebanon’s security and such a plan should be confronted as soon as possible as it may threaten the country’s national unity.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated on Monday that jumping to conclusions on the developments in the Arab world “may intentionally or unintentionally” harm the interests of thousands of Lebanese residing there.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “A number of Arab countries harbor Lebanese and it is necessary to monitor their situation.”

United against Nuclear Iran (UANI) called the CMA CGM Group (CMA CGM) to follow the lead of other responsible corporations and cease all business activities in or with Iran, reported Business Wire on March 10.

CMA CGM, a privately owned French company and the third largest shipping container company worldwide, is listed on UANI’s Iran Business Registry (IBR).

Some 300 Syrian laborers demonstrated in front of their country's embassy in Beirut on Monday to express their support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We are with Assad and against any change," said protester Mohammed Hilal, 18, one of tens of thousands of laborers employed in Lebanon, mainly in the construction sector.

The Lebanese Embassy in Abidjan revealed on Monday that it received a threat by an individual claiming to be speaking on behalf of the “invisible commandos” warning foreign expatriates, especially the Lebanese one, against meddling in the Ivory Coast’s political affairs.

The embassy said in a statement that the letter was received by email, adding that the commandos announced that they were behind the kidnapping and murder of Lebanese citizen Ali Khalil Fawwz.

Security forces arrested on March 21 an individual suspected of collaborating with Israel, announced the ISF in a statement on Monday.

It revealed that the citizen had been collaborating with Israeli intelligence from 2006 until early 2011.

UNIFIL spokesman Neeraj Singh denied media reports about a friction between a UNIFIL patrol and the residents of the southern town of Houla on March 26, the National News Agency reported Monday.

“The reports are untrue,” NNA quoted Singh as saying. “UNIFIL stresses that such a friction between any of its patrols and the Houla residents hasn’t taken place.”

President Michel Suleiman has urged Bahrain to safeguard the interests of Lebanese expatriates in the Kingdom in line with strong Lebanese-Bahraini relations, a statement released by Baabda palace said.

Suleiman followed up on the situation of Lebanese in Bahrain during a phone conversation Sunday with Bahrain’s King Hamad.

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said Monday that Lebanese officials informed him that Beirut authorities were making every effort to find seven Estonian tourists kidnapped in the Bekaa valley last week.

Paet met with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Premier-designate Najib Miqati and Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud.