A new proposal has been made to resolve the controversial promotions in the Lebanese army by postponing the retirement of several officers, a move that would keep the commando regiment chief in his post and would not contradict with the law.

A ministerial source told An Nahar daily on Thursday that such a proposal has been approved by the ministers representing former President Michel Suleiman and most likely the Kataeb party.

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat slammed recent statements made by officials to strike a political settlement that would have resolved the cabinet crisis.

In remarks to An Nahar daily published on Thursday, Jumblat said: “I am monitoring the random remarks which aim at striking the political settlement that we were on the verge of reaching with MP Michel Aoun and which was thwarted the last minute.”

Qatar has reportedly tasked al-Jamaa al-Islamiya with spending an Emiri grant to fund the education of the children of Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir's supporters.

Al-Akhbar newspaper said on Thursday that instructions have been given to al-Jamaa al-Islamiya to register the children of al-Asir's supporters, who are either detained or on the run, at al-Iman high school in the southern city of Sidon.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam took part Wednesday in a ministerial-level meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

The meeting was chaired by U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and saw the participation of China, France, Russia, Britain, the U.S., Germany, Italy, the European Union, and the Arab League.

Akkar anti-trash activists organized a new sit-in on Wednesday to reject government plans to set up a so-called sanitary garbage landfill in the Akkar town of Srar.

The sit-in that was held in the Akkar town of Shir Hmayrin was organized by the “Akkar is Not a Dump” campaign and other activists amid a participation by a number of municipalities and mayors from the region.

A senior Iranian diplomat and former ambassador to Lebanon is missing after the deadly stampede at last week's hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, officials in Tehran said on Wednesday.

The news comes as tensions intensified when Iran threatened a "fierce" response to rival Saudi Arabia over delays in repatriating victims of the tragedy, in which at least 769 pilgrims died.

An Israeli spy device was discovered Wednesday in the outskirts of the southern town of Bani Hayyan in the Marjeyoun district, media reports said.

Hizbullah's al-Manar television said the device was found in the town's al-Arid area.

The presidential elections were postponed for the 29th time on Wednesday after a lack of quorum at parliament.

Speaker Nabih Berri scheduled the next session for October 21.

Gunmen killed a Lebanese man while a Syrian was hospitalized in separate attacks in the northeastern border town of Arsal, the state-run National News Agency reported Wednesday.

NNA said that Talal al-Braidi, also known as Talal Zino, was shot dead by armed men near his house in the Arsal area of al-Shafaq.

The Internal Security Forces arrested on Wednesday scores of Palestinians while trying to leave the port of the northern city of Tripoli on a migrant boat, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The ISF Intelligence Branch made the arrest of 40 Palestinians, including women, who reside in the southern refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh, said NNA.