U.S. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Ambassador Richard Jones presented on Wednesday a number of vehicles and motorcycles to the Internal Security Forces during a ceremony at the ISF Mobile Forces premises in Dbayeh, north of Beirut.

A total of 40 Harley Davidson motorcycles, four passenger vans, and five passenger buses were granted to the security forces, said a U.S. embassy statement.

The General Security arrested three Syrian nationals for participating in armed attacks against the army and security forces during the 2014 battles in the northeastern border town of Arsal, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Within the framework of tracking down terror groups and sleeper cells, the General Security arrested, based on the public prosecution's command, three Syrians T.G, A.G., and A.Z. on charges of taking part in armed battles in Arsal,” the statement said.

The dead body of a man was found in the parking of a residential building in the eastern city of Zahle, reports said on Wednesday.

Ziad Ayoub al-Qasouf, 40, had sustained gunshot wounds and was found in the parking of the Ramia building where he resides in upper Zahle.

Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he would ask the cabinet to open an extraordinary parliamentary session if the joint committees made progress in the discussions on the electoral draft-law.

Berri told his visitors in Ain el-Tineh that the work of the joint committees will not finish by the end of May, when parliament’s first ordinary session ends.

Lebanese banks began taking measures against persons or institutions in accordance to a U.S. law that imposes sanctions on banks that knowingly do business with Hizbullah, banking sources said on Wednesday.

The sources told al-Mustaqbal daily that the measures are being taken on accounts in Lebanese Liras and foreign currencies.

The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc noted on Tuesday that the election of a president should remain a priority in Lebanon given Speaker Nabih Berri's recent stance on holding a legislative session.

It said after its weekly meeting: “The election of a head of state will pave the way for restoring normalcy at constitutional institutions.”

Mustaqbal Movement chief MP Saad Hariri unveiled on Tuesday his list of candidates for the Beirut municipal elections that are scheduled for May 8.

He said during a ceremony: “This list brings together the people of Beirut and we will head to the polls on May 8 and elect it to restore unity to the city.”

The American University of Beirut slammed on Tuesday the clash that erupted on Monday between students affiliated with the Kataeb Party and others affiliated with the Syrian Social National Party.

It underlined the importance of freedom of expression for all sides, “strongly condemned” the violence that broke out on Monday on and off campus.

The Change and Reform bloc welcomed on Tuesday the stand of Speaker Nabih Berri on the contentious legislative session, saying it adheres to the National Pact.

MP Ibrahim Kanaan said after the bloc's weekly meeting: “The position takes into consideration the stances of Christian blocs and is the first step towards resolving the dispute over the parliamentary electoral law.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat hinted on Tuesday that former Prime Minister Fouad Saniora was behind the illegal internet network.

He said via Twitter: “An ambassador of a major country asked me why I opposed Lebanon's joining of the World Trade Organization, as did the the European Union ambassador.”