Spotlight
State Minister for Affairs of the Displaced Moein Merhebi warned of the consequences if Hizbullah carries out a military assault in the outskirts of Arsal, and stressed that the return of the Syrian refugees must strictly be coordinated with the United Nations, the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat daily reported on Friday.
Merehbi said Hizbullah's assault against IS militants in Arsal impacts Lebanon, “the military operation has negative impact, it (Hizbullah) must not involve itself. We have a Lebanese national army that is doing the job in the best way possible," he said.

Newly-appointed French Ambassador to Lebanon Bruno Foucher arrived Thursday afternoon in Beirut to assume his duties, state-run National News Agency reported.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Thursday said that “it's about time refugees returned to Syria,” warning that “their crisis could lead to dire consequences.”

Damascus has not informed Lebanese authorities in advance of any of its recent airstrikes on Arsal's outskirts and the Lebanese army is not coordinating with the Syrian army in this regard, according to high-ranking security sources.

Hizbullah has received approval from essential parties in Lebanon, especially al-Mustaqbal Movement, for carrying out a military campaign in Arsal's outskirts to oust the jihadist Islamic State and Fateh al-Sham groups from the area, a media report said on Thursday.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday called for a legislative session aimed at “studying and approving draft laws and proposals listed on the agenda.”

Two terror suspects were arrested Thursday in an army raid in the northeastern border town of Arsal, the army said.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri presided Wednesday afternoon over a meeting for the ministerial panel tasked with addressing the Syrian refugee crisis and the conferees agreed to prepare a work paper in this regard, the PM's office said.

Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh on Wednesday noted that President Michel Aoun is a “good person” while lamenting that “nothing has changed during his tenure.”

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday announced that the long-awaited new wage scale will be at the top of the agenda of the upcoming legislative session.
