Thailand charged another Lebanese Hizbullah suspect identified as James Sammy Paolo, who is an alleged accomplice of Hussein Atris, for planning to carry out a terrorist activity.

The Criminal Court in Thailand issued on Thursday an arrest warrant against Paolo, 40, who will face the same charges as Atris, of possessing forbidden chemical substances.

A judge charged on Friday the owners of the building that collapsed in the Beirut neighborhood of Ashrafiyeh for causing the death of 27 people due to negligence.

Beirut Prosecutor Judge George Karam filed the charges against Michel and Claude Saadeh based on articles 564 and 565 of the criminal law.

The decision of Premier Najib Miqati’s government to remain neutral on the Syrian crisis is the best formula to preserve stability in Lebanon, a U.S. diplomatic source said Friday.

“The government has resorted to the policy of neutrality towards the Syrian crisis to achieve stability … which we admit it’s the best recipe to preserve stability,” the source told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen has made a progress in preparing the indictments in the assassination attempts of MP Marwan Hamadeh and ex-Defense Minister Elias Murr, and the murder of former Communist party leader George Hawi, Lebanese sources said Friday.

The informed sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare has referred to Fransen his probe into the three cases and that the pre-trial judge is preparing the indictments pending their release.

Public sector appointments came back to the spotlight after the government approved a much awaited wage hike but differences between President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun on the Maronite shares in state institutions will most likely delay the process.

“There is no strain with MP Michel Aoun or anyone else,” Suleiman said Thursday. “I have invited him to dinner.”

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel denied on Friday that he is aware of cooperation between the French corporation that runs the database of the fingerprint records of the Lebanese citizens and a military Israeli company.

“I will take the necessary measures concerning the matter,” Charbel told As Safir newspaper.

The Israeli army has changed its operational assessment “regarding the threat from Lebanon and is currently working under the assumption that Hizbullah has obtained sophisticated long-range surface-to-air missile systems from Syria,” the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.

“According to Western intelligence assessments, Hizbullah is believed to have taken advantage of the ongoing upheaval in Syria to obtain advanced weapons systems, such as additional long-range rockets as well as Russian-made air-defense systems,” TJP said.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Thursday held talks in Doha with Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani on the latest developments in the region.

During his visit to Qatar, Jumblat told the Doha-based satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera that “violence will only breed violence in Syria,” reiterating his warning that the revolt-hit country might descend into a “civil war.”

A Mustaqbal Movement delegation on Thursday held talks with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Maarab on the general situations in the country, “especially the issue of the electoral law,” MP Ahmed Fatfat said after the meeting.

The delegation also comprised MPs Hadi Hbeish and Ziad al-Qaderi. The meeting was attended by LF bloc MPs Georges Adwan and Antoine Zahra.

Protests erupted on Thursday at Roumieh prison's ward B after security forces arrested a lady who was trying to smuggle mobile phones into the prison.

“Prisoners have reportedly took a number of guards hostage seeking to swap them for the held lady,” Voice of Lebanon radio station (93.3) reported.