A suspect failed on Wednesday to escape police as he was being transported to his trial in the southern city of Sidon, reported the National News Agency.

It said that Hussein Jaafar Mahmoud was being transferred from the old Justice Palace in Sidon to the new one, where he was scheduled to stand trial, when he tried to evade the judicial police.

Agriculture Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan banned on Wednesday the import of livestock from the southern Brazilian state of Parana where a case of atypical mad cow disease was confirmed last month.

Al-Hajj Hassan banned as well the import of frozen meat from Parana.

Contacts are ongoing among the rival political parties over the formation of a national salvation cabinet, media reports said on Tuesday.

Sources told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper that officials are seeking to find the suitable candidates to lead the cabinet, which will benefit from a regional and international support.

A series of contacts will be held by President Michel Suleiman during the upcoming days to convince the March 14 opposition leaders to attend a national dialogue session at the Baabda Palace.

Informed sources told the Saudi Okaz newspaper that Suleiman will carry out consultations with local and foreign figures over the resumption of all-party talks on January 7.

The families of the pilgrims kidnapped in Syria reportedly took the decision to suspend their actions against Turkish interests in Lebanon, said LBCI television on Wednesday.

It said that the decision was made after a delegation from the families met with Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, who requested that they suspend their escalatory measures.

Calm was restored on Tuesday afternoon at Roumieh prison, Lebanon's largest prison facility, after chaos had erupted earlier in the day when inmates held several guards in detention, MTV reported.

“Calm was restored after negotiations took place between the prisoners and the jail's guards,” the TV explained.

Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut Elias Audeh stressed on Tuesday that Lebanon will not regain its reputation except with the efforts undertaken by its honorable citizens.

“The people are equal before God even if their culture or social levels are different,” Audeh said during New Year's mass.

Maimouna al-Amin turned 122-years-old on New Year's eve Monday, said the National News Agency in a special report.

Amin, who hails from the Akkar town of Fnaidiq, was born in 1890, but she claims to have been born years before.

Clashes erupted in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh on Tuesday between rival factions, reported various media outlets.

Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) said that a clash broke out at dawn between members of the Resistance Brigades, loyal to Hizbullah, and youths from the Popular Nasserite Organization.

Fortuneteller Michel Hayek revealed that some Lebanese politicians have started to base their actions based on predictions he made for them, reported As Safir newspaper on Tuesday.

He told the daily: “Over 35 percent of politicians resort to fortunetelling.”