The military prosecutor charged on Monday 21 suspects, including an al-Qaida-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades official, for belonging to an armed terrorist network.

Four of the suspects, including terrorist Naim Abbas, a Palestinian described as Abdullah Azzam Brigades' number two man in Lebanon, are in custody.

President Michel Suleiman urged on Monday the Lebanese to be aware amid the critical stage the country is passing through.

The president also called for solidarity among the Lebanese in order to confront the terrorist plots targeting innocent people and that aim at destabilizing the country.

Ambassadors congratulated on Monday Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on his appointment in Prime Minister Tammam Salam's cabinet, who expressed hope that the country would witness stability after the formation of the government.

“The formation of the cabinet is a praised step amid the delicate situation locally and in the region,” Papal Ambassador to Lebanon Gabriel Caccia said after talks with Bassil at the Bustros Palace.

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji stressed on Monday that the military is determined to prevent the war ongoing in the neighboring country Syria from engulfing Lebanon.

Qahwaji expressed optimism over the future, pointing out that his visit to the Italian capital Rome is to tackle the bilateral ties between the army of the two countries, in particular ahead of a conference set to be held in Italy to support the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

A mild earthquake shook the southern city of Tyre on Monday a day after a similar quake struck the northern city of Tripoli, the Bhannes Center for Seismic and Scientific Research said.

The center told the state-run National News Agency that the residents of Tyre felt at 2:52 am the quake that measured 3.5 on the Richter scale.

Detained top Qaida-linked militant Naim Abbas has allegedly confessed that the Naameh car bombing ring busted in August 2013 has links to the the Qaida-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades.

According to al-Akhbar newspaper published on Monday, Palestinian national Abbas, who is also known as Abou Ismail, informed the army intelligence that the members of al-Naameh ring have close ties with the brigades.

A committee of representatives of four major Christian parties held a meeting in recent days to tackle the Bkirki charter and are expected to discuss the upcoming presidential elections during another meeting, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Monday.

The attendees addressed during the meeting the “positive reactions” concerning the Bkirki charter.

Armed forces captured two of three inmates who escaped from Lebanon's main jail in Roumieh on Monday.

One of the captured prisoners is Mohammed al-Jouni, a Lebanese who had been jailed for killing an Army Captain from al-Jurdi family during a robbery of BLOM's Elissar branch in 2012.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam was optimistic on Monday that consensus on his government's policy statement would improve the conditions of the Lebanese and that successful presidential elections would consolidate the country's democracy.

In remarks to As Safir newspaper, Salam said: “The formation of the cabinet turned the situation from very bad to less bad.”

Young men belonging to “March 8 political parties” on Sunday attacked the house of former environment minister Mohammed Rahhal, a member of al-Mustaqbal Movement, in the western Bekaa town of Jib Janine, An Nahar newspaper reported.

It said the mob threatened to kill the ex-minister and only dispersed when an army force arrived at the house.