The Internal Security Forces nabbed a man accused of pickpocketing people and worshipers at mosques while practicing their religious rituals, the ISF said in a statement on Thursday.

The statement said the suspect, a Syrian identified as Sh. M., was arrested on 23/1/2018 at the entrance of Bahaa Eddine al-Hariri mosque in Sidon.

MP Alain Aoun of the Free Patriotic Movement on Thursday said the FPM's relation with al-Mustaqbal Movement “would not be at the expense of its ties with other parties.”

The “electoral-dialogue” between the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb party has “abruptly stopped” after Gemayel's request that the LF stands “unconditionally” on its side regardless of its Christian reconciliation agreement with the Free Patriotic Movement, the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily said on Thursday.

“The electoral-dialogue between the LF and Kataeb has stopped without prior warning. Gemayel was the one to halt the talks over disagreements about the political agenda. Gemayel has asked the LF to choose between standing by the ruling authority and its political components or to align with the popular aspirations of Kataeb,” said the daily.

The March 8 alliance camp has a specific goal to reach in the country's looming parliamentary elections which is embodied in winning one-third of the parliament's seats, al-Akhbar daily reported Thursday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday met with a senior Saudi official for the first time since the November resignation crisis.

A picture circulated by Lebanese TV networks shows Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir having a standing conversation with Hariri – both smiling – on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Eight rights groups including Human Rights Watch called on Lebanese authorities Wednesday to investigate reports of a massive espionage campaign traced back to a government security agency. 

Digital researchers last week said they had uncovered a hacking campaign using malware-infected messaging apps to steal smartphone data from people in more than 20 countries, including journalists and activists.

The March 8 forces have decided to form a unified electoral alliance to confront the lists of al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Lebanese Forces in the upcoming parliamentary elections, a media report published Wednesday said.

“The March 8 lists will seek local alliances with the Free Patriotic Movement where there is a mutual interest for both parties. They will however confront the lists of Mustaqbal and the LF,” pro-March 8 newspaper al-Akhbar reported.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed Wednesday that there is no time left to amend the electoral law seeing as the nominations and electoral campaigns are scheduled to begin on February 5.

Noting that any amendments would lead to postponing the elections, Berri noted that “nominations begin on February 5 and come to an end on March 7, and the complete electoral lists are supposed to be submitted to the Interior Ministry by March 27.”

An major spat between President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri over a disputed decree will not be resolved before the May parliamentary elections, a prominent political leader has said.

President Michel Aoun held a closed-door meeting with Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah at the end of his visit to the Gulf country on Wednesday morning.