A silent rift is growing between Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, ad-Diyar newspaper reported Thursday.

The daily said that, according to sources, Berri is very upset with Jumblat's alliance with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the General Directorate of General Security (GDGS) and the Embassy of Japan in Lebanon held Thursday an inauguration ceremony in Damour, to celebrate the opening of the General Security Academy for Training and Education and Cybersecurity, which was built by IOM with funding from Japan.

Judge Nicolas Mansour adjourned on Thursday the interrogation session of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh's to June.

Salameh's lawyer filed in a session today, that was held in Salameh's absence, preliminary defenses before Mansour.

As part of Britain’s “continuing support and partnership with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), through the UK’s Conflict and Stability Fund (CSSF),” British Ambassador to Lebanon Ian Collard has announced the gifting of Land Rover spares worth £1m to “support the LAF in its mission to defend the security and stability of Lebanon,” a British embassy statement said.

In a handover ceremony organized at the Lebanese Army Logistical base in Kfarshima, Ambassador Collard oversaw the gifting of the Land Rover spare parts by the British Government. In attendance were Brig. Gen. Pilot Ziad Haykal representing LAF chief General Joseph Aoun, Logistics Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Abboud, British Defense Attaché Colonel Lee Saunders and Head of Security Program Sarah Kronfol.

The Shiite Duo ministers, along with al-Marada and the Lebanese Democratic Party's ministers have voiced reservations over the capital control law that was approved on Wednesday in Cabinet.

A ministerial source told Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, in remarks published Thursday, that the ministers considered that the approved version did not take into consideration some important points related to the depositors' rights.

Cabinet on Wednesday approved the capital control draft law after introducing amendments to it based on the observations of some ministers.

The ministers of Hizbullah and Amal meanwhile objected to the final format of the draft law in terms of the powers of the committee that will look into withdrawal requests, NBN television said.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation kicked off talks in Beirut Wednesday as part of a two-week mission aimed at securing progress towards funding for crisis-hit Lebanon.

President Michel Aoun on Wednesday stressed that Lebanon is “determined to hold the parliamentary elections on time on May 15, after having secured the necessary funding and accomplished a lot of related preparations.”

Aoun voiced his remarks in a meeting in Baabda with U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati has made on Tuesday night a series of contacts to discuss a new format of a capital control law that will be tackled in Cabinet today, al-Liwaa newspaper said Wednesday.

The daily reported that the prime minister has contacted top officials, political leaders and ministers to discuss the new version of the law, ahead of today's session.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati has said that some parties are trying to topple the government to torpedo the parliamentary elections.

Miqati told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Wednesday, that he will not get dragged into resigning.