The Syndicate Coordination Committee on Monday decided to call off a strike scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, but gave the government a one-week deadline to refer the new wage scale to parliament.

After an emergency meeting at the headquarters of the Teachers Union in Badaro, the Committee said it discussed “the latest security and political developments in the country in the wake of the assassination of martyr Maj. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan, his bodyguard Chief Warrant Officer Ahmed Suhyouni and Georgette Sarkisian, in addition to the scores of innocent civilians who were wounded and the repercussions on the general situations in the country.”

The crisis cell announced on Monday that abducted journalist in Syria Fidaa Itani will be released soon, revealing also that there are positive signals and indications concerning the issue of the nine detained pilgrims.

Labor Minister Salim Jreissati explained after the meeting of the governmental committee in charge of following up on the Lebanese kidnapped in Syria at the Interior Minister Marwan Charbel's office that sources have disclosed that “Itani's abduction is strictly related to the material he was covering”.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen has confirmed a request by STL Prosecutor Norman Farrell to amend the indictment, the tribunal announced in a Twitter message on Monday.

“The Prosecution will now have to update the indictment, which was confirmed in June 2011,” it said.

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Monday that dialogue is the “only” and “most elevated” way to resolve the current crisis in the country and find a solution for it.

“Dialogue should be based on good intentions and open minds by giving priority to Lebanon's interests,” Suleiman pointed out.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati held talks on Monday with General Prosecutor Hatem Madi over the ongoing investigations into the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Wissam al-Hasan.

The premier said: “All expertise will be utilized in order to assist the investigation in the murder.”

Military Examining Magistrate Imad al-Zain interrogated on Monday eight Syrian nationals, who reside in the Bekaa town of Masharee al-Qaa, with the possession of illegal arms and a large quantity of ammunition.

According to the National News Agency, six out of the detained Syrians belong to the Free Syrian Army, and one of them was charged with opening fire at the Lebanese army.

Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi stressed on Monday that the cabinet will go on with its tasks as long as it still has the parliament's confidence.

“Nothing has changed,” al-Safadi said after holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail.

The international highway linking northern Lebanon to Syria was reopened on Monday after residents blocked it to protest the arrest of Samer Ahmed al-Nuaimi by Syrian authorities, the National News Agency reported.

The residents of Tal Andeh town in Akkar erected on Sunday a tent to press the Lebanese authorities to exert more efforts to release al-Nuaimi.

A senior officer in Israel's northern command on Monday dismissed an Iranian claim they were in possession of data transmitted by an unmanned Hizbullah drone that overflew Israel earlier this month.

"I don't think there was a camera," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity, although he admitted the incident was "still being investigated."

General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi revealed that Military Tribunal Judge Saqr Saqr has started investigations in the Zahle prison incident that took place on Saturday, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Monday.

He told the daily that the officers that were detained in the unrest were held on charges of negligence.