Special Tribunal for Lebanon Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen postponed on Thursday the start of trial in the case of Ayyash et al., announced the STL in a statement.

The decision is in response to the Defense Counsel for the four accused in the February 14, 2005 attack asking Fransen to postpone the trial date.

The main Christian political forces on Thursday expressed "openness to any proposal that ensures proper representation" for Christians in parliament, following a broad meeting at the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkirki.

"The conferees reiterated their stances and evaluated the current phase concerning the new electoral law in light of the meeting of the joint parliamentary committees, expressing openness to any proposal that ensures proper representation for all the Lebanese groups, according to the principles of the constitution," said a statement issued by Bkirki after the talks.

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Thursday made a fresh call for the European Union to put Hizbullah on its terror blacklist, after Syrian rebels claimed the group had fired across the border at Syrian villages.

Earlier this month, Bulgaria named Hizbullah as responsible for a July bombing in the seaside report of Burgas which killed five Israeli tourists and their local driver, bringing fresh calls for Hizbullah to be added to the EU blacklist.

General Selim Idriss, chief of staff of the rebel Free Syrian Army, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, describing him as a “criminal” and “leader of Shabiha.”

"The killer does not belong to a religion, sect or nationality, and any killer will be killed eventually," Idriss said, according to a statement issued by the Joint Command of the Free Syrian Army.

Independent Christian March 14 lawmakers and officials lamented on Thursday the adoption of the Orthodox Gathering parliamentary electoral law, saying that it harms Lebanon's diversity.

The gatherers said after a meeting at MP Butros Harb's residence: “This law paves the way for the formation of sectarian statelets and the division of Lebanon in a manner that contradicts the country's diversity.”

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea held on Thursday a series of discussions with his allies in the March 14 opposition alliance in addition to the Maronite patriarch on the controversial electoral draft-law.

Geagea's press office said the LF leader telephoned al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora to discuss with him the vote law and stress the need to exert efforts to reach consensus.

Conflicting reports emerged on Thursday that the Free Syrian Army had shelled Hizbullah positions in Lebanon and Syria, various media outlets said.

The FSA said that the attacks targeted a Hizbullah artillery position in Lebanon's Hermel region in the Bekaa, reported al-Arabiya.

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr referred a death penalty request against ex-Minister Michel Samaha and Syrian security official Ali Mamlouk to the military court to kick off trials.

The case will be referred to the criminal court of cassation and will be referred later on to the permanent military court to start the trials.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged on Thursday for consensus among rival lawmakers on an electoral draft-law and welcomed Lebanon's commitment to cooperate with Bulgarian authorities on the probe into a deadly attack on Israeli tourists last year.

“In these difficult times, it is important that political forces in Lebanon come together in a spirit of dialogue and consensus to agree a process that respects the constitutional timetable for this year's elections,” Hague said after talks with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri criticized on Thursday the government's silence over Hizbullah members' alleged fighting in Syria alongside regime forces.

He slammed in a statement “the unconscious government's allowing of Hizbullah to jeopardize national security through its intervention in the conflict.”