The Army Command announced on Thursday that it confiscated on Wednesday a container loaded with toys and home appliances with Hebrew markings.

It said in a statement that the container belongs to a Lebanese merchant and was confiscated at Beirut Port.

General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi referred on Thursday the case of forged Colloquium exams to the Central Criminal Investigations Bureau.

The National News Agency reported that Madi will “personally” supervise the investigations.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat condemned on Thursday the bombing that targeted the Jarmana town in Syria on Wednesday, saying that it is aimed at stirring sectarian tensions in the country.

He therefore urged in a statement Syria's “Druze population to join the Syrian rebels who are marking in blood heroic battles against oppression on a daily basis.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati appealed on Thursday for unity among the country's bickering leaders, and perseverance to confront political and economic challenges.

Lebanese “leaders are invited to renew trust among each other... and put their political differences aside to confront challenges,” Miqati said at the opening of Lebanon's Economic Forum at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Jabal Mohsen residents held on Thursday a brief sit-in to protest the cabinet's delay in paying compensations for the damages caused by the recent security incidents in the northern city of Tripoli.

Protesters called on Prime Minister Najib Miqati to discuss with the Higher Relief Council the appropriate way to compensate for those who were affected by the incidents.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel agreed on Thursday with al-Meqdad family members to suspend a sit-in in Beirut's southern suburbs until trials of their relatives kick off on December 18.

“The trials will not be delayed... We should act wisely,” Charbel told protesters, who blocked Hadi Nasrallah highway with tents and obstructed the two-lane highway with metal barriers and garbage containers to press forward the start of the trials.

Political bickering on the controversial electricity issue during a cabinet session triggered counter-accusations on Wednesday between Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi, reports said Thursday.

Bassil accused the Finance Ministry of failing to provide the cost for acquiring the power-generating ships that were expected to arrive in Lebanon from Turkey in October to limit the power rationing in the country.

March 14 opposition alliance lawmakers are set to meet in the next few days to discuss ways to counter rapporteurs from the March 8 majority coalition who are presiding parliamentary committee meetings, An Nahar daily reported on Thursday.

The opposition boycotted all parliamentary activity in the aftermath of the Oct. 19 assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch chief Wissam al-Hasan after it blamed the government for the killing, and called for its resignation.

The Syndicate Coordination Committee lashed out at the cabinet on Thursday, accusing it of trying to thwart its endeavors by postponing discussions on the new wage scale for public employees until December 10.

“The government is buying time and stalling... Instead of referring the new salary scale to the parliament it decided to refer the matter to another session,” head of Public Secondary School Education Teachers Association Hanna Gharib said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.

March 14 opposition officials warned on Thursday that the coalition will continue to boycott the national dialogue as long as Prime Minister Najib Miqati's government is still in power.

A high-ranking al-Mustaqbal movement official told As Safir newspaper that the opposition's stance hasn't changed.