MP Ashraf Rifi prayed on Friday at the Khalde Mosque before moving to the house of the father of Hassan Ghoson, who had been slain in clashes with Hezbollah-linked gunmen.

“The incidents that happened in Khalde were in defense of the residents, Lebanon and all Sunnis in Lebanon,” Rifi said.

Caretaker Finance Minister Youssef al-Khalil on Friday defended himself in the face of accusations blaming him for blocking a judicial appointments decree that would allow the probe into the Beirut port blast to resume.

“Youssef al-Khalil wants justice for the port’s victims and for their families. He wants it yesterday rather than today and today rather than tomorrow. It would have been easy for me to sign the draft decree and claim false heroism by sending the time bomb to the premier and the president, seeing as their signatures are also needed,” Khalil said at a press conference.

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali announced Friday after meeting caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib that “it is in the interest of Lebanon and Syria to integrate, even if major world powers are pressing in the opposite direction.”

Lauding the stance of President Michel Aoun, the government, Bou Habib and the other ministers regarding the repatriation of refugees to Syria, Ali noted that “the Syrians want to return and they will be safer in Syria than in Lebanon.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has held discussions over the presidential file with MP Melhem Riachi, who was dispatched to Clemenceau by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

“Jumblat was clear that he would not continue to support (MP Michel) Mouawad’s nomination indefinitely, because he is convinced that a ‘challenge’ president cannot be elected despite the surge in votes supporting him,” informed sources told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Friday.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) appealed Friday for $13 million in funding to support Palestinians in Lebanon, as the country reels from an unprecedented economic crisis.

No progress has been made regarding the formation of a new government, local media reports said, despite the intensified efforts of Hezbollah and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Friday that the efforts have almost hit a dead end and that President Michel Aoun and the FPM are planning to take different steps to prevent the caretaker government from taking the powers of the President, once Aoun's term ends.

The Strong Republic bloc submitted Friday a petition to Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati, requesting that the maritime border demarcation agreement be referred to Parliament for discussion and vote.

LF MP Ghassan Hasbani said in a press conference that the text must be referred to Parliament as soon as possible before it goes into force.

The Hezbollah official in charge of the Syrian refugee file, ex-MP Nawwar al-Saheli, visited General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim on Thursday and told him that Hezbollah is willing to help in the file, adding that his party’s capabilities can be put at General Security’s disposal in this regard.

Lauding Ibrahim’s stances and his work to activate the issue of returning the refugees to their country, Saheli also applauded the major general’s contacts with the Syrian government and security agencies in this regard.

Hezbollah official Sheikh Nabil Qaouq on Thursday accused the U.S. and Saudi Arabia of “not wanting Lebanon to exit its crises,” charging that they are “working on preventing the Lebanese from engaging in dialogue and reaching consensus.”

“What’s happening at parliament’s sessions for the election of a president proves that the interferences of the U.S. and Saudi embassies have blocked and are blocking the election of a president within the constitutional timeframe, because they and their followers want to impose a presidential candidate for provocation, confrontation and dragging the country into a clash,” Qaouq said.

The Constitutional Council on Thursday dismissed five appeals filed against the parliamentary election wins of five lawmakers, Council chief Judge Tannous Meshleb said.

The five appeals were filed by Paul Hamod against MP Elias Khoury (Tripoli), by Mohammed Chafic Hammoud against MP Bilal al-Hosheimi (Zahle), by ex-MP Ibrahim Azar against MP Saeed al-Asmar (Jezzine), by Tanios Mahfouz against Jamil Abboud (Tripoli), and by the Hope and Loyalty list on behalf of Marwan Kheirddine against MP Firas Hamdan (Hasbaya-Marjeyoun).