President Michel Aoun has told U.N. chief Antonio Guterres that the latest visit to Lebanon by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ushered in “positive developments” regarding the Syrian refugee file.

Aoun met Guterres on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in Tunisia.

Following the US decision recognizing the sovereignty of Israel over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil reiterated on Saturday that Lebanon rejects the US decision and “the Arab states agree” with him.

Leading an official delegation, President Michel Aoun traveled on Saturday to Tunisia to take part in the 30th Arab League Summit to be held in the Tunisian capital, the National News Agency reported.

NNA said the delegation accompanying Aoun is comprised of: Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Interior Minister Raya el-Hassan, State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh el-Gharib, Culture Minister Mohammed Daoud, Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Hani Shmaitili, Lebanon’s Delegate to the Arab League Ali Halabi, Lebanon’s Ambassador to Tunisia Toni Franjieh.

Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday reiterated the need for expediting approval of the country’s state budget, taking into consideration Lebanon’s “unenviable economic situation,” al-Joumhouria daily reported.

The candidate registration process for Tripoli’s by-elections closed at midnight on Friday and eight candidates had registered with the Interior Ministry, a statement released by the ministry said.

“At midnight on Friday 29/3/2019, candidate registration closed for the parliamentary by-elections to be held on 14/4/2019 in the lower constituency in Tripoli to elect a deputy for the Sunni seat vacated by Constitutional Council Resolution No. 10 on 21 February 2019,” said the statement.

Al-Ahbash candidate Taha Naji announced Friday that he will not run in Tripoli's upcoming parliamentary by-election, as MP Faisal Karami lashed out at the Constitutional Council and al-Mustaqbal Movement.

“I will not nominate myself for Tripoli's by-election and you know that what prevents me is not their numbers or union but rather the stance of a freeman who won in the calculation of votes before being declared a loser by those who have influence and those who signed this unjust ruling,” Naji said at a joint press conference with Karami, referring to a Constitutional Council ruling that revoked Dima Jamali's membership of parliament without declaring him the winner of the fifth Sunni seat in Tripoli.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil stressed Friday that the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms and Kfarshouba Hills are “Lebanese land,” during a visit to Bulgaria.

“This land is Lebanese and our people have proved their ability to preserve their rights. Occupation will not have a place on our soil,” Bassil said, responding to a reporter's question on the fate of the Shebaa Farms and the Kfarshouba Hills in the wake of the U.S. recognition of Israel's sovereignty over Syria's Golan Heights.

Visiting North of Lebanon for the second time in three months, British Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling met Friday with officials from the Chamber of Commerce, the Tripoli Special Economic Zone, and Adviser to PM for Northern Affairs Abdul Ghani Kabbara, the British embassy said.

Rampling paid condolences to ex-PM Najib Miqati and met with former minister Mohammed Safadi at the Safadi foundation.

Daylight-saving time will begin in Lebanon at midnight Saturday/Sunday and clocks should be set an hour ahead as per a 1998 decree issued by the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Saad Hariri's office reminded on Friday.

The move will put Beirut 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Lebanon anticipates the outcome of talks held between President Michel Aoun and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Russian initiative to repatriate Syrian refugees, amid reports on the likelihood of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil to visit Syria for the same end, Kuwaiti Asseyasah newspaper reported on Friday.