Lebanon's parliament is preparing to hold a general debate for the government next week that will be broadcast live on television, as agreed at a parliament bureau meeting chaired by Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday, media reports said on Friday.

Parliamentary sources told al-Joumhouria daily, there will be no agenda for this meeting but only an open visual and audio debate that will be broadcast live on air.

Two Syrians were killed on Thursday when a blast ripped through a pickup truck they were riding in the Bekaa border town of Arsal, media reports said.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stressed on Thursday that Lebanon's new budget plan will put the country on the right track to begin reforms as he assured that none of the taxes imposed have an impact on poor segments of the society.

“The latest cabinet discussions about the draft budget plan were not arbitrary and many reforms and amendments were made,” Khalil said in a press conference.

Security forces arrested a Syrian national suspected of having links to the deadly Bourj al-Baranjneh twin bombings and of monitoring Hizbullah positions, media reports said on Thursday.

The State Security agency arrested Aa.R. for having links to the Islamic State militant group, said LBCI.

Security forces in the eastern town of Hermel arrested two wanted fugitives late Wednesday, the State-run National News Agency reported on Thursday.

Army and Intelligence units conducted late-night raids in Hermel and neighboring areas that resulted in the detention of N.H. in Hermel and Aa.H.H. in al-Shawagir neighborhood, NNA added.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri held a meeting on Thursday with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the latter's office in Riyadh, Hariri's press office said in a statement.

The meeting with the Saudi deputy, who is leading a massive campaign to introduce reforms to the world's largest oil exporter, reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries as well as latest developments in the Middle East.

Hizbullah party has welcomed President Michel Aoun's speech at the Arab summit in Jordan, describing it as message urging the Arab leaders to mind their major causes and to stop interfering in other states, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

“The President appeared at the summit more keen on Arab solidarity, urging the Arabs to attend to basic issues and preventing interference in each others affairs and to put an end to the wars,” Hizbullah Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Fneish told the daily.

Aoun's speech at the 28th Arab summit in Jordan echoed well among Arab circles and was assessed as “positive,” al-Akhbar daily reported on Thursday.

Arab diplomatic sources told the daily the speech did not go unnoticed, it “left a positive influence on heads of the delegations who considered that Lebanon should play a leading role,” said the sources on condition of anonymity.

President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday he will carry a peace message to the Arab summit on behalf of the Lebanese and will stress the significance of Arab solidarity and activation of Arab League charter.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil said on Tuesday that the cabinet has approved the 2017 draft budget plan during Monday's meeting where “new elements to promote tax justice and abolish protected monopolies were introduced.”

Speaking after an extraordinary meeting of the Change and Reform bloc, the Minister pointed out: “We underlined three old demands of the bloc namely the tax on real estate profits, raising taxes on bank profits and bank interests.”