A soldier was killed Friday and five others were injured in an exchange of fire during a raid carried out by the Lebanese Army in Baalbek.

The army announced in a statement the death of its soldier.

President Michel Aoun met Friday with a delegation from the Council of Arab Ministers for Social Affairs.

"We hope to come up with recommendations that we can work on for the benefit of the Lebanese people," Head of the Council Minister Ayman Al-Mufleh said.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Friday that his party has not participated in the parliamentary elections "for titles" but "to serve people."

"We have to start working and to complete what we had started in 2005," Geagea noted in a meeting, praising his team who he said contributed to the party's success.

British Ambassador to Lebanon Ian Collard has hosted the Queen’s Birthday Party in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee and her 96th birthday. This year, Her Majesty became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, which marks 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.

The event, which was held at the Mouawad Museum in Beirut, was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib representing President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati.

Humanitarian organizations and associations protested Thursday in front of the Central Bank, urging authorities to free their funds trapped in the banks.

Social Affairs Caretaker Minister Hector Hajjar participated in the protest.

British Ambassador to Lebanon Ian Collard and British Embassy’s Defense Attaché Lt. Col Lee Saunders have visited UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, the Mission’s area of operations and the Blue Line.

The British Embassy said in a statement that Ambassador Collard was briefed on UNIFIL’s crucial work especially along the Blue Line, and the challenges faced at the current time. "Ambassador Collard was also briefed on how the Lebanese Armed Forces are working to maintain stability in South Lebanon."

The Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon with its partner, the Samir Kassir Foundation, have announced the results of the 17th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press, in a ceremony held at Saint George Hotel, Ain El Mraisseh, Beirut.

The ceremony was broadcast live on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI).

The World Bank has extended its Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with Lebanon by one additional year "to advance urgently needed socioeconomic recovery programs targeting the poor and most vulnerable and support urgently needed macroeconomic and structural reforms."

In a statement, the world Bank said it has restructured and reprogramed its portfolio by cancelling underperforming projects and proactively allocating resources to newly identified priorities through a response focused on relief, recovery, and resilience.

A fight broke out Wednesday between supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement and supporters of the Lebanese forces at the Lebanese University.

The Lebanese army intervened to stop the fight that had started yesterday between the students over displaying portraits of certain politicians.

Free Patriotic Movement MP Cesar Abi Khalil slammed Wednesday Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat for switching in ten minutes from "defiant" to "non-defiant."

Abi Khalil questioned how Jumblat voted for Amal's Speaker, then against FPM MP Elias Bou Saab as Deputy Speaker.