A man has been found dead with gunshot wounds on the sidewalk outside Dbayeh’s marina, the National News Agency reported on Friday.

The Lebanese president Michel Aoun has reportedly “signed” a decree granting Lebanese citizenship to dozens of foreign nationals, including Syrian businessmen, despite widespread political and media opposition to the move dubbed as a prelude for“settlement,” the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat reported on Friday.

As political parties wrangle to allocate ministerial seats in the new government, controversy persists on whether the President and Prime Minister should have shares in the Cabinet separate from the shares allocated to their blocs.

First Military Investigative Judge Riad Abu Ghaida has issued an indictment in the case involving Lieutenant Colonel Suzanne al-Hajj, prominent actor Ziad Itani, and hacker Elie Ghabash, the State-run National News Agency reported on Thursday.

The indictment referred both Hajj and Ghabash to the permanent military court, while prevented the retrial of now-acquitted Itani, said NNA.

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim said on Thursday that contacts are in progress with the Syrian government in order to repatriate the Syrian refugees back to their homeland.

“Contacts with Syrian authorities are underway in a bid to return thousands of refugees back to their homes. The issue is imminent,” said Ibrahim during the inauguration ceremony of the General Security center in Jdeideh.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq has urged President Michel Aoun on Thursday to hold intensive meetings with political and security officials in order to control the deteriorating security situation in the eastern Bekaa town of Baalbek.

“I have asked President Michel Aoun to hold successive intensive meetings with political and security officials in order to put an end to the rampant chaos in Baalbek,” Mashnouq told reporters after the meeting.

In light of insistence to allocate a share in the new government for President Michel Aoun separate from the one allocated to the Strong Lebanon bloc, demands were raised that Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri should also have a share for the Premiership separate from that of al-Mustaqbal bloc, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat daily reported on Thursday.

President Michel Aoun said on Wednesday that the United States must help Lebanon return the Syrian refugees back to safe areas in their homeland.

“The US should help Lebanon facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to safe areas in Syria and not wait for a comprehensive political solution to the Syrian crisis,” said Aoun.

A newly elected lawmaker emphasized on Wednesday that the issue of the president’s share in the government is not subject to any constitutional provisions.

“Nothing in the constitution speaks of a share of the President in the government,” said MP-elect Albert Mansour in an interview to VDL (93.3).

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat emphasized that three ministerial seats allocated to the Druze community will strictly be of the PSP’s share, noting the parliamentary elections results that saw his Democratic Gathering bloc record significant outcome, the daily An Nahar daily reported on Wednesday.

“The entire share allocated to the Druze community in the Cabinet shall be allocated to the PSP. We are asking for a legitimate demand as a result of the (parliamentary) elections no more and no less,” Jumblat said in remarks to the daily.