The Lebanese Forces is expected to declare the party's candidates and electoral program in the parliamentary elections on Wednesday, amid reports claiming that negotiations to strike a coalition with its once-ally al-Mustaqbal Movement still “suffer a setback,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

“The LF negotiations with Mustaqbal are still facing a setback, but they are ongoing although their success chances are decreasing with regard to achieving the desired result in some districts,” LF sources told the daily.

Hizbullah Deputy Leader Sheikh Naim Qassem on Saturday said Hizbullah will always confront the “attempts of Israel and the United States to subordinate Lebanon” to its policies, affirming that Lebanon “can't be strong without Hizbullah.”

“Hizbullah is the pillar of modern Lebanon. Lebanon can't be strong and stable without this pillar which has become an integral part of building the institutions, drawing the future, maintaining independence and prevention of occupation,” said Qassem at a ceremony in Nabatieh.

The Internal Security Forces announced the arrest of two wanted drug dealers after thorough follow-up and monitoring, the ISF said in a statement on Saturday.

A patrol of the Anti-Narcotics Bureau arrested one of the suspects on Thursday. He was identified as Palestinian N.H. and is wanted on multiple drug and arson charges.

Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom agreed in a joint statement late on Friday “to work together to support Lebanon's government and to work together to counter Hizbullah's role,” in the region, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The statement was issued during the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the UK at the invitation of the government of Queen Elizabeth II, said the news agency.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said the ministerial committee's talks regarding the 2018 State budget were “consensual,” assuring that they managed to cut expenditures by more than 1,000 billion Lebanese pounds keeping the public debt unchanged, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri chaired the meeting of the nine-member ministerial committee tasked with discussing the 2018 draft budget at the Grand Serail.

The session is expected to be the last one before the budget is referred to the Parliament.

After the sudden clashes that erupted recently in two Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, the country's security forces have affirmed on Thursday that the “situation is fully under control, and efforts are underway to stop any attempts aiming to trigger chaos,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri has met at the Center House with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi where talks highlighted the issue of Syrian refugees, Hariri's media office said.

“I was pleased to meet with PM Hariri, together with the state minister for affairs of the displaced (Moein Merhebi) to discuss the situation of refugees in Lebanon and the region,” said Grandi.

Judges at a U.N.-backed tribunal Wednesday threw out a bid to acquit an alleged Hizbullah member of any role in the 2005 assassination of ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Saturday said the case of satirist Ziad Itani must not be exploited for “tarnishing” the role of the judiciary and competent security forces, Hariri's media office said.