A delegation from the Free Patriotic Movement visited leader of the Democratic Gathering bloc MP Walid Jumblat at the latter's residence in Clemenceau, media office of the Progressive Socialist Party said on Tuesday.

In light of the Lebanese Forces “inclination” to ask its ministers to resign from the government, al-Mustaqbal Movement has stressed keenness on its alliance with the LF and on the “presence” of the latter in the cabinet, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri lashed out at Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stressing that the latter's comments about Lebanon were “unacceptable.”

Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday has voiced calls on Lebanese expats to register their names at embassies in order to take part in the country's parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2018.

President Michel Aoun received on Monday Australia's Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lady Lynn Cosgrove at the Presidential Palace in Baabda.

Upon his arrival at the Palace, Aoun and Cosgrove held a private meeting after which they held a joint press conference.

The General Security Directorate said it has arrested six individuals suspected of forging travel documents to facilitate the illegal travel of people from Lebanon abroad, the National News Agency reported on Monday.

“General Security units have carried out several arrests between October 13-19 detaining six individuals on charges of forging travel documents for the transfer of individuals from Lebanon to European, Asian and African countries,” the Directorate said in a statement.

President Michel Aoun is expected to start an Arab tour early next month that will include Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Monday.

Aoun's visit to Kuwait is expected to take place on November 5 for talks with Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah in addition to senior Kuwaiti officials, said the daily.

Minister of Economy Raed Khoury said on Saturday that the Syrian crisis has entailed economic costs on Lebanon worth $18 billion dollars, as he urged displaced Syrians to return back home.

“The Syrian crisis has cost the Lebanese economy 18 billion dollars since 2011 until today.

Head of Lebanon's General Labor Union Beshara al-Asmar said that practical consultations have begun to raise the minimum wage level in the private sector after the latest tax hikes that were initially approved to fund the wage scale for the public sector, al-Joumhouria daily reported Saturday.

“Wage correction in the private sector is supposed to take its way to implementation in order to update the salaries, correct them and raise the minimum wage level,” Asmar told the daily.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said on Friday that displaced Syrians and Palestinians have become a “great burden on Lebanon and must return home,” as he stressed “humanitarian solidarity with their causes.”

“It is our duty as Lebanese to preserve our country and its specifications for the benefit of all of us, and for Lebanon to carry out its mission in its Arab environment,” said Al-Rahi, adding “that is why all the displaced and refugees must return back to their land and country.”