Relations between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri are firm and have not been affected by the ongoing debate over a new election law for the upcoming parliamentary polls, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday.

Sources close to al-Mustaqbal party expressed astonishment at reports claiming that relations between the two men have chilled lately over the thorny issue of agreeing on an election law that will govern polls.

Members of California's large Iranian-American community expressed shock and disbelief on Monday at President Donald Trump's travel ban, saying it would tear families apart and tarnish America's image abroad, but would also help stop financing for Hizbullah party.

"It's affecting everybody from the community because everybody has family and friends that have been coming back and forth from Europe and all over the world to America," said Alex Helmi, sitting in his carpet store in Westwood, an upmarket Los Angeles neighborhood dubbed "Tehrangeles."

Al-Mustaqbal Movement MP Ammar Houri stressed on Monday that endorsing a new election law is essential because it draws the political road map for Lebanon's future.

In an interview to VDL (93.3), Houri said: “The election law is political par excellence. It precedes the majority of other laws because it draws the future road map of Lebanon.”

Speaker Nabih Berri said the political parties have not recorded a progress in their discussions as for endorsing a new electoral law for the upcoming polls, and stressed that he would reject any law that involves “defects in standards,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

“There isn't any progress. We are still at the beginning of discussions. I will not approve of any electoral project that involves defects in standards,” Berri told the daily.

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji emphasized that the army is keen on its martyrs' and abductees' rights, and assured that most of the perpetrators who were found to be involved in the abduction and manslaughter of servicemen, were either killed or arrested, Ad Diyar daily reported on Monday.

“The army does not neglect the rights of its martyrs or prisoners, even if it took us some time to get that right,” said Qahwaji in an interview to the daily.

Justice Minister Salim Jreissati sent a memo to Head of the Higher Judicial Council Judge Jean Fahd, requesting that judges obtain a written permission from the related authorities before making public statements, the National News Agency reported Saturday.

“It came to our attention that a number of judges are taking part in seminars, lectures and media interviews or throwing speeches and making statements or publishing books without prior written permission from the Minister of Justice or any other competent authority,” said the memo.

Unknown assailants torched the vehicle and house of a senior AMAL Movement official in south Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency reported on Saturday.

Lebanese Forces Information Minister Melhem Riachi stressed on Saturday that the controversial 1960 election law will not be endorsed once again, and added that the hybrid election law system is emerging as the most preferable by political parties.

“It is definite. There will be no return to the 1960 law. The hybrid election law is the most favorable by political parties now,” Riachi said in an interview on LBCI TV station.

A baby girl was killed when a huge tree uprooted by a winter storm pummeling Lebanon, landed on a warehouse where a Syrian displaced family was living in the northern district of Akkar, the National News Agency reported.

As the result of a winter storm hitting Lebanon, a large tree fell on a warehouse in the Kfar Melki town in Akkar where a Syrian family displaced by the war ravaging in Syria is residing, NNA added.

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji stressed that terror threats in Lebanon are serious, and the latest attempted attack the neighborhood of Hamra, came because the Islamic State group is trying to make up for its defeats in the region and has asked its followers to strike back in Lebanon, An Nahar daily reported on Saturday.

The Lebanese Army has been expecting the IS to carry out an attack, because the group has been troubled with defeat in confrontation areas in the region and has therefore turned to the Lebanese arena and asked its followers to carry out attacks here, visitors to Qahwaji quoted him as saying.