State Minister for Women's Affairs Jean Oghassapian defended on Friday the females' right for parliamentary seat quota, saying it's a duty of the constitutional authorities and not an option, the State-run National News Agency reported.

“The adoption of quotas for women in the parliamentary elections law is not a discrimination between men and women,” said Oghassapian.

After a dispute that surfaced between al-Mustaqbal and AMAL movements over appointments at the Internal Security Forces, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil has reportedly said the conflict won't be over unless changes are introduced to the recent appointments made in ISF, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

AMAL minister, Khalil, told Prime Minister Saad Hariri who is also the Mustaqbal leader, of his intention to take “additional financial measures related to transportation and benefits,” said the daily.

The Customs police at the Rafik Hariri International Airport foiled on Friday at dawn, an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of gold through the terminal, the National News Agency reported on Friday.

Preparations have started at the Presidential Palace in Baabda for a cabinet meeting devoted to tackle Lebanon's electoral law for the upcoming parliamentary elections, amid reports that Speaker Nabih Berri might schedule a term extension session if a breakthrough is not reached, media reports said Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday denounced Syria's President Bashar al-Assad as responsible for a "terrible," "egregious" crime, suggesting the United States could be poised to take action over this week's suspected chemical attack.

A parliamentary session to assess the performance of the government on a number of issues began on Thursday in Nejmeh Square, in light of the political parties failure to devise a new voting system that will rule the upcoming parliamentary polls.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri said at the opening of the session: “We are committed to stage the parliamentary elections and reject all forms of vacuum.”

At the opening of the Silk Road Conference on Thursday, Prime Minister Saad Hariri invited China and other countries to invest in Lebanon as a preparation for the massive reconstruction of Syria, as he called for joint efforts by private and public sectors between the two countries in that regard.

“China has always been a leading exporter to Lebanon. The same is not true of our exports to China. This calls for particular joint efforts by private and public sectors in our two countries. Today is a good start,” said Hariri at the opening of the conference “One Belt One Road in Lebanon” at the Adnan Kassar center for Arab economy.

As the parliament prepares to convene on Thursday in a general discussion where MPs will question the cabinet's progress, Speaker Nabih Berri said the session is an “alarm bell” as he urged all political parties to shoulder responsibility and agree on a new law for the upcoming parliamentary polls to avoid vacuum in the legislative institution.

Parties who have recently met the Speaker came out with the impression that “he is not comfortable” and believes Lebanon is facing a difficult stage, An Nahar daily reported Thursday.

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim said on Thursday that the renewal of his term as the agency's chief is a “great responsibility thrown on my shoulders” that he will seek to safeguard, as he assured that he will seek to make the institution a source of pride.

“The General Security will not be less motivated in the next stage. Renewal of my term is a great responsibility and a confirmation of trust in Law,” said Ibrahim in an interview to the General Security magazine.

Internal Security Forces arrested a man in connection to counterfeit money being circulated throughout the eastern city of Zahle, an ISF statement said on Tuesday.

“Several counterfeit money transactions have recently been carried out by an anonymous person who purchases goods from shops through a counterfeit $100 bill,” said the ISF statement.