The General Security Directorate was able to thwart an Islamic State group terror scheme, that had plans to target Beirut's Central District, al-Akhbar daily reported on Tuesday.

The daily added that the Islamic State's plans were “exceptional” this time, after it managed to infiltrate the real estate company of Solidere and recruit one of the employees.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri held a meeting on Monday with Saudi State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan at the Grand Serail, the National News Agency reported.

The meeting took place in the presence of the Prime Minister's aide Nader Hariri. Nader Hariri.

President Michel Aoun held talks with Saudi State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan on Monday at the Presidential Palace, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Al-Sabahan stressed during his meeting with Aoun that his visit comes in the “framework of following up on discussions that have been first agreed between Aoun and Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz,” during the president's visit to Saudi Arabia in January.

Prospects are emerging that a proportional representation vote law for the upcoming parliamentary polls where Lebanon is divided into 13 districts could be put for discussion, al-Akhbar daily reported on Monday.

The next stage will witness suggestions made by President Michel Aoun to hold the polls based on a proportional representation system where Lebanon is divided into 13 districts. The proposal will be suggested to political parties, sources close to Aoun told the daily.

Foreign Minister and Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil clarified that an agreement on an electoral law for the upcoming parliamentary polls has not been reached as yet with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

“A hybrid electoral law was put for discussion six months ago, and they (PSP) have agreed on it six months ago. But last week and in a matter of two days they changed their mind,” Bassil told the daily in an interview.

The Lebanese army intelligence units arrested in south Lebanon , a Palestinian man over suspicion of having ties to a would-be suicide attacker who attempted to carry out a terror operation in Beirut's upscale Hamra neighborhood earlier this year, the National News Agency reported on Saturday.

The detainee identified as Hassan Majdi Obeid was arrested in al-Zahrani's Sarafand area, NNA added.

MP Boutros Harb stated that a suggestion made by President Michel Aoun to introduce a referendum shall political parties fail to agree on a new electoral law, is a “method of circumventing the polls.”

“Nothing prevents the parliament from approving a draft referendum for the polls as suggested by President Aoun, but the idea of a referendum is a way of circumventing the elections,” Harb said in an interview with VDL (93.3).

The United States has denied reports claiming that seven countries including Lebanon will soon be added to a new travel ban list.

An Executive Order recently signed by U.S. President Donald Trump had imposed a 90-day pause on the entry into the United States of nationals from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen.

Political parties have realized that the parliamentary elections slated for May could be postponed until September to be staged based on a new electoral law, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

“The political parties are fully informed that the polls will be staged on the last Sunday of September and will be held based on a new law,” Lebanese Forces sources told the daily.

Lebanese army soldiers were killed on Friday in a vehicle collision on the Zahle-Baalbek highway, the National News Agency reported.

Two soldiers, H.M. who hails from Ali al-Nahri town and A.S.Q. from Temnin al-Tahta, were killed early Friday in an accident near Dar al-Amal State Hospital on the Zahle-Baalbek highway, NNA said.