The Lebanese army arrested forty Syrian suspects on Wednesday in raids it staged on refugee encampments in the Bekaa town of Hermel, the National News Agency reported.

Army troops and intelligence units carried out a wide-scale raid that began at 6:00 am and that included the displaced encampments in the region of Hermel in al-Tall, Hosh al-Sayyed Ali and al-Shawagir, NNA added.

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji emphasized that the army exerts relentless efforts to fight back terrorism as he emphasized that he does not interfere in the decisions of the authorities as for his term extension, As Safir daily reported on Wednesday.

“The army is locked in a close race with terrorism which seeks to target its arena,” Qahwaji told the daily in an interview.

The United States has delivered $50 million worth of military assistance to the Lebanese army to help it battle against jihadist extremists near the border with Syria.

Some promising developments have emerged lately in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh after several fugitives, who sought refuge in the camp, turned themselves in to the army intelligence the recent was Mohammed Taha, son of Tawfiq Taha the commander of Abdullah Azzam Brigades and another fugitive of the Darwish family, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Tuesday.

Palestinian sources following up closely on the issue, assured that more fugitives will turn themselves in and that the army checkpoints that were erected at the entrances to the camp saw nine fugitives surrender in less than two weeks.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea could be mulling the possibility of nominating a new candidate for the presidency other than founder of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun, although a senior source at the party assured otherwise, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday.

The daily related to Geagea's interview to the Saudi al-Riyadh newspaper where he pointed out and said: “We are looking for a solution to the current crisis, not that because we support Aoun, but because we want to push forward the Lebanese institutions.”

Prime Minister Tammam Salam stated on Monday that although dialogue among the political parties may not be reaping the desired effect, only it is necessary to contain the tension among the rival sides, as he urged the Christian leaders to name a new candidate as head of state, As Safir daily reported.

“Dialogue absorbs tension and political collision in the country which does not produce solutions starting with the election of a president,” Salam told the daily in an interview.

The Internal Security Forces said that a Syrian woman was put under arrest on prostitution charges in the southern suburb of Mreijeh, an ISF statement said on Saturday.

ISF said that the Mreijeh police “obtained information from unknown sources about a woman, Z. B., who was practicing prostitutions while leaving her three children in an “inappropriate place” where they were subject to humiliation and beating.”

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi visited Mount Lebanon on Sunday where he marked the 15th anniversary of the mountain reconciliation between the Christians and Druze and to inaugurate a church in the Shouf town of al-Moukhtara.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan received the Patriarch in the presence of former President Amin Gemayel, Michel Suleiman, former minister Walid Daouk representing ex-PM Najib Miqati, Papal Ambassador to Lebanon Gabriel Caccia, MP Ali Fayyad, Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji and a number of bishops and priests.

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed fears that the country is approaching the “verge of the abyss” if the deadlock in Lebanon’s political work prolongs and a vacuum at the presidential post lingers, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Sunday.

“The country can no longer tolerate. What do I do to make everyone believe that we are in danger and approaching the abyss?” Berri told the daily.

The telecommunications sector file and demands to replace OGERO Telecom chief Abdul Menhem Youssef over corruption claims consumed much of the cabinet session that was held on Thursday.

“The cabinet continued discussing the situations of the Telecom Ministry and the telecom minister answered the questions that some ministers had asked during the previous session and the ministers expressed their viewpoints over these answers,” said the cabinet in a statement recited by Information Minister Ramzi Jreij after the meeting.