A delegation from the Association of Banks in Lebanon will visit Washington and New York in January, following a U.S. law that imposed sanctions on banks that “knowingly” do business with Hizbullah, An Nahar daily reported on Monday.

The delegation will be headed by the ABL chief Joseph Tarabay.

The Army Intelligence referred on Saturday six detainees to the judicial authorities for having links to the terrorist cell led by jihadist Mohammed al Satem, the army said in a statement.

“The army referred six detainees of the terrorist cell led by fugitive Mohammed al-Satem to the judiciary. The cell had plans to establish, in collaboration with another group in Khirbet Daoud, a security zone to target and control army positions in a bid to facilitate the entry of Islamic State members from Syria to Lebanon to establish an emirate in the area of Akkar,” the statement added.

Fierce armed clashes renewed overnight between the Jaafar and Shuqeir families after a Friday dispute that damaged two houses and several cars in Baalbek, the state-run National News Agency reported on Saturday.

Friday's dispute between the two families escalated into an armed clash involving the use of shoulder-fired rockets and machineguns in al-Sharawneh neighborhood in Baalbek.

The developments in the controversial file of Lebanon's presidency face two options before the end of January that could either leave the post vacant until some constitutional amendments are made in favor of Hizbullah or elect Marada chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the post, al-Anba daily reported on Saturday.

“The presidential developments in Lebanon are in front of two options before mid January. Hizbullah will not allow the election to happen until constitutional amendments that fall in its favor are made,” an unnamed March 14 ministerial source told the daily.

A governmental Libyan delegation is expected to arrive in Beirut on Friday for a meeting with Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi to tackle the case of Hannibal Gadhafi, al-Akhbar daily reported.

“A delegation is expected to arrive in Beirut and will be headed by the First Adviser to the Libyan Justice Ministry and is expected to ask the Lebanese authorities to release Gadhafi,” judicial sources told the daily on condition of anonymity.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat blamed Iran for thwarting the presidential initiative settlement that suggested the nomination of Marada chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the top state post, As Safir daily reported on Friday.

“(Al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad) Hariri suggested the initiative with a Saudi approval and Iran rejected it and that was enough to freeze it,” Jumblat told the daily.

Political parties supporting the initiative settlement that suggested the nomination of Marada chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the post of the presidency, pin hopes on a U.S. mobility that could push the initiative forward, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

“Parties involved in the settlement are betting on a U.S. action next month that could lead to the passing of the initiative,” well informed sources told the daily.

The General Security arrested four Lebanese nationals on suspicion of forming terrorist cells that work in favor of the Islamic State, the National News Agency said on Thursday.

"Within its framework to follow up on the activities of terrorist and sleeper cells, the General Security arrested A.R, M.K., Y.B. and A.G.," it said in a statement.

Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi reiterated the calls on Thursday for the election of a president and for the formation of a new electoral law that respects the national pact and provides parity.

“We reiterate the calls to elect a president as soon as possible, and we urge the political blocs to take the presidential settlement initiative seriously,” said al-Rahi in a pre-Christmas letter.

Hizbullah will continue to support the candidacy of MP Michel Aoun for the post of presidency, despite reports claiming that the party implicitly prefers Marada chief MP Suleiman Franjieh, the Kuwaiti al-Anba daily reported on Thursday.

“Anyone who believes that Hizbullah's backing of Aoun is only a tactic or an act of courtesy is mistaken,” a March 14 official told the daily on condition of anonymity.