Amelie Zinzius was sworn on Friday as Deputy Registrar for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

She replaces Daryl Mundis, who was appointed Registrar in July this year, announced the STL in a statement.

A Syrian infant has died from cold weather in the northern Akkar province, the state-run National News Agency reported on Friday, as the blustery storm kept a tight grip on Lebanon.

NNA said 3-month-old Mahmoud Raad, whose parents are Syrian refugees, died in a room where his family was staying in the town of Akroum.

Lebanon's State Security announced on Friday the arrest of a money counterfeiting gang and the confiscation of one million dollars of counterfeit banknotes.

A communique issued by the directorate-general of State Security said the three-member network was arrested after a go-ahead by Financial Prosecutor Ali Ibrahim.

A Beirut judge issued a one year prison sentence against a businessman for trading in expired meat, the state-run National News Agency reported on Friday.

Judge Bassem Taqieddine also imposed a LL50 million fine on Ahmed Mohammed Yassine, NNA said.

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) are engaged in direct and indirect contacts with Hizbullah, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Friday.

According to the report, the talks focus on several aspects and include the Islamist movement Hamas.

A residential building, whose owner had violated construction regulations in the northern city of Tripoli, was evacuated on Friday over fears it would collapse, municipal chief Nader Ghazal said.

The state-run National News Agency said the building, which is located in Abi Samra district, was evacuated after cracks began appearing in its walls and foundations.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has said that he would visit Syria only if the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad collapses and the country is “liberated.”

In remarks to French-language daily L'Orient Le Jour, Jumblat said: “Neither I nor my son have planned for a single moment to go to Damascus.”

President Michel Suleiman is seeking to form a neutral cabinet ahead of the end of his term in May 2014, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Friday.

Ministerial sources told the daily that Suleiman might adopt this option in coordination with Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam if he believed that the rival parties won't extend his presidential term.

President Michel Suleiman prefers to renew his mandate rather than extend it, well-informed diplomatic sources told As Safir newspaper published on Friday.

The sources quoted Suleiman as telling his French counterpart Francois Hollande in September that he rejects the extension of his term, even for a day.

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta is expected to arrive in Beirut on Friday to hold talks with senior officials and to prepare for an international conference to provide the Lebanese army with the help it needs to boost its performance.

Local newspaper reported on Friday that the Italian Premier will hold talks with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and his Lebanese counterpart Najib Miqati.