Army Commander General Joseph Aoun held talks in Washington with the US Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of US Central Command in the presence of senior military and civil officials, the National News Agency reported on Wednesday.

Votel congratulated General Aoun on the huge victory achieved by the Lebanese army during the Dawn of the Outskirts offensive that led to ousting the Islamic State militants from the area, NNA added.

Lebanese delegations are expected to travel to Russia next week as part of talks initiated by Prime Minister Saad Hariri with the Russian leadership to provide Lebanon's military with “quality weapons”, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Wednesday.

Russian diplomatic sources told the daily “Russian authorities are preparing to receive a Lebanese security delegation from the ministry of interior, followed by a military delegation from the ministry of defense to start talks on 'quality weapons' that Lebanon needs within the framework of an agreement between Hariri and the Russian leadership.”

Angry owners of illegal coffee vending vehicles and kiosks in the southern suburb of Hay el-Sellom burned tires on Wednesday protesting the state's removal of their unauthorized structures, the State-run National News Agency reported on Wednesday.

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim will reportedly head to Syria on Wednesday to discuss a number of “pending” files between the two countries, expressing readiness to carry out any “coordination mission” with Damascus mandated to him by the Lebanese cabinet as for the displaced issue, al-Joumhouria daily reported.

Ibrahim is expected to “meet with Syrian officials and conduct a comprehensive review with them on all pending issues between the two countries, especially the security files related to the kidnapped and the extradition of Lebanese detained by Syrian authorities,” said the daily.

The U.N. children's agency said Tue that Australia has granted it 30 million Australian dollars, or about $23 million, to boost access to education for vulnerable children in Lebanon over the next three years.

A UNICEF statement said the announcement was made during Australian Governor-General Peter Cosgrove's visit to a Lebanese public school.

Army Commander General Joseph Aoun has been honored at Washington's National Defense University during his ongoing visit to the United States, the army said on Tuesday.

The university organized a ceremony in honor of Aoun, who had graduated from a course there on combating terrorism in 2009, an army statement said.

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday warned that Iran is seeking to impose “hegemony” on Lebanon and the region.

Hailing Prime Minister Saad Hariri's response to remarks by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the bloc described the premier's statement as “a patriotic and courageous stance.”

The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc on Tuesday announced that Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil will propose an “advanced” and “logical” plan for addressing the Syrian refugee crisis during Thursday's cabinet session.

“The burden of Syrian refugees on Lebanon has become very huge,” the bloc warned in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary on Tuesday highlighted the importance of “working together to achieve a lasting peace in south Lebanon.”

Speaking at an event marking the 72nd United Nations Day at the U.N. Mission’s headquarters in Naqoura, Beary said UNIFIL looks forward “to a time when it can hand over authority for the area south of the Litani River to the sovereign Government of Lebanon.”

Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks on Tuesday with Australia's Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove at the Grand Serail where talks touched on strengthening bilateral ties between Lebanon and Australia at various levels, Hariri's media office said in a statement.

Talks have also focused on the latest developments in Lebanon and the region.