Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat has allegedly expressed readiness to accept the dumping of around 2,000 tons out of 2,500 tons of waste in Dahr al-Baydar in return for stashing the rest of the garbage in the districts of Metn and Kesrouan.

Al-Akhbar daily said Thursday that 3,000 tons of waste are collected from Beirut, its suburbs, and the districts of Shouf, Aley, Baabda, Kesrouan and Metn daily. Sukleen treats around 500 tons while the rest are dumped in landfills.

Public Works Minister Ghazi Zoaiter and the former head of Lebanon's Civil Aviation have warned against dumping waste near Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport.

Zoaiter told An Nahar daily published on Wednesday that he has sent memos to the ministers of interior, defense and environment to inform them about the dangers of dumping waste in the airport's vicinity.

Officials close to Prime Minister Tammam Salam were not optimistic on Wednesday on a possible solution to Lebanon's political crisis as top diplomats rushed to his support to stop a possible resignation decision.

The officials, who were not identified, told al-Joumhouria daily that “all efforts, which had been exerted until Tuesday, hit a dead-end as a result of inflexible stances that caused a failure in coming up with solutions” to controversial issues.

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri has said he informed Prime Minister Tammam Salam that Riyadh is keen on Lebanon's constitutional institutions after reports that the PM was mulling to resign.

In remarks to al-Joumhouria daily published Wednesday, Asiri said: “I stressed to him (Salam) that the Kingdom is keen on the continued functioning of state institutions, chiefly the premiership.”

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat has stressed that he had no ties to any investment linked to Lebanon's waste management crisis.

Jumblat told As Safir daily published on Wednesday that there was potential for his sons Taymour and Aslan to enter in a partnership with Riad al-Asaad.

Anti-trash activists blocked on Tuesday several roads in Beirut to protest the authorities' failure to find a permanent solution to the waste crisis.

The demonstration was planned to coincide with a cabinet session which Prime Minister Tammam Salam adjourned to pave way for more consultations.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam postponed a cabinet session that was set to take place on Tuesday to pave way for more consultations and to avoid a further confrontation on its controversial decision-making mechanism.

A statement issued by the premiership said Salam set Thursday as a new date for the cabinet to convene.

Two cars went ablaze Monday evening in the Beirut area of Karakol al-Druze and several citizens suffered suffocation after young men set fire to trash dumpsters to protest the accumulation of garbage on the streets, state-run National News Agency reported.

A vehicle from the Beirut Fire Brigade has since arrived at the scene to put out the flames, NNA said.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has described the country's waste crisis as a “national disaster,” warning that street protests could spiral out of control and lead to detrimental effects.

“We are facing a national disaster that is much more dangerous than some (people) imagine,” Salam told As Safir daily in remarks published on Monday.

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat did not rule out another extension for the landfill that lies in Naameh south of Beirut to find a temporary solution for Lebanon's waste management crisis.

In remarks to al-Akhbar daily published on Monday, Jumblat said that he hasn't so far seen a serious initiative to resolve the crisis which erupted when the landfill was closed on July 17 in accordance with a government decision taken earlier this year.