Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil expressed his optimism over the upcoming legislative session, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Thursday.

He told the daily: “The consensual agreement over the meeting can be attributed to the political commitment between the Mustaqbal Movement and the Lebanese Forces.”

The next round of talks between the Mustaqbal Movement and Hizbullah has been rescheduled for Friday, reported al-Mustaqbal daily on Thursday.

The meeting was set to be held on Thursday, but was postponed due to the officials' commitment to the legislative session held at parliament.

Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh stressed Wednesday that what achieves a “victory” for Christians is the approval of a “fair” electoral law, dismissing the legislative settlement that was reached earlier in the day as a “Don Quixotic triumph.”

“The move that achieves a victory for Christians is the approval of an electoral law, not slogans, and what happened today was a 'Don Quixotic victory',” said Franjieh in an interview on MTV.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat hailed Wednesday the political settlement that was reached over the legislative session, hoping it will push political parties to address all problems through “serious and honest dialogue.”

“In the past few days, Lebanon went through a major political crisis that was about to jeopardize stability and the country's foundations amid sharp disputes and contradictions,” Jumblat noted.

Iran said Wednesday a top diplomat who went missing in the deadly stampede at this year's hajj pilgrimage is still alive and has asked Saudi Arabia to return him.

Ghazanfar Roknabadi was attending the annual Muslim gathering in September when pilgrims stampeded, killing at least 2,236 people in the hajj's worst-ever tragedy.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon UNIFIL said Wednesday it has turned over a longtime local staffer to Lebanese authorities who accuse him of spying for Israel.

The Lebanese man who had worked in the UNIFIL administration for over 20 years is among three people accused by authorities of spying for Israel.

Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea announced Wednesday that their parliamentary blocs will take part in a much-anticipated legislative session scheduled for Thursday and Friday after a political "settlement" was reached over the controversial issues.

“Today is a happy day. All disputes over the agenda of tomorrow's parliamentary session have been resolved and a comprehensive agreement has been reached over them – the nationality law, the municipalities law, the electoral law and other minor issues,” Aoun declared at a press conference.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called Wednesday for a “comprehensive political settlement” over the issues of the stalled presidential vote, the next government and the electoral law that should be approved for the parliamentary polls.

“I call on the political forces to seek a real political settlement,” said Nasrallah in a televised address marking Hizbullah's “Martyr Day”.

Parliamentary blocs agreed Wednesday on a formula for a draft law on renaturalizing emigrants of Lebanese origin.

The draft law is expected to be discussed during the legislative session on Thursday and Friday.

Head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri announced on Wednesday that the party will take part in Thursday's legislative session, ending days of speculation on the issue.

He said in a statement: “The movement will take part in the meeting to approve financial draft-laws.”