The tenants of old rent law buildings hailed on Friday President Michel Suleiman's expected appeal against the new rent law, which he deemed as hindering social justice.

They said in a statement: “We will continue our contacts with parliamentary blocs to persuade them to alter their position on the oppressive new rent law.”

One person was killed Friday in a personal dispute in the Beirut southern suburb of Hay al-Sellom, which prompted the army's intervention.

“A man from the Ajami family was killed in a personal dispute between him and a man from the Zgheib family over the payment of a sum of money,” MTV reported.

An Israeli unit failed on Friday in abducting shepherds in the southern town of Shebaa, opting instead to seize their cattle, reported the National News Agency.

It said that the unit crossed 400 meters into the Jabal al-Shahel region west of Shebaa where it tried to kidnap four shepherds.

Lebanon has placed prohibitive restrictions on the entry of Palestinians fleeing Syria, making it almost impossible for them to take refuge in the small Mediterranean country.

New measures mean Palestinians fleeing Syria will not be given visas at the border, while those who are already in the country will not have their visas renewed.

The army said on Friday that the number of fugitives linked to the deadly gunbattles in the northern city of Tripoli, who have handed themselves over to the military, has risen to 11.

An army communique released on Friday identified seven of the suspects as Abdullah Abdul Qader Mansour, Abdullah Mohammed al-Hilweh, Hassan Mohammed Srour, Ali Ali Jarkas, Ahmed Khaled al-Abboud, Khaled Fadi Shalabi and Syrian Khaled Mahmoud Mustafa.

The primary objective for the visit of Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri to Beirut last week is a farewell to Lebanese officials away from any mediations on the presidential elections and to pave the way for the appointment of his successor, official sources told al-Akhbar daily on Friday.

Last week, Asiri arrived in Lebanon with his family where he stressed that “Saudi Arabia did not and will not meddle in Lebanese affairs,” in reference to the stalled presidential elections.

President Michel Suleiman has told Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi that it was preferable for him not to visit the Holy Land later this month over local controversy on the planned trip, As Safir daily reported on Friday.

The newspaper said that Suleiman preferred during the talks held on Thursday at Baabda Palace that “such a visit not take place amid the division over it.”

Hizbullah has informed Saudi Arabia that its candidate for the presidency is Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Friday.

The daily said that Riyadh has sent several messages to the party asking it whether it wanted the elections to be held anytime soon or whether it preferred vacuum.

European Union Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst has said it is important for a candidate, who garners a wide support, to be elected as president.

In an interview with An Nahar daily published on Friday, Eichhorst said the president-elect should “enjoy a large support base.”

Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that the authorities exercised by the parliament are legislative and are not linked to the sessions on the election of a president.

In remarks to several local dailies published on Friday, Berri said he can call for parliamentary sessions to approve draft-laws and for sessions to elect a new head of state.