U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that Hizbullah’s sending of a reconnaissance drone into Israel's airspace may threaten stability in Lebanon, in his 16th report on the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559.

According to LBCI television, Ban also voiced his concerns over the Syrian crisis’ repercussions on the situation in Lebanon, praising the stances of President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati in regards to the so-called self-disassociation policy.

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Thursday said Hizbullah was “more of a threat to Lebanon than to Israel,” in the wake of Hizbullah's sending of a reconnaissance drone over the Jewish state.

“This organization is more of a threat to Lebanon than to Israel, because Israel is capable of defending itself,” Israel's radio quoted the Israeli president as saying.

Former prime minister Saad Hariri on Thursday noted that he had tasked MP Oqab Saqr with coordinating “humanitarian, political and media support” for the Syrian people, adding that he was not performing “a jihadist duty against the Syrian people.”

“In response to the defamation campaign against al-Mustaqbal Movement, accused by Hizbullah and its media outlets of engaging in the current conflict in Syria, and to the accusations against MP Oqab Saqr in particular, the Press Office of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri wants to clarify that … Saqr was assigned by Premier Saad Hariri to follow up on the situation in Syria and to coordinate with the political forces in the Syrian opposition regarding the media and political support of al-Mustaqbal Movement to the Syrian people," said a statement.

Independence Movement leader Michel Mouawad on Thursday stressed that an electoral law based on small electorates would guarantee Christians the best representation, unveiling a new common strategy with the Lebanese Forces for the 2013 elections in the Zgharta region.

“The electoral law proposed by the Christian forces in the March 14 camp, which is based on 50 electorates, would ensure proper representation,” Mouawad said after a meeting in Maarab with LF leader Samir Geagea.

Speaker Nabih Berri hit back on Thursday at Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, saying he is the one who has been trying to “tolerate” the LF leader.

“He's right. He can't tolerate me and I'm the one who's been trying to tolerate him and stomach him,” Berri hit out, after Geagea announced that the March 14 forces will not “tolerate” Berri as parliament speaker after the 2013 legislative elections.

The joint parliamentary committees that are discussing the new electoral draft law postponed on Thursday its meeting over lack of quorum.

“We will hold another meeting on Tuesday,” deputy Speaker Farid Makari told reporters at the parliament.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Thursday that the Syndicate Coordination Committee has the right to stage a strike calling for their demands to be met over the new wages scale.

He noted however during a press conference from the Grand Serail: “We will not jeopardize the stability of our monetary system.”

United Nations and Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi stressed the necessity to find a solution for the conflict in Syria, warning that it could spread to neighboring countries and “burn everything,” the As Safir daily said Thursday.

During his visit to Beirut Wednesday, where he met with senior Lebanese officials, Brahimi briefed President Michel Suleiman on the results of his meetings with officials in the countries he had visited to find a solution to the crisis in Syria and the obstacles that hinder his mission, al-Joumhouria daily quoted unnamed sources informed on the discussions as saying.

Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport customs foiled on Thursday an attempt to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine into the country, the National News Agency reported.

According to the news agency, the customs seized the cocaine inside three double-based cases belonging to two Turkish nationals.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea indirectly admitted that the March 14 forces had committed a mistake by agreeing to maintaining Speaker Nabih Berri in his position after the camp won a majority in the 2009 parliamentary elections, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Thursday.

He told the daily: “With all due respect to Berri, we can no longer tolerate him as parliament speaker. We must form a harmonious government just as the other camp did.”