Energy Minister Jebran Bassil warned on Thursday that the electricity crisis in Lebanon might worsen during the upcoming days as Electricite du Liban's contract employees’ strike is affecting the company’s work.

“The full-time employees have informed me that they can’t tolerate the ongoing situation as the strike is affecting their work,” Bassil told As Safir newspaper.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati gave an ultimatum to cabinet ministers to resolve the controversial funding of state projects by next Wednesday, media reports said.

Beirut dailies quoted on Thursday sources as saying that Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi proposed in coordination with Miqati the allocation of 100 million dollars as treasury loans to carry out development projects in their hometown of Tripoli in the North.

U.N.-Arab League Special Envoy for Syria Kofi Annan on Thursday held talks with President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda palace on his peace plan for strife-torn Syria and the issue of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims abducted on May 22 in the Syrian province of Aleppo.

During the talks with Suleiman, Annan “evaluated his plan for Syria and the stages it has gone through,” NBN television reported.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Wednesday stressed the need to preserve national unity in Syria, warning against “falling into the traps of civil strife and sedition that are being set up by the regime.”

Commenting on the latest abduction and counter-abduction operations in the Syrian provinces of Daraa and Soueida, Jumblat called for “turning this painful page” and extended gratitude to “everyone who contributed to ending this problem, especially the three spiritual leaders, the dignitaries of Soueida and Daraa, and the revolution coordination committees in the two regions.”

Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday revealed that he has provided Palestinian leaders with the names of a group plotting to assassinate him, noting that they are “experienced individuals.”

In an interview on al-Manar television, Berri added that he had summoned top Palestinian leader Azzam al-Ahmed, member of Fatah’s Central Committee, to brief him on the available information, which were reported by “three sources.”

Syrian troops kidnapped on Wednesday two Lebanese farmers in the border region of al-Abboudiyeh.

The residents in the area blocked the international road in protest against the development.

Iran's U.N. mission has strongly denied a U.S. newspaper report alleging evidence existed implicating Tehran or its Lebanese ally Hizbullah in international assassination plots, Iranian media reported on Wednesday.

"Iran has always condemned any terrorist acts and these baseless accusations are being made against the Islamic state in line with Iranophobia and the policy of putting illegal pressure on Iran," the Iranian mission said in letter to the Washington Post newspaper, which published the report, according to the Arman daily.

Cabinet criticized on Wednesday the Electricite du Liban contract employees’ recent protests, saying that they have violated the principles of peaceful demonstrations.

Information Minister Walid al-Daouq said: “Anyone who will deign to violate the law will be arrested.”

The Army Intelligence Directorate in the area of Jezzine in southern Lebanon has summoned some youths in the region for investigation over information and friends listed on their Facebook profiles, An Nahar daily said Wednesday.

The investigation did not spare well-educated people, with respected jobs including a professor at a private university, employees in the private and public sectors, and an employee bank, reported the daily.

The Maronite bishops council urged on Wednesday officials to set Lebanon’s interests as a priority above all else, “completely rejecting” attempts to drag the country towards “a new war through fueling sectarian tensions.”

It said in a statement after its monthly meeting: “Officials must comply with President Michel Suleiman’s call to resume the national dialogue without preconditions.”