Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil announced on Tuesday that he withdrew from the Arab League meeting during Syrian National Coalition chief Ahmed Jarba's speech.

“I pulled out from the hall in harmony with my own convictions and allegiances,” Khalil, who is the political adviser of Speaker Nabih Berri, said via Twitter.

A police checkpoint in Dahr al-Baydar seized a quantity of drugs stashed in a minibus and detained the driver, the state-run National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

According to NNA, police officers seized on Monday 250 grams of hashish hidden in a “professional way” inside a white Mercedes minibus that was heading from the Bekaa towards Beirut.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged on Tuesday the rival parties to dissociate Lebanon from the regional and international turmoils, demanding officials to end the chaos in the country.

“The political, economic, social and security chaos in the country should end,” al-Rahi said in a sermon during a mass he held in Bkirki on the occasion of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A Syrian woman set herself on fire on Tuesday in front of the United Nations aid center in the northern city of Tripoli in protest against the poor aid being presented to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, reported Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).

The woman has been identified as Mariam Khawli, 40.

President Michel Suleiman reiterated on Tuesday his complete rejection to any attempt to extend his six-year-term, ruling out that Hizbullah would allow it.

“Extending my term is out of the question. If I was seeking to be granted an extension I wouldn't have taken the stance that I did over the past years,” Suleiman said in an interview with al-Mustaqbal newspaper.

A security plan for various regions in Lebanon was addressed during a Defense Ministry meeting attended by Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji and various heads of security agencies on Monday, reported An Nahar daily on Tuesday.

Mashnouq told the daily: “The gatherers tackled a balanced and fair security plan that we will propose before the Higher Defense Council ahead of referring it to cabinet for approval.”

Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq stressed on Tuesday that al-Naameh landfill will be shut down in 2015 indefinitely, pointing out that a crisis plan will be set to deal with the crisis of solid waste in the country.

“We should focus on the main issues out of our keenness to safeguard the health of the citizens,” Mashnouq said in comments published in al-Liwaa newspaper.

Speaker Nabih Berri hoped that the election of a new president will take place during one parliamentary session, reported As Safir newspaper on Tuesday.

He told the daily: “I believe that internal forces will hold sway over who will be elected president.”

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour referred on Monday the case of the Natamycin anti-fungal agent found in labneh (strained yogurt) products to the General Prosecution.

The case will be referred to the General Prosecution in order to take the necessary measures against those found to be involved in this issue.

The Phalange Party on Monday called for “capitalizing on” the formation of the new cabinet to hold the upcoming presidential election on time, urging a “comprehensive security plan” for the Lebanese regions that are witnessing security tensions.

“The country enters tomorrow the timeframe stipulated by the constitution to elect a new president and the party stresses the importance of capitalizing on the promising governmental achievement to approach this juncture in a spirit of national responsibility in order to prevent any presidential vacuum,” the party said in a statement issued after the weekly meeting of its political bureau.