Lebanese authorities should recognize a union for domestic workers, who are excluded from the protection of the Lebanese labor code, more than 100 nongovernmental organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, said in a public statement on Wednesday.

Ensuring the right to freedom of association for domestic workers would help to strengthen the legal protection mechanisms for domestic workers, many of whom experience abuse in Lebanon, the NGOs stated.

The financial general prosecution rejected on Wednesday a request to replace the financial bail of detained former Higher Relief Council chief Ibrahim Bashir with a real estate bail, reported the National News Agency.

Judge Ali Ibrahim rejected a request that Bashir's bail of L.L.1 billion be replaced with real estate property.

Speaker Nabih Berri postponed anew a parliamentary session set to elect a new head of state after he expressed pessimism over the near end of the crisis.

The 20th session was adjourned to April 2 over lack of quorum.

Health Ministry inspectors raided several supermarkets, restaurants and food chains in the southern port city of Sidon on Wednesday, the state-run National News Agency reported.

NNA said that the inspectors destroyed 10 kilograms of “baladi” cheese at Spinneys, which is reportedly coming from Farm House dairy factory, and five kilograms of smoked turkey, from Center Hazem Mohammed.

The cabinet is set to convene on Thursday with several issues listed on its agenda mainly the appointment of new members of the Banking Control Commission whose term ends on March 17 and the extension of the term of prominent security officials.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil has listed the names of candidates for the BCCL which will be presented to the cabinet as follows: Samir Hammoud (Sunni) a candidate of al-Mustaqbal as president of the committee, Joseph Sarkis (Maronite) a Free Patriotic Movement candidate, Ahmed Safa (Shiite) an AMAL Movement and Hizbullah candidate, and Munir Elyan (Catholic) a candidate of March 14, An Nahar daily reported on Wednesday.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun has denied that he proposed his son-in-law Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz to be appointed army chief.

“I am always criticized over my alleged intentions and thoughts,” Aoun told al-Akhbar newspaper in the second part of an interview published on Wednesday. “I never said I wanted him (Roukoz) army commander. Journalists said so.”

A prominent figure in the al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front warned former singer turned Islamist militant Fadel Shaker of returning to his previous career.

Saudi jihadi preacher, Abdullah al-Mohaisany, threatened in a message directed to Shaker via his Twitter account of becoming an artist again after his recent statements that he wants to return to his “normal, natural life” with his friends and family.

Education Minister Elias Bou Saab said that his ministry has come up with plans to resolve the problem of tap water at schools after Health Minister Wael Abou Faour revealed it did not meet health standards.

Abou Faour “didn't reveal something we did not know,” Bou Saab told al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Wednesday.

The General Security detained a suicide bomber at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport on her way to Saudi Arabia, media reports said on Wednesday.

According to As Safir newspaper, Fatima al-Khalida was traveling to Riyadh when the General Security members detained her upon a document circulated by the Lebanese Army.

U.S. Ambassador David Hale has reportedly informed Lebanese officials that Washington will announce a huge financial aid for the Lebanese government during a donors conference in Kuwait.

Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas told al-Liwaa newspaper published on Wednesday that Hale discussed with him the March 31 conference. He did not give more details.