Interior Minister Marwan Charbel lit up on Saturday an underwater Christmas tree that was constructed by a team of civil defense divers in the bay of Jounieh, the state-run National News Agency said.

Charbel lit up the tree from a Civil Defense boat, in the presence of Head of Civil Defense Brigadier General Raymond Khattar, head of the Syndicate of Maritime Firms Jean Beiruti and members of the regional maritime rescue unit.

The army detained on Saturday a citizen after he entered Byblos Bank in the southern city of Sidon, demanding employees to hand him over LL1 million.

According to the National News Agency, Ahmed al-Err threatened staff with a knife before an army patrol arrived at the scene and arrested him.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi hoped on Saturday that politicians in Lebanon would assume their “national responsibilities” before the people.

He said: “They should work on approving a new parliamentary electoral law and avoid the 1960s law.”

Electing a successor to replace the late Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Levant and Antioch Ignatius IV Hazim, which is due on Monday, could be delayed “until the situation crystallizes in Syria”, As Safir daily said Saturday.

Metropolitan Saba Esper, who was elected as a temporary successor to Hazim, called earlier on Orthodox officials to meet on Monday to elect a successor for Hazim.

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil stressed that the March 8 camp will not be pressured to accept the adoption of the 1960s parliamentary electoral law, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Saturday.

He told the daily: “The elections will not be held if this law is adopted.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat is scheduled to travel to France to meet with a number of officials, reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday.

He is expected to hold talks with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Monday.

The United States army has submitted a request to establish a “huge” telecommunications station in Lebanon, reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday.

Official sources told the daily that the U.S. army made the request to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority through the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.

The residents of the Wadi Khaled town of al-Boqaiaa have fled their homes on Friday as a result of heavy shooting coming from the Syrian side, the National News Agency reported.

"Gunfire from light- and medium-caliber weapons and shells coming from Syria have landed in al-Boqaiaa area of Wadi Khaled near the Lebanese side of the Grand River,” the NNA said.

The Syndicate Coordination Committee announced on Friday that it will hold a nation-wide general strike coinciding with the cabinet's first meeting after the holidays.

"Public administrations, ministries, the Grand Serail as well as public and private schools and vocational institutes, they will all participate in the strike,” said the statement released after the SCC's meeting at the headquarters of the Secondary School Education Teachers Association.

The Phalange party, the Democratic Renewal and the National Bloc have decided to participate again in the March 14 general secretariat's meetings, informed sources told the National News Agency on Friday.

"Considering the country's critical situation and Syria's events, these parties will be joining their allies in March 14 in their weekly meetings” the sources explained, revealing that together, they will “draw a road map for the post-Assad era in Lebanon”.