Al-Mustaqbal Movement “does not plan” to take any popular movement on the ground in support of Hariri's rejection to allocate ministerial portfolio to the so-called independent Sunni MPs of the March 8 camp, as it hailed President Michel Aoun’s “supportive” stance, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

President Michel Aoun met on Wednesday with European Union Ambassador Christina Lassen in Baabda to take stock of recent domestic and regional political developments.

President Michel Aoun was reportedly disappointed that a government was not formed before his second anniversary as head of state, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Wednesday.

As wrangling over representation in the new government takes new forms each day, a “heated” meeting was reportedly held away from the spotlight between Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and senior Hizbullah official Hajj Hussein Khalil, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

Seventeen Syrian migrants who set sail from Lebanon aboard a small craft have declared that they intend to apply for asylum on the east Mediterranean island nation, Cypriot police said.

Police said Tuesday a patrol boat rescued the migrants — including five children — after authorities located their craft some 77 kilometers off the island's southeastern tip.

The Kataeb party criticized on Tuesday the bickering between political parties over ministerial quotas, voicing hopes the performance of the future government does not resemble the ‘stumbling’ performance during the formation process.

Kataeb said: “Now that the government is close to being formed, the Lebanese wander over what were the political parties bickering, seeing that the bulk of the majority (of political parties) remained unchanged.”

A woman suicide bomber blew herself up Monday near police vehicles in the center of the Tunisian capital, injuring at least nine people, the interior ministry said.

Ministry spokesman Sofiene Zaag told AFP that all but one of the casualties were police, after a strong explosion rocked the upmarket Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis.

Ahead of the Lebanese Forces official announcement on whether it will participate in the future government, LF sources told LBCI TV station that they “will not leave the coast clear” for their rivals.

In light of anticipations that Lebanon completes the formation of its government on Monday, Speaker Nabih Berri said he is willing to call for a legislative session if the lineup fails, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

Inspite of the growing “optimism” heralding a near government lineup, “probably on Sunday,” no indicators have shown that a solution is reached for an“obstacle” linked to the representation of a group of independent Sunni MPs, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.