Prime Minister Saad Hariri contacted President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri from Paris, and “congratulated” them on the “success” of the CEDRE conference that concluded Friday raising billions of dollars aimed at averting an economic fallout in Lebanon, Hariri's media office said.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed from Paris on Friday that Lebanon needs the support of the international community to stave off an economic collapse and revamp economic development that dwindled enormously due to the influx of refugees.

“Lebanon is a tiny country facing enormous challenges. Lebanon's economy has recorded an average annual growth rate of 8 percent in the three years preceding the Syrian crisis. With the war in Syria, and massive displacement of Syrians to Lebanon, this growth has collapsed to an annual rate of 1 percent,” said Hariri at the opening of CEDRE conference from the French capital.

One month before Lebanon holds its legislative elections, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq and the Central Internal Security Council decided to deploy 20,000 military and security members over 7000 poll stations around the country as part of a security plan on election day, al-Joumhouria daily reported Friday.

Mashnouq chaired an extraordinary meeting of the Central Internal Security Council on Thursday and discussed the security plan for the May 6 elections to ensure coordination among security apparatuses.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea said a new leaf of relations has been turned with al-Mustaqbal Movement leader and Prime Minister Saad Hariri following Tuesday's meeting, assuring that ties have “never been completely broken” between them.

While political circles monitor the atmosphere of meetings held recently by Saudi royal envoy Nizar al-Aloula in Lebanon, a closed-door meeting between him and Saudi charge d'affaires Walid al-Bukhari, PM Saad Hariri, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat caught the public attention as relations have been strained between the Lebanese parties.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri and a delegation of ministers and officials traveled to France late on Wednesday to partake in Friday's CEDRE conference where some 50 states and international financial institutions will participate, Hariri's press office said Thursday.

President Michel Aoun stated that Lebanon's taxation law must be subject to a comprehensive review, stressing the need for joint citizen-state efforts to combat corruption, the Presidency media office said on Wednesday.

At least three people have been injured in a fire blaze that engulfed a petrol station in the southeastern district of Hasbaya, the National News Agency reported on Wednesday.

As political parties and parliament hopefuls gear for the upcoming legislative May elections, Speaker Nabih Berri expressed resentment with the “use of influence for electoral purposes,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

Hizbullah has reportedly assured that the party is not “a war fanatic” but at the same time reiterated readiness to "defend" Lebanon against any future Israeli aggression, al-Joumhouria daily reported Wednesday.