Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Monday that he made many concessions to facilitate the formation of the cabinet, as he urged President Michel Aoun to “open up” to Marada chief MP Suleiman Franjieh to end the stalemate hampering the formation of the cabinet, As Safir daily reported Monday.

“Despite the apparent obstacles, the government could be formed any minute now,” Berri told the daily, as he described as “unrealistic” the reports blaming his for the delay.

After a late armed attack against an Infantry Brigade in north Lebanon killed a soldier, the Lebanese army staged raids early on Monday in the northern district of Dinniyeh in search for the assailants, media outlets reported on Monday.

One soldier, Amer Mustafa al-Mohammed, was killed and another was injured overnight when gunmen attacked the 10th Infantry Brigade in the northern town of Bqaa Safrine, they added.

General Directorate of State Security arrested a Syrian national on Saturday suspected of forging documents, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The suspect identified as M.S. was arrested in the southern town of Rashaya, NNA said.

Two Ethiopian female workers were found dead in an area north of Beirut on Saturday due to suffocation from a coal heating system, the National News Agency reported.

The two females, in their thirties, were found in a room in the northern neighborhood of Blat Jbeil, NNA added.

Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, who arrived in Beirut on Friday is scheduled to kick start his meetings with senior Lebanese officials, the National News Agency reported.

Dion who is accompanied by two Canadian MPs of Lebanese origin, Eva Nassif and Marwan Tabbara, arrived Friday night on a three-day visit.

An appeasing statement issued by the presidential palace came in parallel with indications that political parties might have reached an agreement over the thorny issue of distribution of ministerial portfolios, heralding the formation of a new cabinet soon, al-Joumhouria daily reported Saturday.

The presidential message came at a time when the cabinet line-up is almost complete, sources from Baabda Presidential Palace told the daily.

In light of various media reports that tackled the position of President Michel Aoun as for the formation of a cabinet and the distribution of ministerial portfolios, the office of the presidency issued a statement assuring that the President is determined to address the concerns of all politicians and invited them to meet with him at Baabda Palace.

“Explaining the reports published in media outlets over the past days, President Michel Aoun confirms his commitment to the concerns of everyone and his determination to address them all,” said the statement issued Friday.

In the framework of tracking sleeping terror cells, the General Security arrested a Lebanese national on suspicion of having involvement with a terrorist organization, the General Directorate of the General Security said in a statement Friday.

During interrogation the detainee, identified as A.A., confessed to having been active with a terrorist organization at the logistical level, and transporting arms and ammunition, all in favor of terrorists based in the outskirts of the northeastern town of Arsal.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu kicked off a visit to Beirut on Friday where he held meetings with senior Lebanese officials.

Cavusoglu first held a meeting with newly elected President Michel Aoun at the Presidential Palace. He conveyed a message from Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan congratulating the Lebanese Head of State on his election, and reiterating the importance of strengthening the Turkish-Lebanese relations.

The Lebanese Forces urged the political parties, without naming them, which it blames for delaying the cabinet formation, to stop their endeavors because “they will be proven futile,” al-Joumhouria daily reported Friday.

LF sources called on the political parties reportedly hampering the formation of the cabinet to quit the obstruction since “this method proved ineffectiveness with President Michel Aoun, and with Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri.”