Speaker Nabih Berri unveiled an old agreement between him and President Michel Aoun when the latter vowed to Berri that the finance ministry will always be given to a Shiite minister as long as Aoun is president, As Safir daily reported Monday.

Berri unveiled the agreement that goes back to 1988 when Lebanon was under the Syrian tutelage and President Michel Aoun was Army Commander. He said that Aoun had vowed that the finance ministry portfolio will always be given to a Shiite minister as long as he is president, shall Berri convince the Syrian leadership of helping Aoun reach the presidential post, the daily reported.

Security Forces arrested two suspects involved in circulating counterfeit money in south of Lebanon, the National News Agency reported on Saturday.

The two locals were arrested in the border town of Shebaa.

Peruvian media outlets accused Hizbullah of being involved in violence and killing a Peruvian citizen during protests staged by locals a few weeks ago, al-Arabiya news website reported Saturday.

During demonstrations staged by locals from La Pampa district against government projects, one of the demonstrators was shot and killed.

President Michel Aoun did not approve the draft line-up of a new cabinet submitted to him by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, contrary to claims that alleged otherwise, which spoils the hopes of a near final agreement on the shape of the new government, media reports said Friday.

During their meeting on Wednesday, reports said that Hariri submitted to Aoun a draft line-up that might be announced soon.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held a meeting with President Michel Aoun on Friday one day after the latter paid him a protocol visit in Bkirki.

“I am here today to congratulate the President on the occasion of Independence Day which regained its luster and meaning in the presence of Aoun, the President, the basis of our dignity, before I head to Rome,” said the Patriarch.

The Lebanese army arrested on Friday at dawn, several suspects in the Syrian encampments in the northeastern border town of Arsal, the National News Agency reported.

The army carried out a wide deployment operation in the area, and staged raids on the encampments of displaced Syrians in the town of Ain al-Shaab as they searched for fugitives, NNA said.

A national unity government will be difficult to form in light of the objection of some political parties to include other political components in the cabinet or object to their share in the line-up, al-Akhbar daily reported on Friday.

“Minister Jebran Bassil rejects the share of the Marada (Movement), and the Lebanese Forces object to Kataeb's, which is not conducive to the formation of a national unity government,” well-informed sources of al-Mustaqbal told the daily.

Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra stated on Thursday that the government formation process is almost complete and the line-up that was leaked to media outlets is near final.

“The leaked government line-up that was circulated in media outlets is true and almost final,” Zahra told LBCI.

Financial General Prosecutor Judge Ali Ibrahim referred detainee and top cellphone dealer Kamel Amhaz and two airport security personnel to First Military Investigative Judge Riad Abou Ghaida, LBCI reported on Thursday.

The defense ministry will not be allotted to the Lebanese Forces in the new cabinet line-up because of the party's political project which reports said it “contradicts the combat doctrine of the Lebanese army,” media reports said Thursday.

The LF will not be given one of the so-called sovereign portfolios in the new government, mainly the defense ministry, as long as the party carries a political project that deviates from the army's combat doctrine, said al-Akhbar daily.