The cabinet on Thursday held a “successful” session that could be the last of its meetings should the parliament elect a new president on Monday as expected.

In line with the preparations at the presidential palace to receive a new president, and in parallel with the logistical preparations for the parliamentary session set to elect a new head of state, the Free Patriotic Movement is also putting the final touches on the festivities it plans to hold after the election session scheduled on Monday that is foreseen to elect founder of the FPM MP Michel Aoun.

The cabinet today will hold its last meeting as a government carrying out the duties of a president in the absence of a head of state, as Prime Minister Tammam Salam starts preparations to leave his office at the Grand Serail with the expected election of a new president next Monday, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

The government which has been carrying out the tasks of the president because of the vaccum at the post, will become a caretaker cabinet Monday afternoon, as soon as the parliament elects a new head of state and the newly elected president reads his oaths, added the daily.

Public Tranport drivers staged nationwide protests as they started gathering early on Thursday in several points across Lebanon to kick off a rally that will head to Riyad al-Solh square in Down Town Beirut, and to the Grand Serails in other districts, the National News Agency reported.

The campaigners headed to the gathering points at 6:00 am as they demand that the automotive inspection authority is restored to the public sector after a deal that could see its privatization.

Gunfire from a vehicle in Lebanon towards Israeli forces on the border wounded an Israeli soldier on Wednesday and Israeli officers returned fire, Israel's army said, but the Lebanese army quickly denied the claims.

"Shots were fired from a passing vehicle in Lebanon at (Israeli) forces during routine activity adjacent to the border in the area of Ramin Ridge," an army statement said.

Police in the north, thwarted an operation to smuggle massive amounts of Captagon narcotic pills to Saudi Arabia, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

A truck coming from Syria that contained ample amounts of Captagon pills bound to be shipped to Saudi Arabia was seized in the northern port of Tripoli, added NNA.

Dialogue channels between Hizbullah and Speaker Nabih Berri are ongoing and are focusing on the formation of the new government which will see the light after the election of a president at the end of October, An Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.

Sources following up closely on the file, said that Hizbullah is keen to have considerable participation for Berri in the next government, added the daily.

Several political figures were asked to take tight safety measures to curb attempts aiming to shake Lebanon's stability, now that the presidential elections is onto the front burner and Lebanon could enjoy again having a head of state, Kuwait's As-Siyasah newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Now that things are heading towards the election of Change and Reform bloc head MP Michel Aoun in the parliamentary session on October 31, and due to fears that some uncalculated security developments might emerge, several politicians were asked to be cautious, added the daily.

Firebrand Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced Monday that Israel has “no intention” of starting a new war against Lebanon.

Speaker Nabih Berri told presidential hopeful MP Michel Aoun that he will not deprive the upcoming parliament session to elect a president from quorum, but “I will vote against you” in the upcoming elections, an Nahar daily reported on Saturday.

Despite the friendliness that Berri tried to emanate in front of the media cameras during Aoun's visit in Ain el-Tineh, but the Speaker has assured Aoun during their closed meeting talks that he will not vote in his favor, added the daily.