Attempts to put a spoke in the wheels of the waste management plan seem to carry on, which pressed Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb, the plan’s sponsor, to hold a series of contacts in order to put it on the track of implementation.

“Although the plan was able to garner political, technical and financial cover, but that did not stop some parties from hampering it,” ministerial sources told An Nahar daily on Saturday.

The General Security arrested a Syrian national on charges of modifying and armor plating vehicles in favor of terrorist groups in the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, the state-run National News Agency reported on Friday.

The suspect provided logistic help for the groups and had constant contacts with them when they carried out attacks against the Lebanese army in the town and assaulted, killed and kidnapped its members, NNA added.

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri emphasized on Friday that his country is keen on Lebanon's stability, hoping that the dialogue among rival political parties would lead to fruition and elect a head of state after a vacuum at the post.

“Saudi Arabia is keen on Lebanon's stability. We hope that the dialogue succeeds in electing a new president to enhance the constitutional institutions,” the state-run National News Agency quoted the ambassador as saying.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi voiced calls on the protesters demanding a solution to the trash crisis to pour their efforts in calling for election of a president.

“Put right your demands and pour your efforts into one major request which is electing a president as soon as possible,” said al-Rahi from Aley where he is on a three-day visit to the region.

The General Security in the northern district of Akkar arrested a Lebanese national from the al-Amara neighborhood on suspicion of belonging to extremist groups, the state-run National News Agency reported on Friday.

On the other hand, the State Security in al-Qobayyat arrested a Syrian National on suspicion of opening fire at Lebanese army troops and belonging to the Islamic State.

Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb stressed on Friday that the trash crisis must be solved and that the “state must find a solution in the end,” in light of the stances of activists and municipalities rejecting the minister's waste management plan proposal that was agreed by the government.

“The government must find a solution in the end. I have worked with the committee tasked on this plan to set ecological and scientific plans to be implemented as quick as possible,” said Shehayyeb in an interview to the An Nahar daily.

The organizers of the "You Stink" mass protests over piles of festering trash in the streets on Thursday criticized the government's long-awaited plan to deal with the crisis, which was devised by a ministerial panel led by Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb.

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Beirut in recent weeks to demand an end to long-standing political divisions that have affected even basic public services.

Beirut Examining Magistrate George Rizk demanded on Thursday a death penalty against Tareq Yatim for stabbing and killing a man, and a jail sentence against Lina Haidar for helping the fugitive.

An arrest warrant was issued in July against Yatim for stabbing to death George al-Rif over a traffic dispute, in a case that shocked the country after a graphic video of the incident went viral on social media.

Two more individuals died on Thursday as the result of the dense sandstorm that engulfed Lebanon, bringing the total to five since the storm hit early this week, the state-run National News Agency reported.

A 70-year-old woman died from respiratory problems caused by the sandstorm in the Akkar town of Fnaideq, NNA said.

The influx of refugees to Europe was triggered in part by donors taking the "cheap option" and not giving enough aid to displaced Syrians in Lebanon and Jordan, the head of the U.N. refugee agency in Jordan said on Wednesday.

Harper told The Associated Press in an interview that refugees feel betrayed by the international community and the aid agencies. This, he said, "is a reason why we are seeing movement back into Syria, and in many cases, movements continue on into Europe and further afield."