Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc leader Fouad Saniora told President Michel Suleiman that it would be useless to sit at the dialogue table in the presence of a government that gives cover to the suspects in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 2005 assassination, An Nahar daily reported on Sunday.

“What's the point of (engaging in) dialogue in the presence of a government that covers up suspects in ex-PM Rafik Hariri's murder and the assassination attempt of MP Butros Harb,” An Nahar quoted Saniora as telling Suleiman during a meeting they held at Baabda Palace on Saturday.

Downtown Beirut launched on Saturday the end-of-year festivities with a Christmas parade and the lighting of a tree in Beirut Souks.

“The festivities kicked off with shows performed by musical bands, acrobats and Christmas characters including Santa Clause,” a statement by Solidere said.

Michel Barnier, a member of the European Commission, who is responsible for internal market and services, stressed on Saturday that Lebanon is passing through a delicate situation.

“Lebanon is in need for the solidarity of the French people... And the European Union,” Barnier said after holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail.

Several youth from al-Mankoubeen area in the northern city of Tripoli erected on Saturday tents near al-Nour mosque to protest media reports saying that a group of Lebanese Islamists from the city were killed in the Syrian border town of Tall Kalakh.

The National News Agency reported that the youth are demanding authorities to determine the fate of the Twenty-two men.

Cypriot Speaker Yiannakis Omirou is expected to arrive in Beirut on Monday to meet with senior officials for talks on enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries, the state-run National News Agency said on Saturday.

Talks will also highlight ways to develop parliamentary cooperation between the two countries, NNA added.

President Michel Suleiman repeated on Saturday his call on political powers to return to the national dialogue.

He also demanded the adoption of a “modern parliamentary electoral law that reflects the spirit of the constitution.”

A scuffle broke out in the southern city of Sidon on Saturday as security forces attempted to removed street vendors from a local market, reported the National News Agency.

Five people were wounded when the security forces, backed by the army, attempted to remove the carts off the streets of the city's vegetable market.

Political and security efforts accelerated on Saturday to contain the repercussions of Friday's incident that killed a group of Lebanese Islamists from Tripoli in the Syrian border town of Tall Kalakh, As Safir daily said Saturday.

The army had been heavily deployed along the aptly named Syria Street dividing Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen in Tripoli, in a bid to deter any security deterioration, the daily added.

Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir is scheduled to stage a rally in the southern city of Sidon on Sunday, reported Ad Diyar newspaper on Saturday.

It said that the protest will be held to commemorate those killed during the recent unrest in the city.

President Michel Suleiman is scheduled to travel to Greece on December 6 and 7 on an official visit where he will met with his counterpart Karolos Papoulias, reported al-Liwaa newspaper on Saturday.

It said that the talks are set to focus on the petroleum file due to Greece's relations with Cyprus, its located on the Mediterranean, and connection to the Exclusive Economic Zone.