Hizbullah and the Amal Movement overnight issued a joint statement denying their involvement in “acts of rioting” that took place in Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area also known as Dahiyeh.

“Some social media activists have circulated that supporters of parties in the southern suburbs have carried out road-blocking and sabotage acts in some Dahiyeh areas, especially at the al-Imam al-Hussein Roundabout in al-Kafaat,” the statement said.

Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned Saturday that the country was quickly headed toward chaos and appealed to politicians to put aside differences in order form a new government that can attract desperately needed foreign assistance.

The members of the dialogue committee tasked with following up on dialogue between Bkirki and Hizbullah is expected to meet early next week to appease rhetoric, al-Akhbar daily reported Saturday.

Caretaker Social Affairs and Tourism Minister Ramzi Musharrafieh led a delegation to Syria on Saturday on a two-day visit during which he will hold a series of meetings, the National News agency reported.

The British newspaper "The Independent" published information about what it described as "secret government plans" to make big cuts in overseas aid to many countries of the world, including Syria, Lebanon, Somalia and Sudan, that will start within a few weeks.

Several people were injured Friday in a clash between Hizbullah supporters and protesters who were blocking the Jiye road, prompting the army’s intervention, media reports said.

An-Nahar newspaper said knives and rocks were used in the clash.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Casey Bonfield on Friday told al-Jadeed TV that reports claiming that Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh will be hit with U.S. sanctions are baseless.

The Central Bank’s press office meanwhile announced that Salameh will file a series of lawsuits inside and outside Lebanon against Bloomberg News, its correspondent in Beirut and “anyone who stands behind them” on charges of “fabricating news, insults and attempts to tarnish the reputation of the central bank governor.”

President Michel Aoun welcomed the historic visit of Pope Francis on Friday to Iraq, the National News Agency reported.

Aoun hoped the visit would constitute a push to establish real peace much-needed by Iraqis as well as the rest of the peoples of the region.

The US administration is reportedly considering sanctions on the governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, as investigation expands into alleged embezzlement of public funds in Lebanon, Bloomberg reported Thursday evening, citing 4 people familiar with the matter.

The chief lawyer for Greg Kelly, an American on trial in Japan on charges of under-reporting Nissan former Chairman Carlos Ghosn's compensation, says his client was merely trying to prevent Ghosn from going to a rival automaker.

"Greg has no motive at all to commit such a crime," Yoichi Kitamura said Friday at his Tokyo office.