Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat revealed on Monday that Dr. Ghassan Qanso was the first individual to discover Lebanon's offshore oil wealth back in the mid-1970s.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website: “Qanso must be credited for the discovery, not some political and non-political rookies who are marking illusory victories on a daily basis, while the Fatmagul Sultan power vessel is docked with a malfunction and unable to generate electricity.”

President Michel Suleiman ordered on Monday stronger measures to preserve security and stability in northern Lebanon a day after three men were killed in clashes over a clampdown on illegal construction.

“Suleiman followed up the security situation in the country in general and specifically the North and met at Baabda palace with caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn, Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji and the acting head of the Internal Security Forces, Gen. Roger Salem,” a presidential statement said.

A Syrian man has sustained third degree burns after setting himself on fire at a main square in Beirut, the state-run National News Agency reported on Monday.

NNA said that Ahmed Mahmoud al-Youssef, 19, was taken to the Geitaoui hospital on Sunday night when he self-immolated by pouring gasoline over his body at Barbour square in Corniche al-Mazraa.

The families of the nine Aazaz abductees on Monday blocked the road outside the Turkish Cultural Center in downtown Beirut to press for the release of their relatives.

Adham Zgheib, son of abducted pilgrim Ali Zgheib, told LBCI television: "Security forces were not honest with us and they let the employees of the Turkish Cultural Center continue their work."

Several fuel tankers crossed the Masnaa border crossing with Syria on Monday a day after residents blocked their way to prevent them from entering the neighboring country.

According to state-run National News Agency, residents blocked briefly Majdal Anjar junction in the Bekaa Valley with burning tires to protest the crossing of the tankers.

French Ambassador to Lebanon Patrice Paoli called on the rival parties on Monday to reach consensus among each other as it is in the country's best interest, rejecting any interference claims in Lebanon's affairs.

“The government should be formed swiftly... It's a friendship message and not meddling (in Lebanon's affairs) as Lebanon should be united to confront all threats,” Paoli said in an interview with An Nahar newspaper.

A Lebanese security official denied on Monday that a drone downed by the Israeli air force off the northern coast of Israel had been sent from Lebanon.

The official, who was not identified, told An Nahar newspaper that Israel rushed to the conclusion that Hizbullah was behind the unmanned aircraft (UAV) that the Israeli military said was intercepted five nautical miles off the coast of Haifa last Thursday.

The constitutional council is set to meet on Monday to appoint a rapporteur to draft a report on a challenge submitted by MP Walid Jumblat's National Struggle Front bloc over the suspension of the electoral deadlines set by the 1960 law.

The head of the 10-member council, Dr. Issam Suleiman, told An Nahar newspaper that the rapporteur has 10 days to submit his report.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Monday that he will not call for a parliamentary session ahead of May 15 to discuss the electoral law, pointing out that lawmakers will have to act responsibly.

“I advise different groups not to waste their time... I will not call for a session to end the dispute over the electoral law ahead of the one set on May 15,” Berri told several newspapers published Monday.

A delegation from the Progressive Socialist Party informed Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday that a vote law proposal he had made does not guarantee the best representation for all the Lebanese.

“We can't guarantee through Berri's proposal the best representation for all the Lebanese,” said caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour who visited the speaker in Ain el-Tineh at the head of the PSP delegation.