U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen is expected to visit to Lebanon next week to hold talks with a number of high-ranking officials, including Bank of Lebanon Governor Riyad Salameh, reported An Nahar daily on Friday.

Concerned circles did not reveal the purposes of the visit, but it has been understood that the U.S. official will tackle the financial sanctions against Syria and Iran, and Lebanon’s commitment to them, added the daily.

Over 20 earthquakes shook Lebanon overnight between the regions of Bikfaya and Aley, reported Voice of Lebanon radio on Friday.

There are no fears however of any aftershocks, geological expert Moeen Hamzeh told the radio,

The army intelligence arrested on Tuesday a Lebanese national linked to the 2011 Estonian kidnapping, reported the National News Agency on Thursday.

It said that Mohammed Toufic Hujairi confessed to providing shelter and food to the kidnappers and their captives in exchange for money.

Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned a legislative parliamentary session held on Thursday to March 21 after quorum was lost.

The loss of quorum prevented a vote on a draft law on reducing the prison year to nine months. The legal quorum requires the presence of at least 65 MPs, while only 64 lawmakers were present out of the 128 members of parliament.

Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called on Thursday the March 14 camp to resolve issues that it and the March 8 forces “agree need to be resolved”, such as the electoral law, spoiled food scandal, and spread of drugs at schools.

He said during a student graduation ceremony: “Extending the hand to the other does not mean eliminating them, but rather delaying in addressing controversial issues.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed on Thursday the need for the Lebanese authorities to remove all arms within and outside Palestinian refugee camps.

He told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3): “If we are forced to wage a battle similar to the one at Nahr al-Bared, then so be it.”

Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas revealed on Thursday that those detained for violating the “food safety” measures will be tried.

“We are seeking to tighten the penalties against them, through extending their imprisonment term and raising the fines,” Nahhas told voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).

Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis arrived in Beirut Thursday morning on a two-day official visit to meet with senior Lebanese officials, the National News Agency reported.

The FM held a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail and separately with President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda Palace.

The owners of gas stations and tank trucks held a sit-in outside the energy ministry on Thursday to protest rising oil prices during a planned one-day strike.

Around 100 oil tank trucks also parked on the Emile Lahoud highway from the Sayyad roundabout all the way to the ministry headquarters and Karantina, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati described on Thursday the cabinet session at the Baabda Palace as “productive,” also expecting the parliamentary session to go on “smoothly.”

“The legislature that will convene on Thursday will be calm and productive, particularly after the extra-budgetary spending was withdrawn from discussions,” Miqati told al-Liwaa newspaper.