Hizbullah has sent reinforcements to several cities in Reef Damascus amid reports of a possible attack on the region by the Syrian opposition's fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.
"Hizbullah continues to send reinforcements to areas in al-Qalamoun plains and to the surroundings of al-Zabadani (50 kilometers northwest of Damascus),” the Observer announced in a statement, noting that this might be part of a plan for an attack on the region by the Syrian regime's forces aided by Hizbullah.

Several rockets were fired on northern Israel from the outskirts of the town of Mari in Hasbaya on Friday morning, drawing retaliatory Israeli artillery fire, the Lebanese army and the state-run National News Agency said.
The Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau later arrested a suspect linked to the attack.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned a network of firms and individuals in Lebanon, the UAE and China for allegedly procuring sophisticated military equipment for Hizbullah, including materials for aerial drones.
“As the Treasury Department announced today, the United States targeted a key Hizbullah procurement network by designating brothers Kamel Mohamad Amhaz and Issam Mohamad Amhaz; their business, Stars Group Holding, which is based in Beirut and has subsidiaries in China and the UAE; and certain managers and individuals who supported their illicit activities,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed on Wednesday that Lebanon cannot have a confrontational presidential nominee, urging an agreement on a consensual candidate to end the deadlock in the country's top post.
"I don't see an end to the (presidential) crisis because both nominees are confrontational. They have to understand that neither of them can be a confrontational candidate,” Jumblat said in an interview on Al-Jazeera television on Wednesday evening.

Israeli warplanes pounded Gaza Wednesday, killing at least 30 people in a major new confrontation with Palestinian militants, as Hamas flexed its firepower and sent thousands running for shelters across Israel.
As the death toll from Israel's two-day Operation Protective Edge reached 57, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza.

The Syndicate Coordination Committee vowed on Saturday to continue boycotting the correction of the official exams until the adoption of the contentious new wage scale.
"We will continue boycotting the correction of exams until the new wage scale gets adopted and all sectors secure their employment rights without any exception,” the SCC said after a meeting.

Palestinian factions in Lebanon agreed on Saturday to start the deployment of Palestinian security forces in the southern Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp as of Tuesday afternoon.
The decision was announced after an expanded meeting held at the headquarters of the Palestinian National Security Forces in the camp, with the participation of representatives of all Islamic and Palestinian factions in Lebanon.

Pop star Shakira will perform before the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro on July 13, headlining a closing ceremony that includes guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana and rapper Wyclef Jean.
Shakira, who is making her third straight World Cup appearance, will sing "La la la (Brazil 2014)" with Brazilian star Carlinhos Brown, FIFA said in a statement on Wednesday.

Al-Mustaqbal bloc on Tuesday considered that introducing any constitutional amendment requires time and favorable conditions, while the priority now is for electing a new president.
“Any MP or political party has the right to call for amending the constitution...but constitutional amendments that tackle important issues need time and favorable conditions while the country now needs electing a president quickly amid the regional developments,” the bloc said in a released statement after the weekly meeting of its MPs at the Center House.

Three booby-trapped cars were discovered in Syria's Qalamoun plains on the border with Lebanon, among them two with Lebanese license plates, Syria's state TV announced on Monday afternoon.
The cars were found in Qalamoun's Wadi al-Hossayn region, the TV network noted.
