President Michel Aoun has encouraged Lebanese women on Tuesday to “involve themselves in politics and in decision making.”

During a meeting with a delegation from the National Commission For Lebanese Women (NCLW) at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Aoun said “Lebanese women should involve themselves in political life and decision making.”

An unfinalized tender for leasing power generating ships may trigger dispute between ministers during an upcoming cabinet meeting on Thursday, meanwhile “advocates of said deal intend to force acceptance in favor of a Turkish company at any cost” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday.

“In the past hours, high-level figures of a political party have started heavily pressuring the Tenders Department in order to facilitate passing a (previous) tender in accordance with the book of conditions prepared by Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil,” said the daily.

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stated that Hizbullah has “won the war in Syria,” and that the party is “making history in the region," al-Akhbar daily reported on Tuesday.

The Saudi king and Russia's foreign minister have met in Saudi Arabia ahead of a possible visit by the monarch to Russia next month.

Saudi Arabia's state news agency said King Salman and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday discussed the war in Syria and an Arab diplomatic crisis with Qatar.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri met with Qatari Ambassador to Lebanon Ali bin Hamad al-Meri at the Center House, the National News Agency reported on Saturday.

Talks between the two men focused on the situation in Lebanon and the region, NNA said.

Al-Mustaqbal lawmaker Nabil De Freige said on Saturday that shall the minutes of a government session held during the term of ex-PM Tammam Salam about the slain servicemen be declassified, “President Michel Aoun will be surprised by the content of the recordings.”

President Michel Aoun is expected to travel to Moscow and the Russian leadership has informed its ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin to begin preparations for the visit knowing that a specific date has not been set yet, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

“Russian sources in Moscow said the capital prepares to receive President Aoun pointing out that preparations have already begun in that context,” the daily quoted unnamed sources.

The Higher Defense Council convened at the Baabda Palace on Friday at the request of President Michel Aoun after a state funeral held in honor of soldiers abducted by the Islamic State extremists and later executed.

The gatherers held a moment of silence in honor of the martyr servicemen.

During a state funeral on Friday held in honor of servicemen slain by the Islamic State extremist group, President Michel Aoun vowed that blood of the martyrs will never go in vain and that the truth will be unveiled in the end.

“I vow to you that blood of your sons will not go in vain until the goals they died for are attained and until the truth is unveiled,” said Aoun addressing families of the servicemen.

The US and Italian Embassies in Beirut hailed the Lebanese army's sacrifices and saluted martyrs of the Lebanese army kidnapped and later executed by the Islamic State extremist organization.

“We salute the Lebanese people’s resilience in confronting terrorism and the Lebanese army's sacrifices in making Lebanon safe for its citizens,” said a US embassy statement.