France has been quick to back former PM Saad al Hariri's proposal of an "independent" Shia candidate being given the finance portfolio to end a deadlock between two main Shia parties over ministers.
Iran's leadership is consistently finding that its armed proxies in the region cannot buy the country genuine political influence.
The clashes marked the second consecutive night of violence linked to Lebanon's political crisis, threatening to tip largely peaceful demonstrations directed at the country's ruling elite in a more bloody direction.
Separate attacks by Houthi rebels and militants on Thursday hit security forces in Yemen's city Aden, killing at least 49 people, many of them newly trained police cadets, officials said.
Amnesty International said most of those executed were convicted "after sham trials" that relied on confessions extracted through torture.
The Houthis were formed by Zaidite scholars, a Shia sect who have lived in Yemen for over a thousand years and also ruled the country for several centuries. Their rebellion against the Saudi-backed government began about a decade ago.
For the first time since the defeat of Daesh, Mosul is hit by a bomb. The Iraqi government is getting ready for a fight, but internal disagreements and Daesh's changing tactics could mean that it might not be an easy task.
Amnesty International warned late Wednesday that rebels have taken up positions on a Hudaida hospital rooftop, raising concerns they are using the hospital's patients as human shields to ward off coalition airstrikes.
The attack in Gardez, the capital of eastern Paktia province, also wounded dozens, officials say. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Fighting continued to rage on the outskirts of Yemen's largest port, Hudaida, near the city's airport while the UN made a desperate plea for both sides to exercise restraint.
Iraqi elections' big winner Moqtada al Sadr promised a non-corrupt political system, less sectarian division, and sovereignty under a coalition he wants to create. But the challenge of realising them is bigger than forming a government.
Hariri will embark on "a small Arab tour" after visiting France and before travelling to Beirut, says Okab Saqr, a member of parliament for Hariri's Future Movement.
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