The Presidency of the Council of Ministers announced late on Friday that the visit of caretaker PM Hassan Diab to Iraq was postponed at the request of Baghdad.

The Lebanese Armed Forces announced on Saturday the arrest of several suspects in Baalbek and Central Bekaa saying the suspects possessed drugs, weapons and smuggled goods.

Lebanon has provided an auditing firm with "updated" information for a stalled forensic audit of the central bank demanded by the international community, the finance ministry said Friday.

Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hussam Zaki, emphasized on Friday that the Arab League backs the calls of Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi for the neutralization of Lebanon.

France and the European Union are reportedly preparing proposals that could result in an asset freeze and a travel ban on Lebanese politicians to push them to agree on a government to save the country from economic collapse, media reports said on Friday.

Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab is scheduled to lead a delegation of Lebanese officials to visit Iraq on April 17,18, media reports said on Friday.

The Association of Banks in Lebanon on Thursday denounced what it called a “campaign against the banking sector” by “most politicians,” a day after President Michel Aoun criticized the country’s banks.

“Most politicians resort to this campaign when the crisis toughens” in a bid to conceal “the reasons behind what happened and is still happening to the country,” ABL said in a statement.

A Covid-19 vaccination campaign for army personnel kicked off Thursday morning at 21 centers belonging to the Military Healthcare across Lebanon.

The vaccination process will take place according to “the schedule of priorities that has been devised by the committee overseeing the anti-virus vaccination campaign,” an army statement said.

Attorney General Judge Ghassan al-Khoury on Thursday approved requests for the release of 11 low-rank employees and servicemen held in the case of the Beirut port blast.

Khoury meanwhile dismissed requests for the release of the directors general, officers and senior employees who are in custody.

Arab League Assistant Secretary-General on Thursday held separate meetings in Lebanon with President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker PM Hassan Diab and PM-designate Saad Hariri.

Speaking after talks in Baabda, Zaki said he expressed to Aoun the readiness of Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit to mediate “between the main parties of the crisis if there is a need for the Arab League to intervene.”