An Israeli force on Thursday failed to kidnap the shepherd Ismail Z. who was grazing his flock in the Jabal al-Shahel area west of the southern border town of Shebaa, the National News Agency said.

“The seven-member patrol chased him for dozens of meters north of the border line without managing to abduct him,” NNA added.

Societe Generale de Banque au Liban announced Thursday that it has won the award for Most Active Issuing bank in Trade Finance in Lebanon for 2018 granted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The EBRD Trade Facilitation Program (TFP) honored its most successful partner banks in 2018 during a special award ceremony on the eve of the Bank’s Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Sarajevo. Through this special award ceremony, EBRD recognized special achievements in trade finance by partner banks.

Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Thursday described the austerity measures included in the 2019 draft state budget as “insufficient,” urging “courage” in taking some painful decisions.

“What has been so far accomplished in Cabinet is insufficient,” Bassil said at a press conference he held after an emergency meeting for the FPM-led Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc.

Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat on Thursday called for finalizing the stalled 2019 state budget.

Lamenting that the PSP's recommendations on seaside properties and a progressive taxing system were rejected by the majority of political forces, Jumblat tweeted that “finalizing the budget is more important than impeding it or engaging in a futile and obstructive debate.”

Three sons of controversial ex-MP Hassan Yaaqoub were arrested Thursday in the Baalbek district town of Bednayel.

The National News Agency said an army patrol apprehended the trio at their home, seizing weapons and amunition.

Minister of Finance Ali Hassan Khalil circulated a memo to the ministries and state departments to start preparing the draft budget of 2020, were discussions will expectedly start with ministers next week, LBCI reported on Thursday.

MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, Head of the Media and Telecom parliamentary committee revealed on Thursday that there had been political interventions in the past to allow certain companies to operate Lebanon's mobile phone services, the National News Agency reported.

As the government was finalizing its budget discussions during a session on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil made 12 suggestions to include in the budget and slash the deficit which pushed its approval until Friday, media reports said on Thursday.

Four Lebanese students from the southern town of Yaroun have been killed in a car crash in the U.S. state of California, Lebanon's National News Agency said.

It identified the four as Hussein Saleh, Hussein Saab, Hussein Ghasham and Hussein Ayyoub.

The Cabinet held a new session on the 2019 state budget on Tuesday but failed to finalize the draft although it has held around a dozen sessions since late April.

“A final reading of the state budget will be held tomorrow at noon at the Grand Serail,” State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mahmoud Qmati said after the session.