President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri have reportedly agreed in their meeting last Wednesday to fill the vacancies in Grade1 posts in the public administration, most notably in the judiciary, the vice governors to the Banque du Liban governor and the Council for Development and Reconstruction, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat reported on Saturday.

The Countess of Wessex, ended a two day visit to Lebanon accompanied by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Foreign Office Minister, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, the UK Embassy said in a statement

The government will reportedly convene on Tuesday at the Grand Serail, a month since its last meeting that approved the draft of 2019 state budget.

Reports said the anticipated meeting next week “will not touch on the issue of key appointments,” in the public administration, an issue that sought divisions before between various ministers.

Russian and European firms are mulling investments in Lebanon's nascent oil and gas sector as it prepares to launch offshore drilling by the end of 2019, Energy Minister Nada Boustani said.

"Several big companies have visited Lebanon," she told AFP in an interview.

Head of the Constitutional Council Judge Issam Sleiman announced on Friday that MP Dima Jamali has apologized for her “defamatory” remarks about the council and that a lawsuit filed against her in that regard will likely be withdrawn.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Friday concluded his visit to Ireland by meeting with the Lebanese community, and vowed to open a consulate for expatriatres, the National News Agency reported on Friday.

Police in Mount Lebanon forced the shut down of several stores illegally run by Syrian nationals as part of a crack down in the area, the state-run National News Agency reported on Friday.

Lebanon criticized on Friday the withdrawal of the Syrian delegation during Lebanon's speech at the International Labor Organization conference in Geneva a day earlier.

The Israeli enemy forces released the shepherds who were taken hostage on Wednesday, the National News Agency reported on Thursday.

NNA said that two shepherds were handed over through the Naqoura crossing to the Lebanese Army which, in turn, will hand them over to the Intelligence Directorate of the South for interrogation.

MP Jamil al-Sayyed on Thursday said the government must collect the funds it needs to slash the budget deficit from the main sources where public funds are being wasted instead of imposing additional taxes on people.