State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Fadi Akiki has filed new charges against Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea over the Tayyouneh clashes file, after having obtained new information.

The LF said in a statement that the detainees’ lawyers had submitted earlier this month a request to recuse Akiki "but the latter started to evade being notified."

Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi has asked the army to send soldiers to the Zouk power plant to protect fuel tanks and expired chemical materials that “could cause an explosion,” a day after Cabinet tasked the army with safeguarding the site.

“The plant’s current security situation is not appropriate due to the presence of holes in the electronic fence and the absence of any guards, which would allow individuals to enter into its premises, where hydrogen and fuel oil tanks and some expired dangerous materials are present,” Mawlawi said in a statement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived Thursday in Beirut for talks with Lebanese leaders.

Abdollahian expressed his country's willingness to provide aid to Lebanon in different fields, especially in the economic and commercial sectors.

In response to growing food security needs in Lebanon, the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing nearly $64 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help feed vulnerable people in Lebanon.

"Lebanon is facing increased food insecurity amid the country’s ongoing economic crisis, as well as prolonged impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the August 2020 Beirut port blast," The U.S Embassy in Beirut said.

The Lebanese pound reached 25,000 against the dollar on Thursday, after having been relatively stable in the past months following a central bank circular that had allowed banks to buy dollar banknotes from the BDL.

The central bank intervention in January had led to a major recovery of the Lebanese lira value as it strengthened to around 20,000 after it had reached a low of 34,000.

Judge Nicolas Mansour issued Thursday an arrest warrant against Raja Salameh, the brother of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, after questioning him.

Mount Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun had ordered last week the detention of the businessman Raja Salameh, after questioning him for several hours.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati described Wednesday the Lebanese-Gulf rift as a cloud that will pass.

He said at the start of a Cabinet session that the Kuwaiti and Saudi statements indicate that the "cloud that has engulfed the Lebanon-Gulf relations will soon dissipate."

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi slammed Hizbullah Wednesday by accusing the group of dragging Lebanon into several wars.

"If its weapons are against Israel, why is Hizbullah dragging us into wars in other places," al-Rahi asked in a TV interview.

Kuwait's Foreign Ministry has welcomed a statement by Prime Minister Najib Miqati regarding Lebanon’s desire to repair its ties with the Gulf.

"We look forward to carry on with the constructive measures aiming at restoring the Lebanon-Gulf ties," the statement said.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday welcomed a statement issued by Prime Minister Najib Miqati regrading Lebanon’s desire to repair its ties with the kingdom and the other Arab Gulf nations.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said it “welcomes the positive points” included in Miqati’s remarks, hoping that will contribute to “restoring Lebanon’s role and standing in the Arab and international arenas.”