Cabinet on Tuesday appointed the members of the board of directors of state-run Electricite du Liban as it postponed taking a decision on the resignation of Finance Ministry Director General Alain Bifani.

The six board members appointed by Cabinet are Tarek Abdallah, Hussein Salloum, Samer Slim, Karim Saba, Habib Srour and Shadi Kraydi.

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday stressed the need to audit the accounts of the central bank, describing such a move as “an essential element for studying the financial and monetary situations at Banque du Liban.”

“It also has great importance in the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund,” Aoun added during a Cabinet session.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi met Tuesday in Dimane with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid el-Bukhari who praised Rahi’s Sunday remarks, the National News Agency reported.

President of the Syndicate of Private Hospitals in Lebanon, Sleiman Haroun sounded the alarm on Tuesday saying that private healthcare facilities are compelled to admit emergency cases only shall the economic crisis and ailing conditions persist.

Lebanon’s judicial and security apparatuses intensified investigations after seizing $9 million dollars with Turkish and Syrian individuals coming from Turkey on board two private planes, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported Tuesday.

An Israeli infantry patrol and two Merkava tanks crossed the technical fence with Lebanon off al-Wazzani parks on Tuesday maneuvering behind a smoke screen in the process, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti on Monday held an “important and positive” meeting in Rome with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio, Italy’s Foreign Ministry said.

The meeting “can be capitalized on, because Italy is very keen on standing by Lebanon, which is going through a dangerous economic crisis that might subject the entire population to grave threats,” a diplomat from the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a phone interview with Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Lebanon on Monday recorded 12 more COVID-19 cases, which raises the overall tally to 1,885 -- among them 1,311 recoveries and 36 deaths.

Eleven of the new cases were recorded among residents while the 12th case is an expat who arrived from Nigeria, the Health Ministry said.

Judge Ghada Aoun on Monday demanded the prosecution of top oil officials and several firms and employees in the counterfeit fuel case.

The National News Agency said Aoun called for prosecuting the Director General of Oil at the Energy Ministry, Aurore Feghali, and the Director General of Oil Facilities, Sarkis Hleis, on charges of professional negligence, an offense who penalty can reach two years in jail.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri held talks Monday in Ain el-Tineh with Kuwaiti Ambassador to Lebanon Abdul-Al al-Qinai.

The National News Agency said discussions tackled “the general situations in Lebanon and the region and bilateral ties between Lebanon and Kuwait.”