UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis released a statement marking the first anniversary of the October 17 uprising in Lebanon.

A year ago, a massive wave of national protests started, that at some point brought to the streets hundreds of thousands, even millions of Lebanese across the whole country, across all sectarian and political divides and affiliations, with women and young people at the center, the statement read.

Lebanon marks the first anniversary on Saturday of a non-sectarian protest movement that has rocked the political elite but has yet to achieve its goal of sweeping reform.

A whirlwind of hope and despair has gripped the country in the year since protests began with an economic crisis and a devastating August 4 port explosion pushing Lebanon deeper into decay.

France has reportedly renewed calls on Lebanese officials to agree on the formation of a reform government, considering that it was time to "choose to rise up rather than paralysis and chaos,” LBCI reported on Saturday.

A year ago, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese took to the streets protesting taxes and a rapidly deteriorating economic crisis. A spontaneous and hopeful nationwide movement was born, denouncing an entire political establishment that had for decades pushed Lebanon toward collapse.

President Michel Aoun met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs David Schenker on Friday in Baabda, and hailed the US mediation role between Lebanon and Israel on their maritime sea border, the Presidency media office reported.

Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan resumed his inspection tour of pharmacists and medication warehouses on Friday amid a shortage in medicine supply and reports they are being monopolized and smuggled outside Lebanon.

After postponing the binding consultations with members of parliament to name a new prime minister, President Michel Aoun reportedly held a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron "justifying" the delay, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat reported on Friday.

Ex-PM Saad Hariri will not withdraw his nomination for the PM post in the wake of the latest developments and the postponement of the parliamentary consultations by President Michel Aoun, media reports said on Thursday.

Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan on Thursday inspected pharmacies and medication warehouses in the Zahle district after some of them were found to be smuggling medicine to outside Lebanon.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Thursday renewed his call for organizing early parliamentary elections as a way out of the political crisis.