The army’s Intelligence Directorate on Wednesday communicated with State Commissioner to Military Court Judge Fadi Akiki to inquire about the next step after Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea failed to attend a testimony session, MTV reported.

Akiki asked the Directorate to “close the investigation file” without requesting any other step, the TV network added.

MP Ali Bazzi of Amal Movement’s Development and Liberation bloc on Wednesday hit back at Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil over a tweet.

“The aim of all your tweets is topple the consensus that was reached between the presidents and His Eminence Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi and to ruin the country,” Bazzi said.

Minister of Information George Kordahi announced Wednesday that he cannot decide to resign "on his own" and said it's unacceptable for anyone “to dictate on us whether a minister should resign or not.”

“I am part of a cohesive government, and I cannot take a decision on my own,” he said in a press conference after an uproar over controversial statements he had made about the Yemen war.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Wednesday lashed out at the Lebanese Forces and the Amal Movement and accused them of “collusion.”

“When I talked about the collusion of the ‘Tayyouneh duo’, a major uproar happened,” Bassil tweeted.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Wednesday held a meeting with President Michel Aoun over the current developments, including Information Minister Georges Kordhai’s remarks and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s initiative for resolving the controversy over the port blast probe.

“We tackled several issues, especially the patriarch’s initiative,” Miqati said after the talks, hoping the initiative will materialize soon and will lead to a resumption of Cabinet sessions.

“Lebanon is going through one of the worst economic crises in world history,” said De Schutter, an independent expert appointed by the Human Rights Council to monitor, report, and advise on poverty and its intersection with human rights.

“According to one estimate, in just two years, multidimensional poverty has doubled from 42% to 82%, with nearly four million people facing deprivation in education, healthcare, public utilities, housing, assets, or employment and income,” he said.

Members and supporters of the Lebanese Forces party on Wednesday flocked to Maarab in their cars in solidarity with LF leader Samir Geagea.

The move comes after Geagea was summoned to appear before the army’s Intelligence Directorate as a witness in connection with the deadly Tayyouneh-Ain al-Remmaneh clashes. The summoning had been scheduled for 9am Wednesday and the LF leader did not show up.

The Gulf Cooperation Council condemned Wednesday the statements made by Minister of Information George Kordahi about the Yemen war, saying it reflects “a limited knowledge and a shallow understanding” that are not acceptable.

Saudi sources told MTV media station that “we are facing a severe diplomatic crisis due to Kordahi's offensive statements to Arab countries, regardless of the timing of the interview.”

The defense for former Nissan executive Greg Kelly said Wednesday there was no evidence or motives linking him to alleged under-reporting of his ex-boss Carlos Ghosn's compensation.

Kelly's chief defense lawyer, Yoichi Kitamura, said in wrapping up the defense's arguments that Kelly is innocent and he had no knowledge of the complex calculations over Ghosn's unpaid remuneration, tabulated and updated by Nissan Motor Co. secretariat official Toshiaki Ohnuma.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Tuesday held meetings with President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Najib Miqati, during which he proposed a “solution” to resolve the political standoff over Judge Tarek Bitar’s investigations into the Beirut port blast.