Higher Judicial Council judges Habib Mezher, Dany Chebli, Mireille Haddad and Elias Richa on Wednesday announced that they have decided to invite the Higher Judicial Council to convene Thursday to “address a sole topic, which is discussing the requirements of the judicial probe into the case of the Beirut port blast.”

The judges said their decision is aimed at “preserving the proper conduct of justice and the regularity of the work of the judiciary,” adding that they are keen on “all rights” and that their move is based on “Article 6 of the judiciary’s law.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has met with Speaker Nabih Berri’s political aide, Ali Hassan Khalil, and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s aide, Hussein al-Khalil, al-Jadeed TV reported.

The meeting took place on Sunday afternoon and discussed limiting the government's agenda to two main items regarding the electricity file, the TV outlet said.

Attorney General Judge Ziad Abu Haidar on Wednesday reversed a previous decision taken by him and tasked Judge Raja Hamoush with facilitating the work of a German judicial delegation seeking to look into the corruption case of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, LBCI TV reported.

According to LBCI, Abu Haidar had initially refused a request from State Prosecutor Judge Ghassan Oueidat to facilitate the delegation's mission.

Hussein Husseini, Lebanon's former parliament speaker and the father of the 1989 Taif Agreement that ended the country's 15-year civil war, died Wednesday after days of illness. He was 85.

Husseini was admitted to Beirut's American University Medical Center on Jan. 3, after suffering from a strong flu, the state-run National News Agency said. NNA added that Husseini remained in the intensive care unit until his death on Wednesday morning.

The British Embassy in Beirut has categorically rejected "the unsubstantiated, erroneous and misleading claims made in a report on UK support for the IMPACT project published by Al Akhbar on 9 January 2023."

"We are and remain proud of our contribution to anti-corruption efforts in Lebanon, including the important work of the IMPACT platform, Central Inspection and Judge George Attieh," the embassy said in a statement.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday filed a notice with Financial Prosecutor Judge Ali Ibrahim, asking him to “launch a comprehensive and broad investigation into the work of the LibanPost company and reveal whether there are any offenses, violations or abuses committed by it or by its owners or those in charge of it.”

If it turns out that there are any irregularities, the relevant legal measures should be taken, Mikati, who owns LibanPost, added.

The European Union has launched two new initiatives worth 25 million Euro to support vulnerable people in Lebanon and to fight food insecurity.

"These initiatives are a response to the negative impact of Russia's war against Ukraine on the European Union's neighbouring countries," the EU Delegation to Lebanon said in a statement.

The British Embassy in Beirut is launching the ‘Ambassador For A Day’ competition where winners will be able to shadow an Ambassador in Lebanon for one day. The competition aims to encourage young girls to become leaders and advocates for change.

The theme of the competition is Embrace Equity which is the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023. All girls aged 15-18 years old and who are not at university are eligible. The competition is open from now until 9 February 2023.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday scheduled a new presidential election session for 11am Thursday.

This will be the eleventh electoral session since Michel Aoun’s presidential term ended last year.

Families of Beirut port blast victims on Tuesday stormed the Justice Palace in Beirut in protest at perceived political and judicial obstruction of the investigation, a few days after the judiciary ended a lengthy judicial strike.

The relatives managed to storm the outer gate of the Justice Palace and some of them were injured in clashes with security forces.