United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the appointment of Imran Riza of Pakistan as his Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator for Lebanon. Riza will also serve as Humanitarian Coordinator, the UN said in a statement.

"Mr. Riza succeeds Najat Rochdi of Morocco, who recently completed her assignment and to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her accomplishments and wishes her continued success in her new appointment as Deputy Special Envoy for Syria," the statement said.

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein has postponed his visit to the region until September seven, al-Akhbar newspaper said Thursday.

The daily added that Hochstein has held an online meeting with Israeli officials after having met in Greece with Israeli delegates and the leadership of the Greek gas exploration company, Energean.

Survivors and families of the victims of a sunken migrant boat off the coast of Lebanon on Thursday said they have filed a lawsuit accusing the military of detaining two missing survivors.

The boat that sank in April carried dozens of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians trying to migrate by sea to Italy. It went down more than five kilometers (three miles) from the port of Tripoli, following a confrontation with the country's navy.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati is willing to make concessions to President Michel Aoun, al-Akhbar newspaper reported.

The daily said Thursday that it had learned that Mikati does not mind letting Aoun choose the names of the two ministers who will replace the minister of economy and the minister of the displaced.

Even as he battles Lebanon's summer heat without air-conditioning, Judge Faysal Makki tries not to drink too much water because the toilets at the Justice Palace are broken.

A White House statement said U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid have discussed negotiations to resolve border issues between Israel and Lebanon.

"The President also emphasized the importance of concluding the maritime boundary negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in the coming weeks," the U.S. statement said.

The U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution strongly condemning harassment, intimidation, attacks and restrictions against the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.

It also called on Lebanese authorities to accelerate deployment of ground and naval forces to the area, which borders Israel.

Forty years since Hezbollah was founded at the height of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the group has morphed from a ragtag organization to the largest and most heavily armed militant group in the Middle East.

The Iranian-armed and funded Hezbollah, which has marked the anniversary with ceremonies in its strongholds in recent weeks, dominates Lebanon's politics and plays an instrumental role in spreading Tehran's influence throughout the Arab world.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday lashed out at President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement over several issues, in a speech marking the 44th anniversary of the disappearance of Amal Movement founder Imam Moussa Sadr.

“We remind those trying to take Lebanon back to the pre-Taef era that parliament is the only side entrusted with interpreting the constitution,” Berri said, referring to the controversy over whether or not the caretaker cabinet can assume the president’s powers in the event of a presidential vacuum.

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein has informed Lebanese officials that he will resume his meetings over the sea border demarcation file in the next few days, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

He also told them that he “will not be able to give an answer regarding the Lebanese proposal before the end of this week.”