Lebanese University teachers, civil servants and the Union Coordination Committee staged a sit-in on Wednesday protesting a government’s proposal to cut their wages as part of measures to reduce spending and slash the budget deficit.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil conducted a comprehensive review of the 2019 state budget after extended meetings with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the most recent was late on Tuesday in the Center house, in the presence of all political factions represented in the government, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Tuesday urged from Moscow the Arab League to return Syria to its seat and raised calls from Moscow for the repatriation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.

President Michel Aoun stressed on Tuesday that “the judicial body is the cornerstone for the establishment of the state and law,” stressing that his term only tolerates an independent judicial authority.

The focus of political forces, citizens and trade union bodies continues on the latest debate on reducing the budget deficit, which some government components aim to achieve “at the expense of public sector employees and the investment and operating expenses of the state,” al-Akhbar daily reported on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri met with British ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling who welcomed the Premier’s strong commitment to tackling the government deficit, and the efforts to reform the electricity sector, the UK embassy said in a press release.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil traveled to Moscow on Monday to take part in the upcoming ministerial session of the Russian-Arab Cooperation forum.

As reports emerge that the government might cut financial benefits for public sector employees, MP Shamel Roukoz said that servicemen are not responsible for the country’s budget deficit or the waste of public money, stressing that there are others areas to recover funds.

A few days before the weekly cabinet meeting scheduled to start in Baabda to begin discussions of the 2019 draft budget law, a meeting was held at the Presidential Palace reportedly to "review pensions and compensations of the public sector," media reports said on Monday.

The Higher Defense Council convened at the behest of President Michel Aoun, with the participation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the concerned ministers, and chiefs of military and security apparatus, said the National News Agency.

Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat criticized the Foreign Minister’s call to cut wages of the government employees as part of austerity measures, and noted that his recent conflict with Hizbullah arose over the place of a meeting scheduled between the two, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.