President Michel Aoun met Wednesday with a U.S. Congress delegation and stressed that there is "major progress" in the cabinet formation process, the Presidency said.

"The cabinet formation process has made major progress and a lot of obstacles have been resolved," Aoun told the delegation.

- Op-ed by U.N. Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Najat Rochdi:

"Over the last few years, Lebanon has been through immense challenges that have left no segment of its society unscathed. The country has been challenged by economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Port of Beirut explosion, environmental disasters and prolonged political deadlock. These challenges have crippled Lebanon, obstructed its development and decimated its capacity to cope. To top it all off, in climate change Lebanon faces another challenge: a threat multiplier that will intensify current predicaments, and one that requires resolute action by the government and the people, both in the short-term and well into the future.

President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati have “failed to find a common ground” in the government formation process which means Miqati has no chances to form, media sources said.

Informed sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Tuesday, that Miqati’s designation will soon “hit the wall of obstruction” and that “the collision moment is near.”

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday called on military, security and judicial agencies to “deal transparently with citizens as to the outcome of the raids on the warehouses of medicine, foodstuffs and gas stations.”

“In order to restore their confidence in the state and all its agencies and institutions, the Lebanese have the right to know the real culprits behind the monopoly of medicine, baby milk and medical supplies… They also have the right to know those who hoarded fuel and whether they have been arrested,” Aoun added.

Lebanon’s Mills Association threatened to stop operating as of today, Tuesday, unless diesel is provided to them.

The mills owners announced in a statement that "all mills might be forced to close due to the lack of diesel, which could lead to a flour crisis."

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday adopted Resolution 2591, extending UNIFIL’s mandate for another year.

The new resolution reaffirms UNIFIL’s mandate, as set out in Resolution 1701 (2006) and confirmed in subsequent resolutions.

A blast rocked the al-Shami water heaters factory in Bourj al-Barajneh on Monday, the state-run National News Agency reported.

It added that the explosion left four people dead.

President Michel Aoun tweeted Monday on the fourth anniversary of the Army’s Victory in Fajr al-Jouroud battle that “this victory would not have been achieved without the martyrs who lost their lives to protect Lebanon.”

He added that the security coordination between all institutions had also contributed to the “detection and elimination of terrorist networks and cells throughout the country.”

Parliamentary sources in the Strong Lebanon bloc have rejected the accusation against the bloc's head Jebran Bassil of obstructing the formation of the government.

The sources restated, in remarks published Monday in the PSP's al-Anbaa news portal, that “Bassil has not interfered in any way in the formation process.”

Many legal, technical and financial obstacles that had been hindering the agreement to import Egyptian gas to Lebanon have been removed, media reports said on Monday.

Sources asserted to al-Akhbar newspaper that “the agreement will also include the shipment of the imported gas to Al-Zahrani, which will lead to the operation of the two largest power plants in Lebanon.”