The British embassy in Lebanon clarified in a statement on Saturday that its ambassador to Lebanon, Chris Rampling, will leave Lebanon back to the UK in December and that his departure is due to family reasons.

The embassy assured in a statement that “the British government will continue to enhance stability and security in Lebanon and the region, and a successor to the ambassador will be announced at a later time.”

Dozens of Lebanese protesters held a sit-in on Saturday in Beirut’s main Martyr’s Square complaining about the local banks’ policies, amid a deepening economic and financial crisis gripping the country.

The protesters later moved their sit-in near to the Association of Banks in Lebanon.

Director general of the state-run Rafik Hariri University Hospital (RHUH), Firas Abiad said in a tweet on Saturday that the first Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in Lebanon in February, noting that the quantity will cover healthcare workers and high risk patients.

“The first Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in Lebanon in mid February as per the Ministry of Health in Lebanon,” said Abiad.

The General Security Directorate launched an investigation about two weeks ago into embezzlement accusations in the agency, and arrested two officers suspected of being involved in misappropriation of public funds including passport fees and residency visas, media reports said Saturday.

The total sum of public funds embezzled has not been determined yet, according to reports, but estimates say it could total to billions of Lebanese pounds. Investigation is focusing on the gaps that allowed this to happen, added the reports.

International donors Friday laid out a $2.5-billion response plan to the devastating port blast in Beirut in August, urging reforms in the crisis-hit country.

Anti-government protesters on Friday encircled the entrances of the ESA Business School in Beirut’s Clemenceau area during the presence of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh in it.

Lebanon has detained a Lebanese-French businessman who was close to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy after receiving a request for his arrest from Interpol, a judicial source told AFP Friday.

"The Internal Security Forces have detained (Ziad) Takieddine, based on an arrest warrant Interpol sent the public prosecution, over him being wanted by the French authorities over involvement in corruption and funding Sarkozy's campaign," the source said.

Representing Hizbullah, MP Ibrahim Moussawi filed a lawsuit on Friday against the Lebanese Forces party and former MP Fares Soaid for holding the party accountable for the deadly August 4 Beirut port explosion.

“We will file lawsuits before the relevant judicial authorities, the judiciary is the competent reference to preserve the dignity of the people,” said Moussawi on his way out of the Judicial Palace where he filed the lawsuit.

Security leaders presented reports during the Higher Defense Council meeting yesterday about assassination threats targeting figures from various political groups, without mentioning any names, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

On his first visit to Lebanon, the UK’s Minister for the Middle East, James Cleverly, has urged Lebanon’s politicians to implement urgent reforms to prevent the country plunging further into economic crisis, the UK embassy said in a press release Friday.

As part of his visit, Minister Cleverly met with President General Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, Caretaker PM Hassan Diab, Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe, PM-designate Saad Hariri, Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi and Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.