Head of the Finance and Budget Committee MP Ibrahim Kanaan said Wednesday that the Finance Subcommittee has reviewed a reformed bank secrecy law and will send it to the Finance and Budget committee for approval.

The Finance and Budget Committee will discuss the law tomorrow, Thursday, along with the World Bank wheat loan.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Wednesday that the salary disparity between the different categories of public sector employees would lead to a greater collapse and will have social and economic repercussions.

Berri called for rectifying the salaries' issue, even if it requires to immediately freeze the decision "before it is too late."

Victims of Lebanon's deadly 2020 port blast have filed a quarter-billion-dollar lawsuit against a US firm for its suspected links to the tragedy, a Swiss foundation assisting the plaintiffs said Wednesday.

Accountability Now said in a statement that the claim was filed this week in Texas against US-Norwegian geophysical services group TGS.

French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo met Wednesday with President Michel Aoun to discuss the Lebanese-French ties and the latest political developments in Lebanon.

Grillo stressed the necessity of respecting the constitutional deadlines in the government formation and in the presidential election and the importance of reaching positive results in the mediated negotiations over the sea border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said Wednesday there is no escape from the necessity of carrying out reforms.

"Some say that the large number of tourists is a sign of prosperity and they forget that the Central Bank's reserves are declining every day as a result of the absence of basic reforms," Jumblat tweeted.

Circles close to the Free Patriotic Movement told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Wednesday, that the worst thing that might happen is to give the presidential powers to a caretaker government.

The sources urged for a quick formation before the end of President Michel Aoun's term.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil accused Wednesday Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati of seeking constitutional means in order to keep the caretaker government and avoid forming a new cabinet.

"Mikati doesn't want to form a new government," Bassil said in a statement.

Huawei announced Wednesday it is working to help Lebanon lift its economy through technology.

"Lebanon stands at the precipice of change – it needs to move forward and prioritize the implementation of a resilient ICT strategy in order to secure its bright future," the CEO of Huawei in Lebanon, Aiden Li, said in a statement.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has accused Hezbollah of military cooperation with Hamas.

Gantz warned that the "actions" of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah would lead to a powerful response by the Israeli army.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have kicked off exercise Resolute Union 2022.

The annual exercise focuses on maritime security operations, mine countermeasures and explosive ordnance disposal.