An International Monetary Fund delegation wraps up Sunday a three-day visit to Lebanon during which it met with senior political and financial officials.

“The delegation stressed that the starting point for the solutions should be reforms, topped by the electricity file,” media reports said.

A Lebanese-American man in custody in Lebanon isn't guilty of charges brought against him by the Lebanese government, according to a U.S. lawmaker's top aide.

Naz Durakoglu, senior foreign policy adviser to Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, said in a conference call with media outlets that colleagues in different U.S. government offices have found no evidence that Amer Fakhoury is guilty of the murder, prison torture and other allegations levied by his native country.

Some in Lebanon are casting blame on Iran, the supporter of the country's powerful Hizbullah group, after the country's first case of the new virus was discovered on a flight from the Iranian city of Qom this week.

Many Lebanese who support the Hizbullah-led coalition have remained silent on the issue of the virus, while some supporters of rival groups supported by the west blame Iran for the introduction of the virus into the country.

Education Minister Tarek Majzoub on Saturday circulated a national plan of preparedness to respond to the deadly coronavirus outbreak should cases start to proliferate in Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.

Lebanese were up in arms on Saturday demanding a halt to flights from Iran one day after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in a 45-year-old Lebanese woman who had traveled from Qom in Iran.

“We have made contacts with Iranian authorities who assured that all necessary measures will be taken before a new flight arrives from Iran Monday. The same measures will be taken for all flights arriving from coronavirus infected countries,” said Health Minister Hassan Hamad.

Economy Minister Raoul Nehme issued a decision on Saturday banning export of basic and critical medical supplies used to decrease infectious disease transmission, one day after Lebanon confirmed the first case of the novel coronavirus.

Credit ratings agency S&P lowered Lebanon's debt grade a notch on Friday, but warned a further cut is possible should the government miss a payment to creditors.

The first case of the novel coronavirus in Lebanon was confirmed on Friday, the health minister said, adding that two other suspected cases were being investigated.

"We confirmed the first case today," Hamad Hassan said at a press conference in Beirut. 

Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni held talks on Friday with an IMF delegation, led by Martin Cerisola, where discussions focused on the technical advice the fund can provide Lebanon with in order to finalize an emergency plan, media reports said.

Lawyers for Carlos Ghosn on Friday delayed a lawsuit seeking a hefty retirement payout from his former employer Renault, saying the French carmaker had not given them enough time to prepare arguments.