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Judge Tarek Bitar’s investigation into the Beirut port explosion was suspended for a fourth time Thursday, following yet another lawsuit by ex-ministers. On Thursday Bitar was formally notified of a lawsuit against him submitted by MPs and former ministers Ghazi Zeaiter and Ali Hassan Khalil. Bitar has issued an arrest warrant for the latter. The suspension came just two weeks after Bitar had been cleared to resume work, following a suspension of more than a month forced by a lawsuit by former minister Youssef Fenianos. The total number of lawsuits against Bitar now stands at 18, according to an AFP source, amidst a sustained campaign by senior political figures to block the investigation. Hezbollah and Amal have objected to his leadership of the probe, alleging that he has “politicized” the proceedings. If Prime Minister Najib Mikati were to call a cabinet session, the two parties could refuse to attend unless Bitar’s role is limited, risking the government’s implosion. Without a resolution, the cabinet has been in a deadlock that has stretched for over two and a half months so far — more than two-thirds of its time in office.

A Jordanian LGBTQ activist and refugee has been wrongly detained by Lebanese authorities, Amnesty International says, and is allegedly at risk of being forcibly repatriated to Jordan. The refugee, referred to as “AOA” in Amnesty’s statement, is a non-binary lesbian who has publicly advocated for women’s and LGBTQ rights, appearing in several media outlets, Amnesty said. AOA holds a humanitarian visa to relocate to Australia, but Amnesty charges that the Jordanian Embassy in Lebanon is attempting to force them back to Jordan instead. A Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson denied these allegations, telling Jordanian media that the government has not been informed of the reported detention. AOA’s family, which Amnesty says has severely abused them, is said to be highly influential in Jordan. Amnesty has called on the Lebanese authorities to cooperate with Australian authorities and ensure AOA can depart to Australia.

An altercation took place Thursday between UN peacekeepers and residents of the southern village of Shaqra. Videos circulating in local and regional media appear to show people hurling chunks of cinder block at a UNIFIL vehicle and some men climbing onto its roof. According to the local Al-Akhbar newspaper, the residents were angered by UN troops allegedly filming houses without a Lebanese army escort. Following the incident, a UNIFIL spokesperson said “depriving UNIFIL of freedom of movement and attacking those who serve the cause of peace is unacceptable.” UNIFIL “should have full and unimpeded access throughout its area of operations,” the spokesperson added, calling on Lebanese authorities to investigate the incident and “bring the perpetrators to justice.” Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said he “rejects any form of aggression” against UN personnel.

The World Bank and its partners agreed to repurpose $37 million in aid money to assist Lebanon’s public school teachers. In an announcement Thursday the World Bank said the money would be diverted from the Lebanon Syrian Crisis Trust Fund, which is designated to help Lebanese communities hosting Syrian refugees, and will be used to “provide financial incentives to public school teachers suffering from the severe economic and financial crisis in Lebanon to ensure they can purchase fuel to travel to work.” The move is a one-time “exceptional” measure, the bank said, and came at the request of the Lebanese government.

The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen on Sunday accused Iran and Hezbollah of helping Houthis attack its territory. In a press conference, a coalition spokesperson accused Hezbollah of “training” the Houthis and released footage of what he said are members of the Lebanese organization operating in Yemen. The claims were made the day after two people were killed and seven others wounded in Saudi Arabia on Saturday in an attack claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Attacks on Saudi infrastructure have taken place repeatedly, but this attack resulted in the first deaths since 2018, according to AFP. The coalition had conducted air raids in Yemen the day before, and vowed to launch a “large-scale” operation following the attack claimed by the Houthis. On Saturday a coalition air raid killed three and wounded six.

President Michel Aoun is expected to make a speech today in which he will lay out his priorities for the final stretch of his term, which ends in October. According to local newspaper al-Anba’, Aoun will address his group’s positions on the maritime border negotiations, Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the BDL forensic audit, upcoming elections, and relations with the other parties. The alliance between Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah has become noticeably strained recently, with one FPM pundit declaring the alliance “dead.” Today is also the last day for the president to sign a decree scheduling elections for March 27, as voted for by Parliament. He has indicated he prefers May 8 as the date for elections and is not expected to sign the decree needed to grant Parliament its requested March date.