Grand Jaafarite Shiite Mufti, Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan insisted on Friday that Shiite ministers in the delayed government will only be named by Shiite officials.

Central Bank governor Riad Salameh denied allegations he received a four-month bonus on his salary as reported in al-Joumhouria daily on Friday.

Salameh issued a statement saying “he did not and will not receive any bonus on his salary,” describing the claims as unfounded.

A crucial meeting on the government lineup expected between President Michel Aoun and PM-designate Mustafa Adib has been postponed until Friday afternoon, the National News Agency reported.

NNA said Adib had called Aoun asking that their meeting be postponed until 5:00 p.m.

The Central Bank of Lebanon has reportedly approved a four-month bonus for the bank’s governor and his newly appointed vice-governors, for members of the Banking Control Commission and all BDL employees, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

The move comes after Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh warned late in August that the bank cannot continue to use its foreign reserves to finance subsidies on basic goods like fuel, medicine and wheat.

There are “good intentions” and we can overcome the crisis, Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh said on Thursday about the cabinet formation process.

Lebanon on Thursday reported 1,027 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily tally since the first case was detected on February 21.

The Higher Judicial Council noted Thursday that Judicial Investigator Judge Fadi Sawan is continuing his investigations in the case of the Aug. 4 port explosion in order to “achieve justice as soon as possible but without hastiness.”

The public prosecution on Thursday continued looking into the rival lawsuits filed by the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces over the recent clash between their supporters in Sin el-Fil’s Mirna Chalouhi area.

A meeting was held Thursday afternoon between Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Adib, Speaker Nabih Berri’s aide Ali Hassan Khalil and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s assistant Hussein al-Khalil.

MTV said the conferees discussed the standards for naming ministers, noting that al-Khalil and Hassan Khalil did not present any names "although one of them was carrying in his pocket a list of Shiite candidates for the finance portfolio."

President Michel Aoun chaired a security meeting at Baabda Palace to address several issues including a recent trend of Lebanese taking dangerous attempts, some deadly, fleeing the crisis-hit country in fishing boats.