The Central Bank of Lebanon issued a statement on Friday assuring that BDL governor Riad Salameh is taking part in the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund which in turn requested not to disclose the content of talks.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab visited on Friday the barracks of Elias el-Khoury in the eastern border town of Ras Baalbek and placed a flower wreath on a memorial statue of soldiers killed during the 2017 operation “Dawn of the Outskirts” in Ras Baalbek and el-Qaa against the terrorist Islamic State group.

Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil voiced disdain on Friday over a general amnesty law that drew controversy at a legislative session the day before, saying that “criminals and terrorists must not be treated the same as Lebanese wishing to return back from Israel.”

Ex-PM Saad Hariri on Thursday hurled a new jab at the Free Patriotic Movement, this time over an administrative appointments law that has been approved by parliament amid the objection of the FPM.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Thursday described parliament's approval of a law for administrative appointments as a “triumph” for the LF-led Strong Republic bloc.

Parliament on Thursday approved several draft laws as al-Mustaqbal bloc and MP Faisal Karami walked out of the legislative session during the discussion of the controversial general amnesty law.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil had earlier threatened that the Strong Lebanon bloc might also walk out of the session. "If it is prohibited to vote against the amnesty law, we will walk out of the session," he said.

Economy Minister Raoul Nehme on Thursday announced that specific basic food supplies will be subsidized by the Central Bank of Lebanon to help reduce the prices, amid an uncontrolled depreciation of the Lebanese pound.

“This food basket provides all the nutritional components, i.e. vegetable and animal protein, carbohydrates, etc.. the goal is not to choose cheap goods but all the nutritional components that the citizen needs,” said Nehme in remarks at a press conference.

Lebanon on Thursday recorded seven new cases of coronavirus after relaxing so-called general mobilization measures over coronavirus earlier in May.

The Health Ministry said four of those infected are residents and three are repatriated Lebanese expats.

As part of efforts to protect Lebanon’s subsidized diesel oil from being smuggled into neighboring Syria, the Lebanese army discovered and dismantled 30 meters of pipelines used to smuggle the liquid fuel into Syria, the Army Command said in a statement.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker said the Lebanese government faces immense challenges as the result of years of corruption and the implications of the war in Syria, noting that sanctions could be imposed on Lebanese parties allied to Hizbullah and supporting the government of PM Hassan Diab.