Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea has considered himself a natural candidate for the presidency as he described himself as "the most representative of his sect."

Yet, Geagea said, in a TV interview, that he will not waste time on securing votes and that the biggest concern is to unify the opposition on one candidate to succeed President Michel Aoun.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on Thursday made new suggestions related to the financial recovery plan, which some MPs have considered to be a “new plan,” al-Jadeed TV reported.

In a meeting with the finance parliamentary committee, Mikati proposed the creation of “a recovery fund for returning a part of the bank deposits” to depositors, the TV network added.

The United Nations has issued a statement expressing its concern about "the rising hate speech, discrimination, and violence towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals and organizations in Lebanon."

"As enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and under the United Nations’ global commitment to leave no one behind, we encourage the Government of Lebanon to respect its national and international human rights obligations, including the rights of all people to freedom of assembly, association, and expression - regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics," the statement said.

The circulated reports about the arrival of U.S. warships to protect the Karish offshore gas field are baseless, a U.S. Embassy source told al-Jadeed TV on Thursday.

Al-Akhbar newspaper had earlier reported, quoting “UNIFIL sources,” that U.S. warships had arrived off the Karish field and started measures aimed at protecting the Energean Power gas vessel.

President Michel Aoun hasn't expressed any objection to the draft Cabinet line-up submitted by PM-designate Najib Mikati, Baabda sources said, denying "hasty prejudgments" on Aoun's position.

The sources told al-Joumhouriah newspaper, in remarks published Friday, that Aoun did not reject the draft but rather promised to study it.

The Finance and Budget Committee, headed by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, convened Thursday to discuss the 2022 state budget law and the recovery plan, in the presence of Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati.

Cabinet in its last session last month, prior to becoming a caretaker Cabinet and ahead of the beginning of the term of the new parliament, had approved the economic recovery plan amid the objection of some ministers.

PM-designate Najib Mikati took the decision to submit the government draft line-up to President Michel Aoun at night.

He told al-Jadeed that he wrote it himself by hand "after everyone refrained from participating and the choices became narrow."

The line-up submitted by PM-designate Najib Mikati to President Michel Aoun on Wednesday contained changes to five to six ministerial portfolios from the current government, including the energy portfolio, TV networks said.

“Mikati proposed a specialist who is not close to the Free Patriotic Movement for the energy and water portfolio,” MTV reported. He also suggested a Beiruti candidate for the economy ministry who is close to the civil society parties, the TV network added.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has accused Iran and Hezbollah of trying to cyberattack the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

He claimed in a conference that the aim of the cyberattack is to "steal materials about its activities and deployment in the area, for Hezbollah’s use."

Free Patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun has said that his party would accept giving up the energy ministerial portfolio in the upcoming government.

Aoun told LBCI that the ministry of energy is not an exclusive FPM portfolio.