A Lebanese investigative judge charged dozens of people including officials Friday over a delivery of counterfeit fuel intended for the electricity sector, a judicial source and state media said.

The "tainted fuel" case made headlines in March when Lebanon refused to receive a fuel shipment from a subsidiary of Algerian state company Sonatrach.

Lebanon's economic crisis is getting out of hand, the U.N. rights chief warned Friday, calling for urgent internal reforms coupled with international support to prevent further mayhem.

Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the social fabric of the country was at risk as vulnerable populations are threatened with extreme poverty.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea on Friday held talks with Prime Minister Hassan Diab at the Grand Serail.

Shea left without making a statement but media reports said the meeting was lengthy and that Diab asked the ambassador to continue the talks over a lunch banquet.

The Information Office of the Lebanese Presidency issued a statement on Friday stressing that President Michel Aoun has a “constitutional right to revoke any law that violates the constitution.”

The Health Ministry said on Friday that fourteen passengers who arrived in Beirut on July 8 tested positive for coronavirus.

Foreign Minister Nasif emphasized that talks have been launched with European countries to open their airports to flights coming from Lebanon, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

Negotiations between Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund for a bailout plan are set to resume on Friday after a reported “hiatus” over the government's failure to enforce reforms, a condition to provide economic assistance, media reports said on Friday.

Talks between crisis-hit Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund are deadlocked, and leaders reluctant to enact reforms. Without a vital multi-billion-dollar bailout, is Lebanon headed for "hell"?

Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar announced Thursday that power supply will improve within 48 hours.

Separately, Ghajar said there are no plans to “negotiate with Iran over the import of fuel,” while noting that there are talks with Iraq.

Lebanon on Thursday witnessed a major one-day surge in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases.

In its daily statement, the Health Ministry said 44 of the cases were recorded among residents and 22 among expats who arrived in Lebanon in recent days.