⁍ Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib said on Thursday he would give more time for talks about the formation of a new government.

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⁍ France has been leaning on Lebanon’s sectarian politicians to form a new cabinet and embark on reforms to exit the crisis.

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⁍ But a deadline of Sept. 15 that politicians had promised Paris they would meet has already been missed.

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⁍ The process has been bogged down as Lebanon’s dominant Shi’ite Muslim factions, the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Amal Movement, have insisted on naming Shi’ite ministers in the cabinet.

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– The US is slapping sanctions on three companies and one individual it says are linked to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Reuters reports. According to the US Treasury Department’s website, Arch Consulting and Meamar Construction were blacklisted Thursday. The companies are based in Lebanon and provide consulting and construction services. The US is also imposing sanctions on two other Lebanon-based companies and one individual it says are linked to Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib said Thursday he would give more time for talks about forming a new government as his faltering efforts raised doubts about a French initiative to lift the country out of a deep economic crisis. France has been leaning on Lebanon’s sectarian politicians to form a new cabinet and embark on reforms to exit the crisis that is the worst facing the country since its 1975-1990 civil war. But a deadline of Sept. 15 that politicians had promised Paris they would meet has already been missed. The process has been bogged down as Lebanon’s dominant Shi’ite Muslim factions, the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Amal Movement, have insisted on naming Shi’ite ministers in the cabinet and said these must include the finance minister. Adib, a Sunni Muslim, was designated prime minister on Aug. 31 by a clear majority of Lebanese parties under French pressure. He enjoys the backing of former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, Lebanon’s leading Sunni politician. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the Amal chief, became more insistent on naming the finance minister after Washington last week imposed sanctions on his senior aide for corruption and for enabling Hezbollah.