Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday lauded the latest decision by the Court of Cassation on the flurry of lawsuits and legal motions that had paralyzed the probe into the catastrophic Beirut port blast.

Hizbullah central council member Sheikh Nabil Qaouq on Sunday stressed that his party is supporting efforts aimed at resolving the governmental crisis and resuming Cabinet sessions.

Health Minister Firass Abiad has reassured that “Lebanon has no direct flights from South Africa or neighboring countries,” in remarks regarding the new, heavily mutated Covid-19 strain Omicron.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday decried anew the presence of what he called selectivity and politicization in the Beirut port blast probe as well as in the judiciary’s response to legal motions filed by the accused ex-PM and former ministers.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati has dismissed the reports about a possible Cabinet reshuffle that would involve the replacement of the Justice Minister as “incorrect and baseless.”

He added, in remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper published Friday, that he is satisfied with the outcome of his Thursday talks with Pope Francis.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has warned that the postponement of the upcoming parliamentary elections would lead to “the total destruction of the country.”

“It is very necessary to hold the parliamentary and presidential elections next year, or else we will face the total destruction of the country,” al-Rahi said.

The Court of Cassation on Thursday said it is the only authority eligible to look into recusal requests against Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar, media reports said.

Noting that the investigative judge "can be dismissed," the Court stressed that it is up to it to take such a decision and not to the Judicial Council, reversing a ruling by Judge Imad Qabalan in this regard, al-Jadeed TV said.

Technical negotiations with the IMF are almost over, Deputy Prime Minister Saade Shami

said Thursday, after meeting with President Michel Aoun in Baabda.

The UK's COP26 Regional Ambassador for the Middle East and Africa, Janet Rogan, ended a two-day visit to Lebanon this week. This was her first official visit to the MENA region since the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference concluded in Glasgow earlier this month.

Pope Francis urged Thursday all Lebanese to cooperate in order to save their country and give it back its role “as a model for dialogue and convergence between East and West.”

The pope said after meeting with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Vatican that he will pray for Lebanon.