From his small music shop on Beirut's Hamra Street, Michel Eid witnessed the rise and fall of Lebanon through the changing fortunes of this famed boulevard for more than 60 years.

Hamra Street represented everything that was glamorous about Beirut in the 1960s and 1970s, with Lebanon's top movie houses and theaters, cafes frequented by intellectuals and artists, and ritzy shops. It saw a revival the past decade, with international chain stores and vibrant bars and restaurants.

President Michel Aoun has described the behavior of Shiite ministers in the latest Cabinet session as “shameful,” as he said that he fears that the parliamentary elections might be postponed due to a lack of funds.

The Shiite ministers’ “objection was not over the appointments themselves not over the appointees. The issue is that there is a vacant post, the State Security deputy chief, to whom the Shiite ministers want to name a successor, but they did not bring a proposed name,” Aoun said in an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper.

A confidence crisis between the Shiite Duo and Prime Minister Najib Miqati appears to be growing following the latest controversy over the manner in which the state budget was passed in Cabinet, the pro-Hizbullah al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday.

MP Hassan Fadlallah of Hizbullah meanwhile accused Miqati of “violating the Taef Accord,” adding that what the premier “did in Cabinet was unacceptable and unconstitutional.”

After two weeks of talks, the IMF said Friday it has advanced efforts to secure an aid program to help Lebanon overcome its "unprecedented and complex" economic crisis, but more work is needed.

The Development and Liberation bloc of the Amal Movement on Friday stressed its “rejection of the manner in which the state budget was approved” Thursday in Cabinet.

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col on Friday chaired this year’s first Tripartite meeting with senior Lebanese Army and Israeli army officers in Ras al-Naqoura. It was the outgoing UNIFIL head’s last Tripartite meeting.

The International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG) met in Beirut Friday to review preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Echoing the U.N. Security Council press statement on Lebanon of 4 February 2022, and recalling its previous statements, the ISG reiterated its call for “free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections, as scheduled on 15 May 2022.”

Cars and houses were damaged when a pickup truck carrying gas cylinders caught fire and exploded on the Zouk highway.

Media reports said the blast shook buildings in the area and echoed across nearby regions. The flames also reached a residential building near the explosion site as damage to power lines caused a blackout in the area.

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein gave Lebanese authorities a deadline of four to six weeks to respond to his suggestions regarding a maritime border dispute with Israel.

"There’s no later anymore. This is the later. This is the last minute," Hochstein said, pressuring Lebanon to accept what informed sources considered to be "less than Lebanon's property rights."

Prime Minister Najib Miqati said Friday that a new law for the ports, including the port of Beirut, is being prepared.

He added, in a ceremony at the Grand Serail, that Beirut's port must be rebuilt for it to attract optimal investments.