Lebanese on Saturday raked balls of tar away from a turtle beach in the south of the country, as a massive slick washed ashore after hitting neighbouring Israel.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi said Saturday that his calls for a UN-sponsored international conference for Lebanon are meant to face a "coup situation" in the country.

"Our calls for a UN-sponsored international conference are to face a coup situation. Leaving the situation as it is while the state collapses and people get devastated is completely unacceptable for us," said Rahi addressing crowds of Lebanese who came to Bkirki to support his calls.

Crowds of Lebanese flocked from various Lebanese regions to Bkirki on Saturday, in a stand of support for the Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi and his calls for a UN-sponsored international conference for Lebanon, amid the country's leaders inability to form a much-needed government.

The Free Patriotic Movement political bureau held its periodic meeting on Saturday chaired by its head MP Jebran Bassil, and criticized PM-designate Saad Hariri.

Some recent political contacts to solve the government formation stalemate were described as “serious” and likely to make a little progress on the government file, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

The Maronite Patriarch in Bkirki is expected to witness popular protests Saturday to support the persistent calls of Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi for a UN-sponsored international conference for crisis-hit Lebanon.

Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan hit back anew Friday at those who have criticized his decision to allow several MPs and parliament officials to bypass the national Covid-19 vaccination mechanism.

The administration of the American University of Beirut Medical Center issued a statement Friday clarifying information attributed to the state-run Central Inspection bureau, which claimed that 1,600 people who had not registered on the Health Ministry’s electronic platform have received the Covid-19 vaccine at AUBMC.

Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, on Friday held phone talks with Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh.