Hezbollah, ally end Cabinet boycott in crisis-hit Lebanon

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group and its main Shiite ally say they are ending their boycott of Cabinet meetings after three months. The deadlock has worsened the small Mideast nation’s unprecedented economic meltdown. The two Shiite groups said in a joint statement on Saturday they will attend Cabinet sessions to approve a new budget and measures for dealing with the two-year crisis, and to discuss a recovery plan. They had boycotted the Cabinet since October, demanding changes in the national probe of the devastating August 2020 explosion in Beirut’s port. A government-approved recovery plan is a prerequisite for resuming discussions with the International Monetary Fund.