Lebanon's parliament again failed to agree on a new president at the 12th attempt, highlighting the bitter divisions among politicians in a country entrenched in economic crisis.
The house sessions to elect a head of state resumed on Wednesday after a five-month hiatus.
International Monetary Fund official Jihad Azour, backed by most of the country's Christian parties, received 59 votes while Suleiman Frangieh, supported by the Shiite pairing of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, garnered 51 votes.
Both men fell short of the two-thirds majority required in the first round of voting in a 128-seat parliament where no side holds the majority.
There was no second round after some MPs, mainly Hezbollah and Amal, left the room and the quorum was lost. The second round would have required an absolute majority of 65 votes.
All 128 MPs were present. There were a handful of protest votes and ballots for other candidates.
It was the first time that some major parties, including Iran-backed Hezbollah and its ally Amal, stopped casting blank ballots and formalised their support for a specific candidate.
Nabih Berri, speaker of parliament and leader of Amal, said enough was enough as he urged MPs to stop blaming rival factions for the presidential vacuum, adding that "spinning in this vicious circle" would achieve nothing.
Speaking before the session, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said the group’s hand was “extended for dialogue” and that a president could be elected “by consensus”.
It also led the Free Patriotic Movement, one of parliament's largest parties, to form a rare convergence with its traditional Christian rival and back Mr Azour. The FPM, whose alliance with Hezbollah has waned in strength, had previously been casting blank ballots.
The IMF official was also backed by the main Druze bloc, led by the Progressive Socialist Party.
Speaking after the session ended, Mr Frangieh thanked those who voted for him while saying he respected the choice of those who had not.
Mr Frangieh is the scion of an influential north Lebanon Maronite family, and is a close friend of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.
Supporters of Mr Azour, a former finance minister, insist that he is not a confrontational candidate – a claim strongly rejected by Hezbollah, whose representatives and supporters have launched a series of verbal attacks against him.
Opponents of Mr Azour's candidacy say nothing unites his backers other than their desire to block the candidacy of Mr Frangieh.
Some supporters of the IMF official described Wednesday's outcome as positive. Georges Adwan, a senior member of parliament's largest party, the Lebanese Forces, said it proved how close Mr Azour was to obtaining 65 votes.
The country has been without a president since the term of former army chief and FPM founder Michel Aoun ended at the end of October. He came to power in 2016 after a two-and-a-half-year vacuum that ended only after he hammered out a deal with traditional rivals, including foes dating back to the 1975-1990 civil war.
In Lebanon's confessional system, the parliament speaker must be a Shiite Muslim, the prime minister a Sunni and the president a Maronite Christian.
The lack of a president comes as Lebanon grapples with one of the worst economic crises in modern history.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati's cabinet is in caretaker status – and thus severely stripped of its powers – after he failed to agree on its make-up with Mr Aoun before the latter's term ended.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
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What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
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The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Manchester United v Manchester City, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
