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Lebanon “must” elect a president during the 60-day truce with Israel as part of the ceasefire deal that ended the war with Hezbollah, three official sources in Beirut told The National on Thursday, as parliament announced a new voting session in January after several failed attempts over the past two years.
The announcement followed the ceasefire deal reached with the Iran-backed Hezbollah, ending a devastating Israeli war that killed about 4,000 Lebanese, destroyed large parts of the country and inflicted unprecedented damage on the militant group.
The truce was largely holding on Thursday although the Israeli army said its air force struck a facility used by Hezbollah to store mid-range rockets in southern Lebanon.
“During the negotiations that led to the deal, it has been agreed with the mediators that Lebanon must finally elect a president during the 60-day truce,” a senior Lebanese security source close to the negotiations told The National. “It is part of the deal."
According to a governmental source, the ceasefire deal "included a side agreement to elect a president within the 60 days, and to form a government during this period. There was an agreement to reactivate the institutions of the Lebanese state".
Another senior political source in Beirut emphasised that “during the 60-day truce, a session will also be held to elect a President”, without elaborating further.
Lebanon has been without a president since October 2022. The US, France and other countries have been calling for the election of a new head of state to avoid a power vacuum and help stabilise the country's political life. US envoy Amos Hochstein, who mediated the ceasefire talks between Hezbollah and Israel, said that the election of the president is vital for Lebanon.
January 9
The country's deeply divided parliament, where no faction holds a majority, has repeatedly failed to agree on a successor to Michel Aoun. On Thursday, the state news agency announced that a session would be held next week, marking the first presidential election attempt since June last year, when votes were largely split between Jihad Azour and Suleiman Frangieh, neither of whom secured enough support to win.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed the session date, saying: “I had vowed to myself that immediately after the ceasefire, I would set a date for a session to elect a president for the republic. I am announcing from now on that a session will be set for January 9.” It remains unclear if the session will result in an election.
"The session will be fruitful and we have been given a month to reach an agreement among ourselves, and I will invite the ambassadors to attend it," he added.
The announcement came as French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian was visiting Beirut. France is part of the so-called quintet for Lebanon, along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and the US. They have repeatedly urged members of parliament to elect a new president, with their respective ambassadors reputedly holding meetings with senior Lebanese leaders to break the deadlock.
Lebanon’s confessional system reserves the presidency for a Maronite Christian, the prime ministership for a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament for a Shiite Muslim. In the absence of a president, state authority lies with the Prime Minister and his cabinet. However, Najib Mikati’s caretaker government has limited powers, exacerbating Lebanon’s political and economic paralysis.
The country remains mired in one of the worst economic crises in modern history, worsened by the recent war with Israel, which left large areas of the country in ruins. Electricity, clean water and medicines are in critically short supply, further straining the already struggling population.
Hezbollah, represented in both parliament and government, has persistently backed Suleiman Frangieh, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. However, recent remarks from the group's leader Naim Qassem hinted at a potential shift. He suggested the group might adopt a more co-operative approach, supporting efforts to elect a president and contribute to reconstruction.
Business Insights
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COPA DEL REY
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
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