Lebanon has ended its presidential deadlock by electing Joseph Aoun as its new head of state, but the former army commander faces many immediate decisions to address the country's multifaceted crises.
The challenges are pressing as the 60-day deadline for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement expires in a few weeks, while the new president also set out several ambitious aims during his inaugural speech to the 128-seat parliament.
His first task is to appoint a prime minister. This will follow consultations with all MPs and parliamentary blocs at the presidential palace in Baabda starting on Monday.
Current Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose cabinet has held acting head of state powers during the presidential impasse of more than two years, said he was ready to be prime minister again if asked, but that he required a “period of rest”.
Mr Aoun said he asked Mr Mikati to continue in his role until a new prime minister is chosen. While Mr Mikati has boasted of enjoying good relations with Lebanon's new leader, the true strength of their ties is unknown.
There are no clear indications yet of who could fill the role but under Lebanon's confessional system, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim.
Presidential powers curtailed
The powers of the Lebanese president have evolved, particularly after the 1989 Taif Agreement, which redefined the balance of power in the country's political system.
Before the Taif Agreement, the president, traditionally a Maronite Christian, held extensive executive powers, including appointing the prime minister, forming governments and presiding over the Council of Ministers. However, the agreement, aimed at ending Lebanon's civil war and fostering sectarian balance, curtailed the president's authority by redistributing executive powers to the Council of Ministers collectively, led by a Sunni Muslim prime minister.
The president retained ceremonial roles, the ability to consult on government formation and limited veto powers but became more of a symbolic unifier than a dominant executive force. “The President of the Republic shall designate the prime minister in consultation with the President of the Chamber of Deputies based on binding parliamentary consultations, the content of which he shall formally disclose to the latter,” Article 53 of the constitution says.
Lebanon's parliament is made up of many factions and sects, highlighting the country's religious diversity. No bloc holds a majority, which is why Lebanon is no stranger to political vacuums. The plethora of political parties and religions will need to be accounted for when the horse trading over the make-up of the cabinet begins.
It is not an easy task. Mr Aoun's predecessor Michel Aoun, also a former army commander, was unable to agree on the make-up of the cabinet during his term.
A new prime minister means a fully empowered government which can ease the process of filling crucial senior state positions – such as the central bank governor and head of General Security.
With a government in place, Lebanon will stand on more stable ground when negotiating with Israel. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has halted more than a year of hostilities and three months of war in Lebanon. With the deal expiring on January 26, a new Lebanese cabinet could lead the talks, further undermining Hezbollah's role in the political scene.
Lofty ambitions but people are hopeful
Hezbollah is weakened by 15 months of war, with its senior leadership obliterated, but it is still a highly potent power. By going with a western-backed president, it is unclear if the heavily armed Shiite, Iran-backed group gained any concessions for positions in the next cabinet.
In his speech to parliament on Thursday, the new president said all arms should be in the hands of the state. Those comments were received positively by most MPs, but not Hezbollah, which has built its image on being a military resistance against Israel.
For the first time in nearly three decades, Lebanon's elected president falls outside the party’s sphere of influence, a major political shift.
But what separates the two former army commanders, Joseph Aoun and Michel Aoun, is that the former did not come from a political background while the latter did.
“He is the first one who did not come from a political background or was forced through by Syria,” said Beirut resident Mustafa Fayyad, walking through the capital's upmarket Achrafieh neighbourhood.
The Assad regime in Syria had a major influence on its neighbour, occupying Lebanon from 1976 to 2005. But that all changed when Bashar Al Assad was toppled last month.
“I trust him because he is the army commander,” said Maroun Kassis, offering cautious optimism that the new president could deliver on his speech. The army is highly respected in Lebanese society.
Under the US-brokered ceasefire deal, Israel has until the end of January to withdraw from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah must withdraw north of the Litani River. The Lebanese army is to bolster its numbers in south Lebanon and ensure Hezbollah has withdrawn.
Mr Aoun vowed to implement the ceasefire deal, promote independence in the judiciary and protect the assets of depositors – who lost their life savings in 2019 in a financial collapse blamed on decades of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling Lebanese elite.
Beirut resident Mr Fayyad was more cautious about financial future, saying: “For our bank savings, I'm not so sure.”
The biog
Name: Sarah Al Senaani
Age: 35
Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2
Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism
Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding
Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier
Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
RESULTS
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
SPECS
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The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Racecard
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The%20specs
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School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
Results
International 4, United States 1
Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods (US) beat Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann (International) 4 and 3.
Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im (International) beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (US) 2 up.
Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An (International) beat Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau (US) 2 and 1.
Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan (International) beat Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed (US) 1 up.
Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen (International) beat Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland (US) 4 and 3.
More on Quran memorisation:
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E77kWh%202%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E178bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E410Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E402km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh%2C150%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Summer special
