Lebanese launch lanterns in Beirut’s Gemmayzeh neighborhood Sunday during the lighting of a Christmas tree in memory of the victims of the devastating port blast in August. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
Michel Aoun and Saad Hariri will meet again today at the Presidential Palace in a bid to break the political stalemate over a new government. Following his sit-down with the president yesterday, the premier-designate said the two would hold “consecutive meetings to develop a government formula before Christmas.” Reports suggest business-as-usual disagreements over shares in a new government. It’s been over two months since Hariri was nominated to form a cabinet, and over four months since Hassan Diab’s cabinet resigned.
Mike Pompeo weighed in regarding the moribund border talks between Lebanon and Israel, saying that “the parties remain far apart.” The outgoing US secretary of state added that Washington remains ready to mediate further talks and urged the two countries to return to the negotiation table. Negotiations between Lebanon and Israel fell apart late last month when the talks scheduled for Dec. 2 were called off by Tel Aviv. Israel, which routinely violates Lebanon’s borders, has reportedly balked at Lebanese negotiators’ proposed maritime border.
The parliamentary Women and Children’s Committee meets today to discuss encouraging female participation in the oil and gas sector, which Lebanon hopes to tap through potential maritime petroleum reserves. Committee head Inaya Ezzeddine told L’Orient Today the session will tackle a report on gender mainstreaming in the industry. She added the meeting will look into legislative gaps, educational opportunities and methods to “identify all the areas where women can be part of this sector to empower them economically.” A 2019 report by non-profit group Catalyst found that less than a quarter of oil and gas sector employees worldwide were women.
Lebanon enters the festive season with a new two-hour curfew as COVID-19 hospitalizations mount. Starting tonight, closing hours will be pushed back to between 3 and 5 a.m. as the hospitality sector seeks an expected boost from holiday spending and an influx of visiting expatriates. Assem Araji, the head of Parliament’s health committee, yesterday warned that COVID-19 compliance was a “fiasco” and that the country was headed to a disaster when hospital capacity was reached. Lebanon’s ICU capacity is at 79.9 percent, according to the latest World Health Organization figures.
Banks and public institutions close Friday for Christmas Day. Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, who has intervened in secular affairs with a recent initiative to break the cabinet deadlock, will deliver a homily on Thursday.
Hassan Nasrallah will give an interview with Al-Mayadeen television on Sunday. Veteren journalist Ghassan ben Jeddo will conduct the interview, which starts at 8:30 p.m. and will be the Hezbollah leader’s first televised appearance since Nov. 11.
The morning brief will go on hiatus as we at L’Orient Today reduce operations to take a small holiday break — news permitting. We will be back with everything you need to know to start your post-Christmas Monday.