Lebanon

The UN chief on Friday took note of five concurrent life sentences handed down to a Hezbollah militant, convicted in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut, fifteen years ago.  … However, to date, the convicted Salim Jamil  Ayyash remains at large.

France and the United Nations vowed Wednesday to keep providing humanitarian aid to Lebanon but urged the country's leaders to form a new government as a political deadlock in Beirut has blocked billions of dollars in assistance for the cash-strapped country hit by multiple crises.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, the UN's Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis lamented the absence of a functioning government in the country despite promises by the main political parties to form one quickly in the aftermath of the deadly August 4 Beirut blast. Kubis said he hoped a government would be formed "within days, definitely not weeks".

As it tries to pull out of its economic tailspin, Lebanon badly needs a functional cabinet able to make reforms. Such a government must have broad support, including from Hizbollah. The party’s domestic and external foes should accordingly stop attempting to curtail its role.

The United States imposed sanctions Friday on Gebran Bassil, the leader of Lebanon's biggest Christian political bloc and son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, accusing him of corruption and ties to Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s reeling economy badly needs outside aid. Yet the political class, which largely created the problems, is resisting necessary change. The European Union should keep limiting its assistance to humanitarian relief until Lebanese politicians make reforms that benefit all citizens, not just the privileged few.

[…] Held at the United Nations’ peacekeeping force headquarters in Lebanon’s southern town of Naqoura, observers hope the talks will delineate disputed waters that both Lebanon and Israel claim as part of their own exclusive economic zone. Negotiators from each side will sit at the same table but communicate through U.N. and U.S. mediators.

Lebanon's political parties have chosen Saad Hariri to be prime minister, a year after he stepped down in the face of mass anti-government protests.

Recent Lebanese-Israeli maritime border talks have offered a rare twig of peace. Amid Lebanon's current turmoil, some hold quiet hope for a wider rapprochement. For others, the trauma of war makes trust impossible.

The UN Secretary-General has welcomed the launch of ground-breaking discussions on Wednesday, over the disputed maritime border between Lebanon and Israel in the eastern Mediterranean, following a framework agreement between the two nations at the beginning of the month.