Lebanon

Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun said on Wednesday parliamentary consultations to choose a new prime minister will begin on Oct. 15, in an effort to push Lebanon’s fractious political class to move on forming the country’s next government.

Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a framework for the United States-mediated talks aimed at ending a long-running dispute over borders that have been the front line of several conflicts.

Mustapha Adib was only named to take over as prime minister less than a month ago. His decision to quit comes amid a deadlock over forming the next Cabinet.

France backed on Wednesday a proposal by a former Lebanese prime minister that could help break a deadlock blocking formation of Lebanon’s new cabinet amid the Middle East nation’s worst crisis since its 1975-90 civil war.

French presidency says Lebanese politicians must back prime minister-designate's efforts after they missed deadline this week to create cabinet.

[UNIFIL spokesman Andrea] Tenenti said that UNIFIL’s operations along the Lebanon-Israel border are not affected by the new virus cases.

French President Emmanuel Macron has given Lebanese politicians three months to take concrete steps to rebuild the country, or face sanctions and lose out on crucial aid.

Lebanese diplomat Mustapha Adib has been tasked with forming a government by an overwhelming majority of parliamentarians representing the country's political establishment.

[…] The French-drafted resolution reduced the troop ceiling for the force, known as UNIFIL, from 15,000 to 13,000 under US pressure, while extending its mandate for another year.

Tough negotiations on the scope and scale of a 42-year-old UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon are set to run all the way up to a Friday United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session to renew its mandate.