Almost one year has passed since former president Michel Aoun's term ended. The divided Parliament failed for 12 times to elect a new president, with neither of the two main blocs -- Hezbollah and its opponents -- having the 86 votes required to elect one in a first round of voting.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea who had refused to take part in a dialogue to agree on a president said there are no other choices but Jihad Azour or Suleiman Franjieh.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has stressed that neither the Hezbollah-led camp nor the opposition can “impose” a president.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has announced that he is “clinging to” his presidential dialogue initiative.

“It is the only one present on the table,” Berri told al-Manar television overnight.

Lebanese native Hosams Abu Meri has been appointed as Latvia's new health minister.

European Union member Cyprus has warned against allowing Lebanon to “collapse,” noting that such a development would create a refugee crisis for Europe.

In a letter to European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, Cypriot Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said he has raised the urgent need for aid to Lebanon, where it is estimated that 2.5 million Syrians have taken refuge.

Lebanese Muay Thai fighter Abdallah Ondash rose to fame after dedicating his dramatic, last-second ONE Championship debut win on August 4 to the victims of the Beirut Port blast.

Despite trailing for two rounds, Ondash showed a never-say-die spirit to secure an amazing comeback victory, toppling his Thai opponent Parnpet Sor Jor Lekmuangnon with a knockout punch with one second to go on the third and final round.

The Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, in partnership with the Metropolis Cinema Association and in cooperation with the European Union Member States, has announced that the 28th European Film Festival in Lebanon will be held from September 25 to October 4, 2023.

The festival will open on Monday, September 25 with the Spanish film Ramona by Andrea Bagney, which won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2022 Rome Film Fest. 

A president will likely be elected soon, French Special Presidential Envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Friday.

The PM's office said that Le Drian called Mikati and both assured that Le Drian's talks in Lebanon were "positive" regarding the "imminent election of a president."

MP Ashraf Rifi has described as “good” the meeting that was held Thursday in Yarze between Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari, French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan and 21 Sunni MPs.

It was aimed at “facilitating the presidential election process,” Rifi told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Friday, noting that there is a new drive that might lead to the election of Army chief Joseph Aoun as president.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Community Support Program (CSP), has celebrated the completion of the rehabilitation of the Aaitanit Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Beqaa.

In partnership with the Beqaa Water Establishment (BWE) and the Bouhaira Union of Municipalities, this $1.5 million intervention treats water for the villages of Aaitanit, Baaloul, Qaraoun, and Machghara, reaching more than 23,700 residents. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Minister of Energy and Water Dr. Walid Fayyad, Minister of Environment Dr. Nasser Yassin, USAID Lebanon Mission Director Julie Southfield, representatives from the BWE and the Bouhaira Union of Municipalities, and mayors of the benefiting villages.