Lebanon fails to elect president for the 5th time

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s parliament failed to elect a president for the 5th time on Thursday, bringing the country closer to institutional deadlock amid a deep financial crisis.

President Michel Aoun’s term ended on Oct. 31, leaving behind a political vacuum and divisions among political blocs over the makeup of a new cabinet.

Lebanon has been without a fully functioning government since May. The government was already operating in a caretaker capacity as the country is sinking deeper into a three-year-old financial meltdown.