EgyptAir Says It Resumes Direct Flights between Cairo and Beirut

A general view shows Beirut international airport, Lebanon. (Reuters)
A general view shows Beirut international airport, Lebanon. (Reuters)
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EgyptAir Says It Resumes Direct Flights between Cairo and Beirut

A general view shows Beirut international airport, Lebanon. (Reuters)
A general view shows Beirut international airport, Lebanon. (Reuters)

EgyptAir resumed direct flights between Cairo and Beirut on Thursday "in light of the stability in Lebanon" after a three-month hiatus, it said in a statement.
In September 2024, a significant escalation in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict led to widespread disruptions in the Middle East, including the cancellation of flights to Beirut.
The violence, which erupted along the Israeli-Lebanese border and expanded into a full-fledged war on Lebanon, triggered airspace restrictions and heightened security concerns.
International airlines, cautious of potential threats, cancelled flights that were scheduled to land at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, as the situation grew increasingly volatile.
Airlines started resuming their flights after a ceasefire with Israel came into effect late in November.



Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanon's Presidential Elections to Be Held on Time, No Prior Deal over Govt

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. (National News Agency)
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. (National News Agency)
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Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanon's Presidential Elections to Be Held on Time, No Prior Deal over Govt

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. (National News Agency)
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. (National News Agency)

Lebanon’s parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Friday that efforts are ongoing to hold the presidential elections on time on January 9.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said he had no intention to delay the elections and he had not received any request to that end from any of the political powers.

Lebanon has been without a head of state since October 2022 when the term of President Michel Aoun ended without the election of a successor. Bickering between the political blocs over a suitable candidate has thwarted the polls.

Efforts are underway to ensure that the elections are a success, declared Berri.

He denied claims that he was seeking understandings over the shape of the new government, including its prime minister, lineup and agenda, ahead of the elections.

The presidential elections come first, he stated.

There are constitutional guidelines that dictate what happens after the elections, he added, referring to the binding parliamentary consultations the new president will hold to name a new prime minister.

The prime minister, in turn, will hold non-binding consultations with lawmakers over the government lineup.

Berri declined to comment on his ally, former MP Walid Jumblatt’s endorsement of army commander Joseph Aoun as president, saying: “Everything will become clear during the elections.”

The speaker had previously said that Aoun’s election requires a constitutional amendment that demands the resignation of first-rank civil servants, including the army commander, at least two years before their election as president.

Aoun, who is not related to Michel Aoun, is projected to win 86 votes in the elections.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah MP Hussein al-Hajj Hassan dismissed the figure, saying no candidate has the needed number of votes to be elected president.

He added that Hezbollah is holding contacts over the elections but it does not have time to reveal what they have yielded.

The results will be revealed during the elections in January, he told the Sputnik news agency.