09
Jan
Lebanon's lawmakers on Thursday elected army chief Joseph Aoun as president after a two-year vacancy in the position, in a step towards lifting the war-battered country out of financial crisis. Aoun, who turns 61 on Friday, arrived inside parliament to swear his oath to general applause, wearing a dark suit and blue tie instead of his usual military uniform. "Today, a new phase in Lebanon's history begins," he told the chamber. Aoun faces the daunting tasks of overseeing a ceasefire in south Lebanon and naming a prime minister able to lead reforms demanded by international creditors to save the country…
