Lebanon PM cancels independence day celebrations
ebanon's prime minister on Friday cancelled official independence day celebrations planned for the following day, a move that likely stemmed from the country's tense security situation and an impasse over electing its next president.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam cited the "current situation" for scrapping all government-hosted celebrations and a parade on Saturday, according to a terse statement on state-run media.
Lebanon has been without a president since May because bickering politicians, embroiled in disagreements related mostly to the war in neighboring Syria, haven't been able to agree on a figure acceptable to all.
The president is an important symbolic figure in Lebanon selected from the country's Maronite Christian minority.
