Lebanon parliament fails to elect a president for 12th time

Lebanon's parliament failed to elect a president on Wednesday at its 12th attempt, with neither Hezbollah-backed candidate Suleiman Frangieh nor former finance minister Jihad Azour securing enough votes to win the first round of voting.

The failed vote will deepen sectarian tensions in Lebanon, already mired in one of the world's worst economic crises and facing unprecedented political paralysis with its cabinet only partially empowered and its legislature fractured.