US Ambassador to Lebanon Nominated to Deputy Representative of the US to the UN
Yesterday, President Biden announced key nominations for various positions to be confirmed by the Congress, including current US Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, for the positions of Deputy Representative of the US to the United Nations. Naharnet reports that “According to Lebanon’s MTV, a successor to Shea as U.S. ambassador to Lebanon is yet to be appointed.” [Naharnet] 

European Investigators to Visit Lebanon This Month on Salameh File
According to Reuters, “European investigators will visit Lebanon in January as part of a cross-border probe into alleged fraud by Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh to the detriment of the Lebanese state, three judicial sources said. French, German and Luxembourg judicial officials and investigators will participate in the trip, which aims to move forward the corruption probe into Salameh first initiated by Swiss authorities in 2021.” [Reuters]

LAF, UN Peacekeepers Rescue 200 Migrants Departing Lebanon 
According to AP News, “Lebanon’s navy and U.N. peacekeepers on Saturday rescued more than 200 migrants from a boat sinking in the Mediterranean Sea hours after it left northern Lebanon’s coast, the military said in a statement. Two migrants were killed in the incident.” [AP News]

Al-Zahrani Power Plant Halts Operations Amid Fuel Shortages  
According to LBC International, “Lebanon’s only active power plant in al-Zahrani has halted operation due to gas and oil shortage, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by Électricité du Liban (EDL) . . . EDL clarified that its announcement is directly correlated with the fact that no fuel shipment arrived during December 2022, according to the Iraqi fuel exchange agreement signed between the states of Lebanon and Iraq.” [LBC]

Houssari writes, “Millions of people across Lebanon gathered in markets, restaurants and nightlife venues on Saturday to welcome in the new year. But despite the good cheer and optimism, 2022 was a difficult time for most people in the country and the outlook for 2023 remains gloomy. Arab News spoke to intellectuals, academics and activists to get their views on what lies in store for the year ahead.”

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