Syria still in charge
The week's news at a glance.
Beirut
Lebanon’s parliament last week amended the constitution to give the country’s Syrian-backed president, Emile Lahoud, three more years in office. The parliament, like the country, is dominated by people who back the Syrian occupation. Syria has kept around 20,000 troops in Lebanon since 1976 and effectively controls the government. The extension of Lahoud’s term was in direct defiance of a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a new presidential election and for the withdrawal of “all foreign troops.” John Danforth, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, accused Syria of strong-arming Lebanon. “We believe Lebanon should be allowed to determine its own future and assume control of its own territory,” he said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
October 19 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's editorial cartoons include Pete Hegseth and the press, an absence of government, and George Washington crossing the Delaware
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelago
The Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?
In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing