217: plan for peace in Lebanon

Following two days of negotiations in Beirut with Lebanese government and opposition leaders, the Arab League has announced a deal to end the current political crisis. As today's linked article from Al Jazeera reports, the two sides agreed to meet in Doha, Qatar, within the next 24 hours. The upcoming talks will attempt to agree a power sharing mechanism between the two sides, and will also tackle plans for a new electoral law. The impact of today's announcement seems to have been felt immediately, as roadblocks were dismantled and the airport reopened. But, most importantly, today's progress gives hope that substantive positive impacts will emerge over the coming weeks, which will be felt over the longer term. (Photo from Al Jazeera.)