In today’s news bulletin:

– The Assad regime calls Hezbollah: delaying the formation of a Lebanese government is harmful to Syria.

– Caretaker Minister of Finance Ghazi Wazni signs the ration card.

– Between Zikrit and Judge Ghada Aoun’s house, where are the computers of Mkattaf’s company?

In politics, to begin with, the situation remains unchanged. Hopes have dashed to the maximum with regards to the formation of a government, and all indicators are suggesting that the prospective cabinet formation will be a difficult process to say the least.

Signals sent from Ain El Tineh today were clear; no government will be formed in the foreseeable future and speaker Nabih Berri has stopped exerting efforts aimed at reaching a settlement after he found out that what is going on between the team of the President and that of the Prime Minister-Designate is a hopeless case.

Signals sent from Bkirki are not better off; the statements made by Maronite Patriarch Al Rai during his private meetings suggest that he has lost hope in a political class that only cares for its own interests and quotas, even at the expense of the nation’s survival.

In economy, the country is in a wait-and-see mode with no practical plan to address the dire situation. To the contrary, caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab is trying as much as possible not to get involved in lifting subsidies while insiders have confirmed that one of the reasons for Hariri’s procrastination in forming a cabinet is his unwillingness and inability to sign a decision which would lift subsidies off basic commodities.

In security, the situation is more dangerous and entails more negative repercussions. The attack on Tripoli’s Kataeb Party headquarters has revealed a scheme to turn back the clock and try to get the people and the country back into the era of sectarian wars.

Moreover, what happened in the Hamra Street during celebrations by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party has left us wondering why a specific party is entitled to close the most important street in Beirut. How is the Syrian Social Nationalist Party entitled to organize a paramilitary parade in broad daylight and in front of the security forces? Have we returned, in one way or another, to the era of militias? And most importantly, who is responsible for the insults that targeted the martyr President Bashir Gemayel and the threats launched against party leader Dr. Samir Geagea?

Many members of the Syrian party chanted the slogan: “Your head is gone Bashir, and your turn will come Samir”. Isn’t it an indicator that thoughts of war are still in some people’s minds?

Security is jeopardized in Lebanon and the state is at risk. Will the officials do anything before the situation implodes?