Khazen

By Ferry Biedermann in Beirut , "What most Lebanese people want for Christmas is a president," jokes a comedian dressed up as Santa Claus on the stage of an upmarket nightclub in a Christian suburb of Beirut. It is comedy night and the country’s convoluted political deadlock is an easy target for the performers. The audience seems to be grateful for every bit of comic relief. "We need to laugh because the situation is so tense," says Antoine Geagea. The show must go on, even after the killing last week of Fran