Guinea
Guinea’s military coup leader, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, was today sworn in as interim president. Doumbouya says he, along with anyone else involved in a transitional administration, will be barred from running in elections to restore civilian rule. He has given no timeline for when such elections will take place.
More from BBC here.
Ecuador
Ecuador plans to pardon up to 2,000 prison inmates after a deadly riot between drugs gangs killed at least 118 people this week. It is hoped the pardons will ease overcrowding allowing authorities to better police the prison system, where clashes between gangs are common. Female, disabled and elderly prisoners will be prioritized for the pardons, authorities said, along with those suffering from terminal illness.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea’s government has been left red-faced and apologizing after struggling to sell a $5.6 million fleet of luxury cars it bought to ferry politicians around when the country hosted a regional summit in 2018. Under fire for the purchase at the time, the government said the Maseratis would “sell like hot cakes” after the summit ended. Forty percent of Papuans live on less than a dollar a day.
More from the Guardian here.