Lebanon
After 13 months of political crisis and economic disaster, Lebanon finally has a new government. The extent of the country’s economic freefall is hard to overstate. More than two-thirds of the population now live in poverty, according to the UN. There is hardly any electricity, hospitals have run out of medicine and people have been killed in fights over fuel. All eyes are now fixed on whether the fledgling administration can arrest the decline. New Prime Minister Najib Mikati will meet with his 24-member cabinet, made up mostly of political newcomers, for the first time on Monday.
More from the New Arab here.
Hong Kong
More charges under Hong Kong’s hugely controversial national security law. The latest people to be caught up are three members of the Hong Kong Alliance, a pro-democracy group well known for organizing an annual commemoration of China’s Tiananmen Square massacre. The group’s chairman Lee Cheuk-yan and vice-chairs Albert Ho and Chow Hang Tung were charged with subversion. Chow was denied bail and Lee and Ho are already serving prison sentences for illegal assembly.
More from AP here.
Guinea
Guinea was today kicked out of the African Union as regional mediators flew in for talks with military coup leaders. The delegation from regional bloc ECOWAS said it had met with toppled president Alpha Conde and that he appeared in good health. ECOWAS has said it is demanding an “immediate return to constitutional order."
More from AFP via Yahoo News here.