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Monday, 26 July 2021 4:20 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 26 July 2021 4:20 PM ]

Tunisia political crisis

Supporters and opponents of Tunisian President Kais Saied clash outside the parliament amid a political crisis in the African nation. The clashes took place after proponents of the ruling Ennahda party and advocates of the president gathered in front of the parliament. The unrest was sparked by Saied’s decision to dismiss Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspend the parliament. Afterwards, the army blocked parliament speaker Rached Ghannouchi from entering the legislative body's building who led a sit-in there. The upheaval follows violent protests in several cities across Tunisia. Demonstrations were held over the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economy.

Lebanon politics

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has received the majority of votes in parliamentary consultations to be nominated as the new prime minister-designate. He got 73 of the 118 votes and will be tasked by President Michel Aoun to form a new government. Mikati previously held two terms as prime minister, first in a caretaker government in 2005, before taking office in a full-fledged government from April 2011 until February 2014. Lebanon has been without a fully functional government for almost a year. The Mediterranean nation has been struggling with a crippling financial crisis that has pushed half of the country’s population into poverty and devalued its currency by more than 90 percent.

COVID-19 in China

China has reported 76 new COVID-19 cases, the highest figure since January. The number includes 40 domestic transmissions. The surge of local infections prompted officials to test all 9.2 million residents in the city of Nanjing in eastern Jiangsu province for a second time. Last week, an outbreak related to the city’s airport led to the first round of mass testing, which found 57 positive cases. This raised fears that the cluster might lead to a new nationwide outbreak. Since the start of the pandemic, China has recorded over 92,000 cases and over 45,000 deaths.

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