Botswana, Lebanon, Indonesia
Today's three stories you should know.
Botswana
Botswana has declared a public health emergency with clinics running out of medicine as a prolonged economic slump bites. President Duma Boko said the finance ministry had approved 250 million pula ($17.35 million) in emergency funding and that the military would be deployed to rush supplies to rural areas. The country of 2.5 million people is the world’s top producer of diamonds by value, and has struggled with a downturn in the global diamond trade. The U.S. government has also slashed aid funding that partly funded Botswana’s health service. "I have no doubt that soon, very soon, we will overcome. This is definitely not insurmountable," Health Minister Dr. Stephen Modise said.
More from BBC here.
Lebanon
Lebanon will propose a plan on Sunday aimed at persuading Hezbollah to disarm, U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack said in Beirut. Hezbollah was severely weakened by its conflict with Israel last year, losing almost all of its top commanders and a large number of fighters. Barrack said Israel was willing to withdraw from southern Lebanon once it saw a plan to disarm the heavily-armed group. Hezbollah has already rejected a proposed framework under which Israel would withdraw in parallel with disarmament. Barrack raised eyebrows and was accused of racism after unleashing a tirade on Lebanese journalists at a news conference in which he told them not to behave in an “animalistic” fashion. He asked them to act “civilized, kind and tolerant,” adding that was the “problem with … the region.”
More from Reuters here.
Indonesia
Police in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta have used tear gas and water cannons on thousands of student protesters angered by a hefty housing allowance given to members of parliament. Demonstrators threw rocks and fireworks at riot police as they tried to storm parliament. Recent reports said the 580 members of the House of Representatives have been receiving a 50 million rupiah ($3,075) allowance per month since September 2024. It amounts to 20 times the minimum wage in the country’s poorest regions. Graft scandals are common in Indonesia and activists say politicians are widely viewed by the public as corrupt.
More from Al Jazeera here.