Lebanon
It doesn’t break through to the top of the news agenda, but Israel continues to bomb southern Lebanon and occupy parts of its territory despite a ceasefire signed in November last year. Five villages were forced to evacuate as the Israeli military said it was attacking Hezbollah facilities in response to what it called the group’s “unlawful attempts to rebuild its activities.” Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Israel’s order that residents leave their homes before the attack flew in the face of peace efforts. The Lebanese government is under pressure from the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia to disarm Hezbollah.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Maldives
Journalists in the Maldives are planning an appeal to the Supreme Court after a bill was passed they fear will be used to crack down on press freedom. The Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill created a commission that will have broad powers including the ability to fine news outlets, block their websites, stop broadcasts and shut down social media. "Media should be self-regulated and state regulation should not be allowed," Naaif Ahmed, president of the Maldives Journalists Association, told Reuters. The Maldives has suffered with political violence for years, against a backdrop of Chinese and Indian interference.
More from Reuters here.
Togo
The sister-in-law of Togolese leader Faure Gnassingbé has been arrested, accused of inciting the military to topple him. Marguerite Gnakadé, a former defense minister, has become a critic of Gnassingbé and called for an end to decades of dynastic rule. Togo has been rocked by protests demanding an end to the family’s grip on power that has persisted for six decades. Intriguingly, a security source told the BBC there was disquiet among soldiers over Gnakadé’s detention, with many crediting her with improving their conditions when defense minister.
More from BBC here.
PS: For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been working on a marathon Channel 4 project, Trump vs The Truth. Last night we aired: “the longest uninterrupted reel of untruths, falsehoods and distortions ever broadcast on television”. More than 100 lies, meticulously debunked. It's now available to stream here.