New cabinet formed in Lebanon

Lebanon formed a new government on Tuesday after almost three months of political deadlock and negotiations with Hezbollah and its allies. 
The downsized cabinet of 20 ministers, a third smaller than its predecessor, was announced to the press, following a meeting at the Baabda psidential palace between Prime Minister Hassan Diab, President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri.
'I salute the uprising. They united the country and broke the barriers between sects and regions,'
- Prime Minister Hassan Diab
"I salute the uprising," Diab said, referring to the ongoing anti-corruption protests. "They united the country and broke the barriers between sects and regions." 
He promised to push for the demands of the protesters for an independent judiciary, to combat corruption, to end regressive taxes on the poor, and to solve the country’s rampant unemployment.
Some ministries were merged together, including Agriculture and Culture, and Social Affairs and Tourism, and some small-scale state ministries were axed altogether.
The new cabinet includes six women, including Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Zeina Akar, the first woman to take on the role. 

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