Story by Adam Simmons, Saint Reporter
Photo courtesy: Moldova.org

EGYPT–Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb and his Cabinet resigned on Saturday, September 12, after the start of a corruption investigation. In a statement, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said he accepted their resignations and tasked Petroleum Minister Sherif Ismail with creating a new government in one week, with the outgoing government playing a caretaking role until the new government is created. This occurred less than a week after Agricultural Minister Selah Eddin Helal had resigned and was arrested over allegations that government officials had taken bribes of over $1 million to help businessmen illegally acquire state lands, the Indian Express reports.

MOLDOVA–The central square of Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, is covered in tents and filled with chanting, as thousands of people have turned out to several rallies and protests over the past few weeks over the disappearance of $1 billion from state banks, BBC reports. The protesters, organized by the grassroots citizens’ movement Dignity and Truth, call for the government to resign and early elections to be held. Parliament Speaker Adrian Candu informed reporters that the government understands the grievances of the people but argues that those demands could result in a worse situation if met.

YEMEN–After months of exile, Yemeni Prime Minister, Vice President Khaled Bahah, and several of his ministers have returned from Saudi Arabia and now reside permanently in the southern port city of Aden, BBC reports. In March, Bahah had entered exile after much of the country (including the capital of Sana) was taken over the Northern Shia Houthi rebels. With the aid of southern militiamen and a coalition of Arab states (including Saudi Arabia) opposed to the Houthis, the Yemeni government was able to retake Aden in July and advance northwards since then.

NEPAL–Nepal’s Constituent Assembly overwhelmingly approved a new constitution on Wednesday, September 16, with 507 out of 601 members of the assembly in favor of the new constitution, a replacement for the interim constitution that has been in place since 2007. There is some contention about it though, and several members from smaller political parties boycotted the vote, and many in the south and west protested the new constitution. The Madhesi and Tharu people and their leaders say their political voice will be weakened due to how the boundaries of the country’s seven provinces have been drawn.Protests in these areas have resulted in at least 40 deaths, including a four-year-old who died, when officers fired rubber bullets at more than a thousand protesters, who had gathered around a police office in Rupandehi district, the New York Times reports.