Prime Minister Saad Hariri has announced his resignation following two weeks of nationwide protests (NYT). President Michel Aoun asked that Hariri remain in a caretaker role (Daily Star) until a new government has been formed.
 
The protests over corruption and a high cost of living erupted after the government announced a new tax on the use of messaging and calling platforms such as WhatsApp. Protesters have kept up their demands, calling for other politicians to step down (FT) after Hariri’s announcement. Many have also called for a government of independent experts to steer Lebanon (Al Jazeera) through its economic crisis. Public debt has surpassed 150 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

A new report [PDF] commissioned by a coalition of women’s organizations seeking an end to the Korean War found that international sanctions blocking humanitarian assistance (WSJ) to North Korea contributed to the deaths of close to four thousand people in 2018.
 
This CFR Backgrounder explains what to know about sanctions on North Korea.
 
Solomon Islands: Chinese firms will oversee a number of new infrastructure projects on the island of Guadalcanal as part of an $825 million deal (Reuters) that marks a closening of diplomatic ties between the countries.

Several lawmakers from the bloc told media during their visit to India-administered Kashmir that the situation in the region is “not as bad” (Hindu) as they thought, and they expressed support for New Delhi’s fight against terrorism there. India has been criticized for denying some Indian lawmakers access to the area (Al Jazeera).
 
India: The government introduced bus-fare waivers for women (AFP) and deployed some thirteen thousand safety officers on public transportation in a bid to boost female workforce participation.

President Jose Mario Vaz named a new prime minister after dissolving the government on Monday, but former Prime Minister Aristides Gomes has said he refuses to step down (Reuters). A presidential election, in which Vaz is running, is set for next month.
 
South Sudan: Former rebel leader Riek Machar called for a six-month delay (Reuters) on a deadline to form a unity government, a cornerstone of a peace deal that was signed in September 2018 but has been stalled.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s proposal for an early election (FT) on December 12 passed the House of Commons and is expected to be approved in the House of Lords. Parliament initially rejected the proposed date.
 
Ukraine: Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists have begun withdrawing (RFE/RL) from a battlefront in the country’s east, as part of efforts to end the five-year conflict there.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow’s support amid increased tensions with Washington. Putin said his country (RFE/RL) has “always had a special affinity for Cuba’s independent stance,” according to the Kremlin.
 
This CFR Backgrounder traces the U.S.-Cuba relationship.
 
Argentina: Rafael Grossi, the Argentine ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog, was elected the agency’s new chief (AFP). He is the first person from Latin America to hold the position.

Immigration authorities apprehended 76,020 unaccompanied minors (NYT) at the southwestern border in the year that ended in September, the highest number on record over one year. The total surpasses the level reached during a 2014 influx of young Central American migrants.
 
This CFR Backgrounder looks at the U.S. immigration debate.

A new study in the journal Nature Communications estimates that by 2050, seas will cover areas (NYT) currently occupied by some 150 million people. These include much of the cities of Basra, Ho Chi Minh City, Mumbai, and Shanghai.
 
On this episode of The President’s Inbox podcast, CFR’s Alice C. Hill discusses the coming climate disruption.