Lebanese president wants to resume bailout talks with IMF

By BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s new government has held its first meeting with a call by the president to resume talks with the International Monetary Fund. Michel Aoun said Monday he wants to work on getting the small nation out of one of the world’s worst economic crises in more than a century. The 24-member Cabinet will have a difficult mission over the coming weeks to try improve living conditions in the country where more than half the population lives in poverty. Electricity cuts last for about 22 hours a day and it is almost impossible to find fuel or medicine. The formation of a new government came after a 13-month deadlock.