Lebanon's president asks Salam to form government

Lebanon's president formally asked Sunni Muslim politician Tammam Salam to form a new government on Saturday after Salam won overwhelming support from parliamentarians to be the country's new prime minister.

Salam's appointment comes two weeks after the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose two years in office were dominated by efforts to contain sectarian tensions, violence and economic fallout from the conflict in neighbouring Syria. (Reuters)