Beirut clashes after new cabinet meets

Beirut — Police used water cannons to contain protesters that were throwing rocks during anti-government demonstrations in Beirut on Wednesday.

The clashes erupted as Lebanon's new government convened a day after it was formed following a three-month political vacuum, with the prime minister saying his Cabinet will adopt financial and economic methods different than those of previous governments.

Protesters in and around Beirut gathered to denounce the meeting, describing it as a rubber stamp for the same political parties they blame for widespread corruption.

More protests were planned for later in the day in opposition to the new Cabinet.