Najib Mikati named Lebanon's prime minister-designate

Driving the news: Mikati's appointment comes less than two weeks after Saad Hariri stepped down as prime minister-designate amid months of political deadlock. Hariri cited "key differences" with President Michel Aoun.

• Lebanon has not had a working government since Hassan Diab's Cabinet resigned days after a deadly explosion last August that killed more than 200 people and left roughly 250,000 homeless.
• Since then, Diab's government has stayed on in a caretaker capacity, compounding the country's economic and political crises, AP notes.

The big picture: Mikati, who has been prime minister twice before, received the backing of most of Lebanon's political parties.

• The international community has repeatedly called on the country to form a government that can enact structural economic reforms, per Al Jazeera.

What he's saying: “Alone, I don’t have a magic wand and cannot achieve miracles,” Mikati said, per AP.

• “We are in very difficult situation ... it is a difficult mission that can only succeed if we all work together.”