-
Lebanese PM announces mourning for Friday after deadly fighting protest

The BBC reported, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has announced a day of mourning for Friday, a day after deadly fighting erupted in Beirut.
At least six people were killed and 32 others injured when gunfire broke out in the Lebanese capital.
It began during a protest by the Shia Muslim groups Hezbollah and Amal against the judge investigating last year's huge blast at the city's port.
They say snipers from the Christian Lebanese Forces (LF) shot at crowds.
The LF faction has denied instigating what was some of Lebanon's worst violence in years.
President Michel Aoun said: "We will not allow anyone to take the country hostage to their own interests."
Huge tension surrounds the inquiry into the port explosion that killed 219 in August 2020.
Swathes of the city were devastated by the blast, but no-one has yet been held accountable.

Hezbollah and its allies say the investigating judge is biased, but the victims' families support his work.
Read more: Two dead and multiple wounded following armed clashes erupt in Beirut
What began as a protest outside the Palace of Justice - the main court building - by hundreds of people arguing the investigation had become politicised and demanding the removal of Judge Tarek Bitar quickly escalated.
Heavy gunfire erupted in the streets as the crowd passed through a roundabout in the central Tayouneh-Badaro area.
Local residents had to flee their homes and schoolchildren ducked for cover under their desks as men armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers - believed to have been members of Shia and Christian militias - exchanged fire in the streets.
The clashes continued for several hours before calm was restored.
At a nearby school, teachers instructed young children to lie face down on the ground with their hands on their heads, a witness told Reuters news agency.
Hospital and military sources said some of those killed had been shot in the head. They included a woman who was hit by a stray bullet while inside her home.
Read more: Turkish Foreign Minister meets with a senior delegation of Taliban
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea condemned the violence and appealed for calm.
He tweeted: "The main cause of these developments lies in the presence of uncontrolled and widespread weapons that threaten the citizens at any time and in any place."
Mr Mikati called on everyone to "calm down and not be drawn into sedition for any reason whatsoever".
The army said it had deployed troops to search for the assailants, and warned that they would "shoot at any gunman on the roads".
Earlier on Thursday, a court dismissed a legal complaint brought by two former government ministers and Amal MPs - Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zaiter - whom Judge Bitar has sought to question on suspicion of negligence in connection with the port explosion.
The two men, who deny any wrongdoing, accused the judge of bias.
Families of the victims had condemned the complaint, which caused the inquiry to be suspended for the second time in three weeks.
Read more: 4 dead and16 detained in communal violence in Bangladesh
They have accused the country's political leadership of trying to shield itself from scrutiny.
"Keep your hands off the judiciary," they warned the cabinet on Wednesday after ministers allied to Hezbollah demanded that Judge Bitar be replaced.
The port blast happened after a fire detonated 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a combustible chemical widely used as agricultural fertiliser, that had been stored unsafely in a port warehouse for almost six years.
Senior officials were aware of the material's existence and the danger it posed but failed to secure, remove or destroy it.
Source: BBC
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!