UN Calls for End to Violence in Lebanon

An army soldier carries a schoolchild as civilians flee after gunfire erupted erupted in Beirut - Reuters
An army soldier carries a schoolchild as civilians flee after gunfire erupted erupted in Beirut - Reuters
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UN Calls for End to Violence in Lebanon

An army soldier carries a schoolchild as civilians flee after gunfire erupted erupted in Beirut - Reuters
An army soldier carries a schoolchild as civilians flee after gunfire erupted erupted in Beirut - Reuters

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for an immediate end to violence in Lebanon, following deadly violence in Beirut.

The Secretary-General was deeply concerned about the situation, his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told journalists in New York.

“The UN calls on all concerned to immediately cease acts of violence and to refrain from any provocative actions or inflammatory rhetoric,” he said.

“The Secretary-General reiterates the need for an impartial, thorough and transparent investigation into the explosion at the port of Beirut that took place last year.”

At least six people were killed in Beirut on Thursday amid a protest organized by Hezbollah and the Amal movement against the lead judge probing last year’s blast at the city’s port.

Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said the clashes started with gunshots by snipers, saying that one person was shot in the head.



Lebanon's Speaker Sets Jan. 9 Date to Elect President

FILED - 01 October 2020, Lebanon, Beirut: Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri speaks during a press conference. Photo: Hassan Ibrahim/Lebanese Parliament/dpa
FILED - 01 October 2020, Lebanon, Beirut: Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri speaks during a press conference. Photo: Hassan Ibrahim/Lebanese Parliament/dpa
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Lebanon's Speaker Sets Jan. 9 Date to Elect President

FILED - 01 October 2020, Lebanon, Beirut: Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri speaks during a press conference. Photo: Hassan Ibrahim/Lebanese Parliament/dpa
FILED - 01 October 2020, Lebanon, Beirut: Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri speaks during a press conference. Photo: Hassan Ibrahim/Lebanese Parliament/dpa

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri set a Jan. 9 date for lawmakers to elect the country's president, the state news agency (NNA) reported on Thursday.
Lebanon has not had a president or a fully empowered cabinet since October 2022 due to a power struggle.

Israel's offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon had prompted a renewed bid by some leading Lebanese politicians to fill the two-year-long presidential vacuum.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on Wednesday under a deal brokered by the US and France, allowing people in both countries to start returning to homes in border areas shattered by 14 months of fighting.

Berri has said that, once there's a ceasefire, he supported the election of a president who doesn't represent "a challenge" to anyone.

The presidency is decided by a vote in Lebanon's 128-seat parliament. No single political alliance has enough seats to impose its choice, meaning an understanding among rival blocs is needed to secure the election of a candidate.