Lebanon will observe a day of mourning on Friday for six people who died during clashes in Beirut on Thursday, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said.
"Lebanon is going through a difficult phase," Mr Mikati said. "We are like a patient in front of the emergency room.
"We have a lot of stages after that to complete recovery."
Unknown assailants killed six people and injured at least 32 others, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said, when shootings began before a Hezbollah-led protest near the Justice Palace to demand the removal of the judge investigating last year's port blast.
A woman who was struck by a stray bullet in her home in south-east Beirut was among the victims.
The clashes involved snipers, pistols, Kalashnikovs, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades.
By evening, calm had largely fallen.
Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, accused the Christian Lebanese Forces (LF) party of carrying out the attacks on their supporters.
The violence signals growing unrest in Lebanon after powerful politicians spent the past year fighting judges investigating the Beirut blast probe amid a severe economic meltdown.
The LF denounced the accusation and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident, the state-run National News Agency reported.
The protesters "were subjected to an armed assault by groups from the Lebanese Forces party" stationed on nearby rooftops, Hezbollah and Amal said. Snipers were used to deliberately kill, they said.
Lebanese Forces' leader Samir Geagea denounced the incident and blamed it on the proliferation of weapons in the country.
“The main reason behind these events is the uncontrolled and widespread weapons that threaten citizens at all times and places,” he said. "I call on the president, the prime minister and the interior and defence ministries to launch thorough and accurate investigations to identify who's responsible for what happened today in the capital."
The Lebanese army was out in numbers in Tayouneh, Badaro, Cheyah and Ain al Remaneh districts in an attempt to restore calm and order to the streets. However, the clashes continued for hours until they stopped in the early evening.
Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi confirmed that snipers were active at the site of the clashes.
"The first shots fired at the protesters were by snipers since they were aimed at the heads," he said. "This is a very dangerous sign. All the martyrs may be from one side and this might lead to possible reactions. I see it as an attack on the nation."
President Michel Aoun said the violence was a "painful and unacceptable scene, regardless of the causes and culprits," and said the events raised chilling memories of the deadly civil war from 1975-1990.
The conflict killed an estimated 150,000 and left thousands more missing. The militias involved then still play a major role in Lebanese public life today.
“It is not acceptable for weapons to return as a means of communication between Lebanese parties, because we have all agreed to turn over this dark page in our history," Mr Aoun told the nation in televised comments. He promised an investigation into the violence.
In the past week, Hezbollah and its allies have intensified a campaign for the removal of Judge Tarek Bitar from the investigation into the Beirut blast after he issued a warrant for the arrest of Ali Hassan Khalil, a former Amal finance minister, who failed to appear after a summons this week.
Men mostly dressed in black burned images of Mr Bitar in the streets, while a pick-up truck blasted chants calling the judge an “American traitor” after he summoned several politicians who are aligned with the group for interrogation.
“Sure they may be corrupt, but I am sure they have nothing to do with the Beirut blast,” Ihab Hamie, 32, told The National as he waved a banner condemning Mr Bitar.
People ran for cover and students in nearby schools hid under their chairs as shots and ambulance sirens could be heard in a live broadcast by Lebanon's Al Jadeed TV.
A resident of the Ain el Remmene district, close to the area where the clashes happened, said he and his family were “very scared”.
After two hours of hearing the exchange of gunfire, Marc, 37, decided to leave his apartment with his parents and his sister.
He said most people had also left the area.
“We decided to leave because my sister had a panic attack,” he told The National. "We were very scared."
A court earlier on Thursday ruled that Mr Bitar could resume his investigation into the August explosion that killed more than 200 people.
The Tayouneh area is located on the border between Christian and Shiite districts of Beirut, and was a front line in the civil war.
It is on the way from the predominantly Shiite southern suburbs of Beirut to the Justice Palace, where the protest was due to take place.
Hezbollah has accused Mr Bitar of conducting a politicised probe focused only on politicians close to the group.
'The National' reporter caught in crossfire in Beirut
FA CUP FINAL
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The specs
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at the Gabba
Australia 312-1
Warner 151 not out, Burns 97, Labuschagne 55 not out
Pakistan 240
Shafiq 76, Starc 4-52
Pathaan
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
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Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Bernardo Silva 16', Sterling 57', Gundogan 79'
Bournemouth 1
Wilson 44'
Man of the match: Leroy Sane (Manchester City)
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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What are the regulations?
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
