Angry protesters sought to break into Lebanon's Justice Palace on Thursday as they demonstrated against yet another judicial blockage in the investigation into the deadly Beirut port blast.
The explosion in 2020 killed more than 220 people in Lebanon's capital, injured thousands and destroyed many parts of the city.
The protest came a day after Lebanon's chief prosecutor ordered the release of all those detained in connection with the blast and filed charges against Tarek Bitar, the judge leading the investigation.
The demonstrators, including family members of the victims, had gathered to show support for Mr Bitar and to register their protest as the country's leading judges later cancelled a meeting to discuss the fate of the blast probe.
“We want to send a message to the world that the law has died in Lebanon,” Mireille Khoury, whose son Elias was one of the victims of the blast, told The National.
MP Michel Moawad said: "The message is very clear, we will not accept impunity. We want accountability." In 11 failed rounds in parliament to elect Lebanon's next president, Mr Moawad has consistently received the most votes from MPs — but he remains well short of the threshold required to become the new head of state.
As has happened before, tensions boiled over as some protesters clashed with security forces, throwing rocks and banging the gates to one of the entrances to the justice palace. They succeeded in opening one of the gates and dragged out two riot policemen who were beaten and kicked by a few of the protesters before being escorted back inside.
A member of parliament, Waddah Sadek, said he was assaulted by bodyguards of the Justice Minister after a meeting with the latter inside the Justice Palace.
Mr Bitar had on Monday resumed the investigation into the port blast after 13 months of delays and legal challenges. He charged a number of officials — including chief prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, as well as the heads of two of Lebanon’s security agencies, the prime minister at the time of the blast Hassan Diab and other judicial officials.
But on Tuesday, he was told by Mr Oueidat that the highly politicised investigation remained suspended.
The legal dispute underlines the uphill challenge in the push for justice, the lack of which has exacerbated the pain felt by the families of the victims.
Ms Khoury said she was "out of words" to describe the developments on Wednesday. "We were shocked. No one can imagine what has happened."
Ms Khoury and victims' relatives are calling for international support to bring those responsible for the blast to justice.
"We are a lawless country now. Please help us. Will you [let] this horrendous crime go unpunished, unnoticed, just like this?" she said.
Mr Moawad said: "We, from the beginning, said we wanted the help and support of international justice on this issue."
He said the explosion was "a crime against Lebanon" for which the perpetrators must be held accountable.
Mr Bitar has the backing of many families of the victims, but he has also faced severe criticism from his opponents, including some of Lebanon’s most powerful factions. Among those who have called for his dismissal is Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group and political party that has accused the judge of biased and of being influenced by the US.
The explosion took place after a massive stock of ammonium nitrate — which had been stored at the port for years — caught fire. No explanation has been given for why it was there.
The explosion is seen as a damning symptom of decades of mismanagement and corruption in Lebanon, which have also been blamed for a devastating economic crisis that has plunged much of the country into poverty.
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Specs
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Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
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The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
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Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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