Interior minister Mohammed Fahmi said the state would not tolerate attacks on security forces who he said would protect people’s rights, including freedom of expression. On Wednesday, protesters broke stone slabs off buildings in a luxury commercial district of Beirut to hurl at barricades guarded by security forces blocking paths to parliament. Prime Minister Hassan Diab met several foreign ambassadors as the heavily indebted government looks to rally support. Diab’s office said British Ambassador Chris Rampling conveyed Britain’s readiness to support Lebanon but that the government “must show its commitment to reform that Lebanon needs urgently”. Foreign governments and institutions have demanded Lebanon enact long-delayed reforms to curb state waste and corruption before any new financial support is released.

Source: Pakistan Today January 23, 2020 15:45 UTC