Fresh protests in Lebanon as President Aoun urges demonstrators to end revolt

Main roads across Lebanon were closed on Wednesday in fresh protests after President Michel Aoun angered demonstrators by urging them to end their revolt against corruption among the ruling elite.

His remarks in a television interview late on Tuesday ignited demonstrations overnight in which a protester was shot and killed after an altercation with Lebanese soldiers at a roadblock south of Beirut, Reuters said.

Schools and banks were closed for a second straight day. They have been shut for much of the four weeks since the start of the protests against political leaders seen as venal and unable to rescue Lebanon from rising poverty and unemployment.

Aoun indicated there was no breakthrough in talks over forming a new government to replace Saad Hariri’s coalition cabinet.