Student demonstrations continue in Lebanon
November 8, 2019, 10:28 am

Student demonstrations continue in Lebanon

A Lebanese student protesting outside the Ministry of Education on Thursday. (AFP)

Student-led protests in Beirut continued on Friday as Lebanon remains gripped by ongoing demonstrations.

Al Arabiya’s correspondent reported protesters on the street in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, and the capital Beirut, on Friday morning. Images circultaing on social media showed a student protest scheduled outside the Ministry of Education.

Students from universities including the Lebanese American University (LAU) and American University of Beirut (AUB) have been a part of the broad protests in Lebanon, which started on October 17 in response to a proposed fee on WhatsApp call usage, and led a specific demonstration on Thursday.

“Students are protesting AUB’s decision to remain open and resume classes as usual despite the ongoing situation in the country,” AUB student Cyrus Azad told Al Arabiya English on Thursday.

“There’s a lot of political elite that are on the board of AUB and otherwise have influence in the decisions,” said Azad, referring to the university's decision to take an “impartial role.”

Other demonstrations are set to take place outside the state-run utility company Electricite du Liban and the central bank. Electricity shortages and expensive generators have been one of the many causes of people taking to the streets, while banks have also been the target of protests. Fears of an alleged dollar shortage also helped fuel protests against a worsening economic situation.

On Tuesday, ratings agency Moody's had downgraded Lebanon’s sovereign debt, saying sweeping anti-government protests had hit investor confidence and threatened marco-economic stability.

Lebanon’s outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri met President Michel Aoun on Thursday without announcing progress towards forming a new government, and banking sources said most financial transfers out of the country remained blocked.

source:Lauren Holtmeier and Jacob Boswall

Russia deploys military helicopters to patrol Syria-Turkey border: Ifax China calls Hong Kong protesters ‘mobsters’ after stabbing

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”