Gunbattle in Beirut as fears grow of spillover from Syria conflict Gunbattle in Beirut as fears grow of spillover from Syria conflict ADVERTISING BEIRUT — Gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns early Monday in intense street battles in the
Gunbattle in Beirut as fears grow of spillover from Syria conflict
BEIRUT — Gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns early Monday in intense street battles in the Lebanese capital, wounding six people as fears mounted that the conflict in neighboring Syria was bleeding across the border.
The fighting appeared to be among the worst clashes in Beirut since 2008. The clashes erupted hours after an anti-Syrian cleric and his bodyguard were shot dead in northern Lebanon.
Lebanon and Syria share a complex web of political and sectarian ties and rivalries, which are easily enflamed. Last week, clashes sparked by the Syrian crisis killed at least eight people and wounded dozens in the northern city of Tripoli.
The revolt in Syria began 15 months ago, and there are fears the unrest will lead to a regional conflagration that could draw in neighboring countries. The U.N. estimates the conflict has killed more than 9,000 people since March 2011.
Sunday’s fighting in Beirut pitted pro- and anti-Syrian Sunni groups, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene in the Mazraa district. Gunmen were roaming the streets and several roads were blocked.
Earthquake kills 6
in northern Italy
Italy was struck by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake that killed six people in the northern region of Emilia Romagna, the Civil Protection Agency said.
Four people died when the factory buildings they were working in collapsed in the provinces of Ferrara and Bologna, according to the agency, adding that 50 people were injured. A 37-year-old German woman and a woman of more than 100 years old died after suffering heart attacks, the Ansa newswire reported, About 3,000 people have been evacuated, Ansa said.
The earthquake struck at 4:03 a.m. local time Sunday in Finale Emilia, near Bologna, at the depth of 3.9 miles, the agency said on its website. The quake, which was felt from Milan to Venice, damaged historic buildings and the roof of the cathedral of Mirandola collapsed. There have been more than 20 aftershocks, according to the Italian Institute of Geology and Vulcanology.
Sunday’s earthquake caused damages of more than €50 million for agricultural companies in the region, trade association Coldiretti said in an e-mailed statement.
Protesters march through Chicago to NATO summit
CHICAGO — Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Chicago on Sunday in one of the city’s largest demonstrations in years, airing grievances about war, climate change and a wide range of other complaints as world leaders assembled for a NATO summit.
The protest, which for months had stirred worries about violence in the streets, drew together a broad assortment of participants, including peace activists joining with war veterans and people more focused on economic inequality. But the diversity of opinions also sowed doubts about whether there were too many messages to be effective.
And some of the most enduring images of the event were likely to be from the end — when a small group of demonstrators clashed with a line of police who tried to keep them from the lakeside convention center where President Barack Obama was hosting the gathering.
The protesters tried to move east toward McCormick Place, with some hurling sticks and bottles at police. Officers responded by swinging their batons. The two sides were locked in a standoff for nearly two hours, with police blocking the protesters’ path and the crowd refusing to leave. Some protesters had blood streaming down their faces.
Authorities were seen making arrests one by one and leading individual demonstrators away in handcuffs.
By wire sources
