By Reuters Staff
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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon started its COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday by inoculating the head of critical care at its biggest public hospital, followed by 93-year-old celebrated Lebanese actor and comedian Salah Tizani.
Battling a sharp spike in infections in recent weeks which has overwhelmed its healthcare system, Lebanon took delivery of 28,500 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Saturday, the first batch of 2.1 million doses set to arrive in stages throughout the year.
Delays in signing a deal to purchase a vaccine and the rollout of an inoculation programme have caused frustration in Lebanon. The World Bank, which helped fund the first batch of doses, has said it would monitor the inoculation drive to ensure the shots go to those most in need.
UPDATE 8-Prominent Hezbollah critic Slim killed in Lebanon Reuters 2/4/2021 Lokman Slim accused Hezbollah of intimidation Slim ran research centre, founded NGO and made films Found dead with several bullets to head Diplomats call for investigation (Adds U.S. statement)
By Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam
BEIRUT, Feb 4 (Reuters) - A prominent Lebanese Shi ite publisher who criticised the armed Hezbollah movement was shot dead in a car in southern Lebanon on Thursday, the first such killing of a high-profile activist in years.
A judge said the body of Lokman Slim had four bullets in the head and one in the back. A security source said his phone was found on the side of a road.
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BEIRUT A prominent Lebanese Shi’ite publisher who criticized Iran-backed Hezbollah was found shot dead in a car in southern Lebanon on Thursday, two security sources and his family said.
A judge following the case said the body of Lokman Slim had four bullets in the head and one in the back, in the first such killing of a known activist in years.
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One of the security sources also said Slim, who ran a research center and made films, was shot in the head. The second said Slim’s phone was found earlier on the side of a road.
They said the motive was not immediately clear and a preliminary investigation was under way.
One of the security sources said Slim’s phone was found earlier on the side of a road in southern Lebanon, where Shi’ite Hezbollah has a dominant presence. It was the first such alleged killing of a leading anti-Hezbollah activist in years.
Slim’s family said he went missing overnight. His wife tweeted that he was not answering his phone.
A relative said the family found out about his death from a news alert while at a police station to report his disappearance.
At the family home in the southern suburbs of Beirut, family members sat in silence and shock, while some wept.
Un éditeur renommé, critique du Hezbollah, tué au Sud-Liban latribune.fr - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from latribune.fr Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.