Lebanon

France will not let Lebanon down – source close to Macron

France will not let Lebanon down, a source close to French president Emmanuel Macron told Reuters on Saturday, following the decision of its prime minister-designate to quit after trying for…

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Lebanon’s prime minister-designate steps down after failing to form cabinet

Lebanon's prime minister-designate quit on Saturday after trying for almost a month to line up a non-partisan cabinet, failing despite French pressure on sectarian leaders to rally together to deal…

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Arms depot of Iran-backed Hezbollah explodes in south Lebanon, source says

An arms depot of the Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah exploded in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, a security source said, injuring several people and sending a new shockwave across a…

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Lebanese PM urges efforts to make French initiative succeed

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib said on Monday all parties should cooperate to facilitate the formation of a new government and urged everyone to work so that a French initiative…

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Beirut-born singer Mika to live-stream concert to raise funds for victims of Beirut’s blast

Beirut-born pop star Mika will livestream a concert this weekend to raise funds for victims of the Aug. 4 port blast in the Lebanese capital, and Mexican actress Salma Hayek…

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Form government without delay, France tells Lebanese politicians

France's foreign ministry said on Friday that Lebanon's political forces need to assume their responsibilities and immediately form a government under the auspices of Prime Minister Mustapha Adib. "As Lebanon…

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French initiative is last chance to save Lebanon, Jumblatt says

Leading Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt said on Wednesday it seemed some people did not understand that French-led efforts to lift Lebanon out of crisis were the last chance to save…

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Pompeo says Hezbollah weapons risk torpedoing French efforts in Lebanon

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday warned France that its efforts to resolve the crisis in Lebanon would be in vain without immediately tackling the issue of Iran-backed…

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Fire briefly erupts in central Beirut commercial district

A fire erupted in a landmark building in central Beirut's commercial district on Tuesday before being put out, a civil defence official and Reuters witness said. The fire erupted in…

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Lebanese firefighters douse remains of Beirut port fire

Lebanese firefighters and army helicopters on Friday put out the remains of a huge fire at Beirut's port that had flared up a day earlier, barely a month after a…

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Massive fire erupts in Beirut port area

A massive fire is raging at the port of Lebanon's capital, Beirut, a little more than a month since a huge explosion devastated the port facilities and surrounding area. There…

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Italy adds to European calls for change in Lebanon amid crisis

Italy's prime minister said it was time for Lebanon to rebuild trust between the people and its institutions, joining France's call for change in a nation devastated by a year-long…

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Lebanese patriarch says new cabinet must spurn old, corrupt ways

Lebanon's top Christian cleric said on Sunday a new government must deliver urgent economic and other reforms in the national interest, rather than returning to past corrupt ways that have…

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‘No signs of life’ in Beirut rubble after search for blast survivors

Rescue workers digging through the rubble of a Beirut building for the third day on Saturday said there was no longer hope of finding someone alive more than a month…

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Hope – Rescue workers searching for life in Beirut’s rubble

Rescuers on Saturday morning continued digging through the rubble of a building in Beirut after sensors detected possible signs of life, despite hopes of finding anyone fading. "The search has…

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Frantic search in Beirut as rescuers detect ‘heartbeat in the rubble’

Rescuers in Beirut are continuing to search through the rubble of a building amid reports a person could be alive, one month after a massive blast devastated the Lebanese capital.…

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Macron sees Lebanon’s support and aid as a ‘risky bet’ worth taking

Emmanuel Macron says he’s making a “risky bet” by working to avoid a political collapse in Lebanon, but is limited in what he can achieve. "It's the last chance for…

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EU delivers additional assistance following explosion in Lebanon

A second EU Humanitarian Air bridge flight landed in Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. The aircraft delivered 12 tonnes of essential humanitarian supplies and medical equipment, including a mobile hospital and face…

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Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate calls for immediate reforms

Lebanon's prime minister-designate Mustapha Adib called on Monday for the formation of a new government in record time and urged immediate reforms as a step towards securing an agreement with…

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Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany Adib designated as PM

Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany Mustapha Adib is poised to be designated prime minister on Monday after winning the support of major parties to form a new government facing a crippling…

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Beirut explosion death toll rises to 190

The death toll from this month's Beirut port blast has risen to 190 with more than 6,500 injured and three people missing, Lebanon's caretaker government said in a report dated…

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After port blast, rudderless Lebanon drifts towards the rocks

Three weeks after the catastrophic explosion at Beirut port, Lebanon is drifting towards even more trouble as its politicians fail to agree a new government that can arrest a financial…

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Lebanese presidency to convene consultations on Monday to designate new PM

The Lebanese presidency will convene consultations with parliamentary blocs on Monday to designate a new prime minister, the presidency said, after the government quit earlier this month following the catastrophic…

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Lebanon warns it could ‘lose control’ of coronavirus outbreak

Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Wednesday that Lebanon was at risk of losing control over the coronavirus outbreak after a rise in the number of cases following the…

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Kuwait to rebuild Lebanon’s only large grain silo destroyed in blast

Kuwait said it will rebuild Lebanon's only large grain silo that was destroyed by the massive Beirut port explosion, raising fears of food shortages in a country already in financial…

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3 acquitted, 1 guilty of Hariri’s killing

A United Nations-backed tribunal found a member of the Lebanese group Hezbollah guilty of assassinating former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a massive bomb blast in 2005. The verdict by…

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Health minister says Lebanon needs two-week lockdown after ‘shocking’ COVID-19 rise

Lebanon must shut down for two weeks after a surge in coronavirus infections, the caretaker health minister said on Monday, as the country reels from the massive Beirut port blast.…

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U.S. calls for credible probe into Beirut blast

A senior U.S. official called on Saturday for a "thorough, transparent and credible" investigation into this month's Beirut port blast that killed 172 people and injured 6,000. "We can never…

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French military help arrives in Beirut

An aerial handout photo made available by French Ministry of Defence showing the helicopter-carrier 'Tonnerre' of the French Navy, arriving with significant material and human resources on 14 August 2020…

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FBI to join Beirut blast probe

A top U.S. diplomat said the FBI would join a probe of the massive Beirut explosion that killed at least 172 people, urging change in Lebanon to “make sure something…

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WHO seeking $76 million for Lebanon after Beirut blast, concerned about coronavirus

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had appealed for $76 million in aid for Lebanon after last week's massive explosion in Beirut destroyed or damaged hospitals, clinics and medical…

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Lebanon economy minister says has flour to last four months

Lebanon has 32,000 tonnes of flour in addition to 110,000 tonnes that has arrived or will arrive in the coming two weeks, the economy minister said on Wednesday. "This means…

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Lebanon registers record number of daily COVID-19 cases

Lebanon on Tuesday announced a record daily number of over 300 COVID-19 infections and seven deaths from the virus as the country grapples with the aftermath of the Beirut port…

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Lebanon government resigns after deadly Beirut blast

Lebanon's prime minister was set on Monday to announce the resignation of his government, the health minister said, after a devastating explosion in Beirut that has stirred public outrage and…

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Lebanese PM announces government’s resignation

Lebanon’s besieged government has fallen one week after a cataclysmic explosion destroyed Beirut port, with the country’s prime minister, Hassan Diab, claiming the disaster was the result of endemic corruption.…

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Lebanon’s Cabinet resigns over deadly explosion

Lebanon’s Cabinet has resigned over last week’s devastating blast at the Beirut port, the health minister said, a decision that was made under pressure as several ministers quit or expressed…

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EU pledges additional 30 million euros to Lebanon

At the international conference on assistance and support to Beirut and the Lebanese people, the European Commission has pledged a new funding worth €30 million to help address the immediate…

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Another night of protests in Beirut, donors pledge over 250 million euros in aid for Lebanon

Lebanese police fired tear gas to try to disperse rock-throwing protesters blocking a road near parliament in Beirut on Sunday in a second day of anti-government demonstrations triggered by last…

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Lebanese call for uprising after protests

Some Lebanese called on Sunday for a sustained uprising to topple their leaders amid public fury over this week’s devastating explosion in Beirut, and the country’s top Christian Maronite cleric…

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Beirut port blast crater 43 metres deep

The huge chemical explosion that hit Beirut's port, devastating large parts of the Lebanese capital and claiming over 150 lives, left a 43-metre (141 foot) deep crater, a security official…

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France to host donor conference for blast-stricken Lebanon

French President Emmanuel Macron will host U.S. President Donald Trump and other political leaders on Sunday for a U.N.-endorsed donors' conference by video to raise emergency relief for Lebanon following…

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UPDATED: Lebanese protesters storm ministry buildings, Information Minister resigns

Lebanese protesters stormed government ministries in Beirut and trashed the offices of the Association of Lebanese Banks on Saturday as shots rang out in increasingly angry demonstrations over this week's…

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Shots, tear gas fired as protests against the government and political establishment intensify in Lebanon

Lebanese riot police fired tear gas at demonstrators trying to break through a barrier to get to the parliament building in Beirut on Saturday and shots were heard as protests…

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Macron tells Trump that U.S. sanctions on Lebanese groups counterproductive

French President Emmanuel Macron has told President Donald Trump that U.S. sanctions that have targeted Iran-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah are playing into the hands of those they are meant to…

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Hizbullah leader says Beirut’s explosion is a great humanitarian and national disaster

The Leader of Lebanon’s Hizbullah Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that what happened in Beirut was a great humanitarian and national disaster. The Hizbullah Leader made the remarks in…

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Lebanon navigates food challenge with no grain silo and few stocks

Beirut's blast destroyed Lebanon's only port-based grains silo, with plans for another in the country's second largest port Tripoli shelved years ago due to a lack of funding, the U.N.'s…

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Lebanese president says blast probe looking into external interference among possible causes

Lebanon's president said an investigation into the Beirut port warehouse explosion was looking at whether it was caused by negligence, an accident or possible external interference, his office cited him…

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Death toll from Beirut port blast rises to 154 persons

The death toll from the Beirut port explosion has risen to 154, state news agency NNA cited Lebanon's health minister as saying on Friday. Minister Hamad Hasan said one in…

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Thousands sign petition for France to take control of Lebanon

Over 44,000 people have signed an online petition to "place Lebanon under a French mandate for the next 10 years" as of Thursday afternoon. The petition on the community petition website…

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Anti-government protests break out in Beirut

Protesters clashed with Lebanese security forces at anti-government demonstrations in Beirut on Thursday. Officers deployed tear gas on dozens of people near parliament. Demonstrators were angered by Tuesday's devastating blast,…

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Countries rally round Lebanon after Beirut blast

Countries and international organisations lined up to help Lebanon after a massive warehouse explosion sent a blast wave across Beirut, killing at least 100 people and injuring nearly 4,000. Below…

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Lebanon’s financial capacity ‘very limited’, economy minister says after blast

The Lebanese state and central bank have "very limited" financial capacity to confront the impact of the port warehouse explosion that devastated Beirut without foreign aid, its economy minister said…

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Photo Story: Eiffel Tower goes dark in support for victims of explosion in Beirut

A combination image shows the Eiffel Tower is seen illuminated before its traditional night-time illumination is switched off (L) and after (R) in support of the victims of a massive explosion…

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Beirut collective losses after Aug 4 explosion may reach $15 billion

Beirut’s governor told Al Hadath TV on Wednesday that collective losses after Beirut’s blast on Aug. 4 may reach $10 billion to $15 billion, with the governor explaining the number…

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U.S. has not totally ruled out that Beirut blast was an attack

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said on Wednesday that the U.S. government has not totally ruled out that a deadly explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, was an attack but…

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Photo Story: Wednesday morning in Beirut: The tragic devastation

A series of photos sent by thee EPA photographer Wael Hamzeh in Beirut of the aftermath of massive blast in Beirut Tuesday afternoon. According to media reports, at least…

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UPDATED: Initial investigations point to negligence as cause of Beirut blast

Initial investigations indicate years of inaction and negligence over the storage of highly explosive material in Beirut port caused the blast that killed over 100 people on Tuesday, an official…

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