Lebanon

EXPLAINER-Two years since Beirut blast, why has no top official been held to account?

BEIRUT, (Reuters) - Lebanon on Thursday marked the second anniversary of the Beirut port explosion which killed at least 215 people, wounded thousands and damaged swathes of the capital. Despite the devastation…

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Lebanon’s top Christian cleric criticizes govt handling of Beirut port blast probe

Aug 4 (Reuters) - Lebanon's top Christian cleric Bechara Boutros al-Rai criticised his country's government on Thursday for failing to hold those responsible for the Beirut port blast on August…

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World Bank accuses Lebanese politicians of cruelty over deposit promises

BEIRUT, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The World Bank accused Lebanese politicians of being cruel by asserting that deposits in the country's collapsed banking sector are sacred, saying such slogans "flagrantly…

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Hezbollah warns Israel against ‘playing with time’ over maritime border dispute

BEIRUT, July 31 (Reuters) - Lebanon's armed Hezbollah group issued a video on Sunday showing vessels involved in the Israeli offshore oil and gas industry and warned against "playing with time", underlining…

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Hezbollah chief vows ‘no one’ will extract gas, oil from maritime zones if Lebanon unable to do so

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The head of powerful armed group Hezbollah warned that "no one" would be allowed to operate in maritime oil and gas fields if Lebanon was barred from its "rights"…

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Lebanon, Syria, Egypt sign gas import agreement

Lebanon, Syria and Egypt on Tuesday signed an agreement to transfer 650 million cubic metres of gas per year from Egypt to Lebanon via Syria at a ceremony at the…

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Lebanon warns against any Israeli ‘aggression’ in disputed waters

BEIRUT, June 5 (Reuters) - Lebanon warned Israel on Sunday against any "aggressive action" in disputed waters where both states hope to develop offshore energy, after a ship arrived off the coast…

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Lebanese security chief fears political paralysis, social collapse

A senior Lebanese security official has said the risk of political paralysis has increased since an election produced a fractured parliament last month, warning of a possible "disaster" because there…

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Hezbollah and allies lose majority in Lebanese parliament, final results show

Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies have lost their majority in Lebanon's parliament in a general election, a Reuters tally of final results showed on Tuesday, a major blow to the heavily…

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Lebanon vote brings blow for Hezbollah allies in preliminary results

BEIRUT, May 16 (Reuters) - Iran-backed Hezbollah has been dealt a blow in Lebanon's parliamentary election with preliminary results showing losses for some of its oldest allies and the Saudi-aligned Lebanese Forces…

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Factbox: Who is running in Lebanon’s election?

Lebanon holds a parliamentary election on May 15, with candidates vying for 128 seats that are divided among 11 religious groups according to a sectarian power-sharing system. The vote takes…

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Polls open in Lebanese parliamentary election

BEIRUT, May 15 (Reuters) - Polls opened on Sunday in Lebanon's first parliamentary election since the country's economic collapse. Voting was due to begin from 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) across 15 electoral…

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Lebanon to vote in first election since financial meltdown

Vote is first since economic collapse, Beirut port blast BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese vote on Sunday in the first election since their country's economic collapse, a test of whether Iran-backed Hezbollah and…

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Photo Story: Parliamentary elections in Lebanon get underway

A European Union election observer monitors the parliamentary elections taking place outside Lebanon in an operation room to observe the voting process through screens at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs…

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Lebanon maternal deaths triple, children’s health at risk amid crisis, UNICEF says

The number of women in Lebanon dying from pregnancy-related complications has nearly tripled amid a crushing three-year economic crisis that has seen doctors and midwives leave the country, the U.N.…

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Lebanon strives to temporarily avert bread crisis

Lebanon's government has agreed to disburse $15 million to temporarily resolve growing bread shortages in the country, Economy Minister Amin Salam told Reuters, while saying that the funds would only…

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Lebanon seeks wheat import deals amid Ukraine crisis

Lebanon has one month's wheat reserves at most and seeks import agreements from various countries, Economy Minister Amin Salam told Reuters, amid supply fears in the market due to the…

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France, Luxembourg ask Lebanon for information on central bank chief’s finances

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon has received letters from French and Luxembourg authorities asking for information relating to Lebanon Central Bank Chief Riad Salameh's bank accounts and assets, two Lebanese judicial…

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Lebanon’s president sees no reason to delay polls

BEIRUT, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Saturday he saw no reason for a delay to parliamentary elections in May after three-times former prime minister Saad…

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Greece’s Aegean Airlines suspends flights to Beirut after plane damage

ATHENS, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Greece's largest carrier Aegean Airlines said on Saturday it had suspended all flights to Beirut pending the results of an investigation into the cause of…

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Protesters block Lebanon’s roads to protest economic crash, soaring prices

BEIRUT, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Lebanese truck and bus drivers and others blocked main roads in the capital and other areas on Thursday in protest at the failure of politicians…

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Photo Story: Photo Story: Symbolic Christmas tree in Beirut

A man dressed as a Santa Clause costume poses in front of a giant Christmas tree which has been officially lit up with a design symbolizing the reconstruction of the…

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Pope promises to help moribund Lebanon rise again

VATICAN CITY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, meeting the prime minister of Lebanon, on Thursday compared the country to a dying person and promised to do everything in his…

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Lebanese pound hits record low of more than 24,000 per U.S. dollar

BEIRUT, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Lebanon's currency slid to a new low against the U.S. dollar on Thursday amid government paralysis as the country's financial meltdown deepens. Several Beirut currency…

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Photo Story: Lebanon celebrates Independence Day

Lebanese army soldiers march during a military parade to mark the 78th anniversary of Lebanon's Independence Day, at the Lebanese Defense Ministry, in Yarzeh near Beirut, Lebanon, 22 November 2021.…

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Lebanon imposes curbs on traveling to Belarus

Lebanon instructed airlines to limit passengers traveling to Belarus to those having visas, residency permits or Belarusian citizenship, according to a statement by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation seen…

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Lebanon’s top Christian cleric calls on authorities to defuse crisis with Gulf

DUBAI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai called on the authorities on Sunday to take a "decisive step" to defuse a crisis with Gulf Arab states…

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Lebanon asks Russia for satellite images from day of port blast

BEIRUT, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun has asked Russian ambassador Alexander Rudakov for satellite images from Aug. 4, 2020, when a huge explosion rocked Beirut's port, according…

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Lebanese parliament confirms holding parliamentary elections on March 27

BEIRUT, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The Lebanese parliament voted on Thursday to hold legislative elections on March 27, confirming an earlier vote last week that had been challenged by President…

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Lebanon eyes IMF progress despite new turmoil – economy minister

Lebanon's new government aims to make progress towards starting full negotiations for an IMF deal by the end of this year or early next, but is not expecting funds to…

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Lebanon detained 19 people over recent deadly clashes – state news agency

CAIRO (Reuters) - Lebanon detained 19 people in relation to recent gunfire in Beirut, state National News Agency reported on Friday. Seven Shi'ite Muslims were killed by gunfire on Thursday…

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Deadly shooting rocks Beirut as tensions over blast probe erupt

BEIRUT, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Tensions over a probe into last year's massive blast in Beirut burst into the worst street violence in more than a decade on Thursday, with…

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UPDATED: Explosions, shooting rock Beirut as tensions over blast probe erupt

Gunfire killed at least four persons in Beirut on Thursday as supporters and allies of the powerful Shi'ite group Hezbollah gathered to protest against the judge investigating the Beirut port…

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Lebanese firefighters put out fire at fuel facility

BEIRUT, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Firefighters put out a blaze that raged for several hours at a gasoline storage tank in southern Lebanon on Monday, the latest blow to a…

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Lebanon restores power supply after complete halt

DUBAI Oct 10 (Reuters) - Lebanon's power supplies were back to normal on Sunday after a blackout the previous day when the country's two biggest power stations shut down because…

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Lebanon can’t dictate terms in sea border talks with Israel – minister

Israel is ready to renew efforts to solve its dispute with Lebanon over the delineation of their territorial waters in the Mediterranean, but it will not accept that Beirut dictates the terms…

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Lebanon patriarch calls for end to meddling in judiciary

Lebanon's top Christian cleric said on Sunday the government should put an end to any meddling in the judiciary after the probe into last year's vast Beirut port blast was…

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U.S. issues sanctions tied to supporters of Hezbollah, Iran

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday it was imposing sanctions on Lebanon and Kuwait-based financial conduits that fund the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah as well…

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EU lawmakers to call for Lebanon sanctions if new government fails

BRUSSELS, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The European Union should still consider imposing sanctions on Lebanese politicians who block the progress of the new government, the EU's parliament is set to…

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EXPLAINER-How bad is the crisis in Lebanon?

BEIRUT, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Lebanon's financial meltdown has swiftly worsened in the last month, with much of the country crippled by fuel shortages that have ignited country-wide security incidents.…

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Lebanon agrees new government to tackle economic collapse

BEIRUT, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Lebanese leaders agreed a new government led by Sunni Muslim tycoon Najib Mikati on Friday after a year of feuding over cabinet seats that has…

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Lebanese leaders agree on government to address crisis

Lebanese leaders agreed a new government on Friday after a year of political feuding over cabinet seats that has exacerbated a devastating economic collapse, opening the way to a possible…

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Lebanese ministers to make highest level visit to Syria in years

BEIRUT, Sept 3 (Reuters) - A delegation from Lebanon's caretaker government will visit Syria on Saturday in the highest level visit in years, aiming to pave the way for a…

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Lebanon in free fall, must not become ‘horror story’, US senator warns

Lebanon is in free fall and must not become a "horror story", a U.S. senator said during a visit to Beirut on Wednesday, voicing hope that a government would be…

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Fuel dispute triggers sectarian clash in Lebanon’s south

A dispute over scarce fuel supplies ignited sectarian tensions between neighbouring Shi'ite Muslim and Christian villages in southern Lebanon over the weekend, forcing the army to intervene, a security source…

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Lebanese army deploys to area in north after deadly violence

The Lebanese army has deployed troops to an area of the north where two men have been killed this week in violence between rival clans that spiralled out of a…

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Lebanese hospitals at breaking point as everything runs out

Drenched in sweat, doctors check patients lying on stretchers in the reception area of Lebanon’s largest public hospital. Air conditioners are turned off, except in operating rooms and storage units,…

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Lebanon raises fuel prices by 66% as it tries to ease shortages

The Lebanese government said on Sunday that it was raising gasoline prices by 66% in a partial reduction of fuel subsidies as it seeks to ease crippling shortages that have…

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UNICEF warns millions of Lebanese face water shortages

More than 4 million people in Lebanon could face a critical shortage of water or be cut off completely in the coming days, UNICEF warned, due to a severe fuel…

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At least 28 killed in Lebanon fuel tank explosion – Health officials

BEIRUT, Aug 15 (Reuters) - At least 28 people were killed and 79 injured when a fuel tank exploded in northern Lebanon early on Sunday, the health ministry said. Military…

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Nobody running Lebanon, says central bank boss

Lebanon's central bank governor said nobody was running the country as he defended his decision to halt fuel subsidies that have drained currency reserves, saying the government could resolve the…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Beirut, Lebanon

The destroyed port area one year after a huge explosion hit the city of Beirut, Lebanon, 31 July 2021 (issued 03 August 2021). At least 200 people were killed, and…

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Lebanese demand justice on port blast anniversary

Lebanon's leading Christian cleric said there could be no immunity from prosecution over the catastrophic Beirut port blast and that officials were evading investigation, as many Lebanese marked the first…

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Rocket fire from Lebanon triggers sirens in Israel and Golan Heights

Rockets were fired towards Israel from southern Lebanon on Friday, a Lebanese security source said, triggering sirens in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. There were no immediate reports…

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Israeli aircraft strike rocket launch sites in Lebanon

Israeli aircraft struck what its military said were rocket launch sites in south Lebanon early on Thursday in response to earlier projectile fire towards Israel from Lebanese territory. Two rockets…

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Mediterranean has become a ‘wildfire hotspot’, EU scientists say

The Mediterranean has become a wildfire hotspot, with Turkey hit by its most intense blazes on record and a heatwave producing a high risk of further fires and smoke pollution around the…

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Rocket warning sirens sound in northern Israel, Israeli military says

Rocket warning sirens sounded in northern Israel near the Lebanese border on Wednesday, the Israeli military said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The military said in a statement…

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