Israel warned the US that an operation in Lebanon was coming but gave no details, officials say
U.S. officials say Israel warned U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a call Tuesday that a military operation was going to take place in Lebanon.
Former Lebanese central bank governor charged with embezzling $42m in ongoing corruption probe
Three judicial officials have told the Associated Press that Lebanon has charged its embattled former central bank governor with the embezzlement of $42 million.
Israel kills militants in the West Bank as a nervous region watches latest on cease-fire talks
Israel's army says two airstrikes in the West Bank have killed nine Palestinian militants as violence flares again in the Israeli-occupied territory.
What to know about the escalating conflict and Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks after 2 assassinations
A pair of assassinations of anti-Israel militant leaders hours apart is threatening to set off a regional clash and upend already fragile talks toward ending the war in Gaza.
'Hellishly hot' southern Europe bakes under temperatures topping 104 F
The Italian health ministry has placed 12 cities under the most severe heat warning as a wave of hot air from Africa is baking southern Europe.
Fires have become the most visible sign of the conflict heating up on the Lebanon-Israel border
With cease-fire talks faltering in Gaza and no clear offramp for the conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border, the daily exchanges of strikes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have sparked fires that are tearing through forests and farmland on both sides of the frontline.
Israeli strike kills another senior Hezbollah commander as diplomats scramble for calm in Lebanon
An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon has killed a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions continue to boil.
Donor fatigue persists as nations commit around $8.1 billion for conflict-hit Syrians
International donors meeting in Brussels say they will commit 7.5 billion euros, about $8.1 billion, in both grants and loans to support Syrians battered by war, poverty, and hunger for the rest of this year and beyond.
Car bomb in the Syrian capital kills one. Drone strike near Lebanon border targets two vehicles
Syria's state media says a bomb attached to a car exploded in the western part of the Syrian capital that is home to several diplomatic missions, killing one person and causing material damage.
Key recommendations for strengthening the neutrality of the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees
An independent panel reviewed the neutrality of the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees after Israel alleged that a dozen of its employees in Gaza had participated in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks.
Half a year into the war in Gaza, here's a look at the conflict by the numbers
The Israel-Hamas war has stretched on for half a year and has become one of the most destructive, deadly, and intractable conflicts of the 21st century.
Mega Millions jackpot reaches $977 million after no one wins Tuesday's drawing
The Mega Millions jackpot has reached $977 million for Friday night’s drawing after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Tuesday night.
Israelis evacuated from the Lebanese border wonder if they'll ever return
Around 60,000 Israelis who evacuated from cities and towns along the border with Lebanon are grappling with the question of when they will be able to return home.
A look at the arsenals of Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia as cross-border strikes escalate
The slow-simmering cross-border conflict between Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Israeli forces has escalated, reviving fears that the daily clashes could expand into an all-out war.
Cyprus rescues 60 Syrian migrants from rickety boat after 6 days at sea. Five minors hospitalized
Officials in Cyrpus say police have rescued 60 Syrian migrants from a rickety wooden boat that had been at sea six days and appeared to have run short of food and water.
Blinken urges Israel to engage with region on postwar plans that include path to Palestinian state
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling on Israel to work with moderate Palestinians and neighboring countries on plans for postwar Gaza.
Hezbollah, Israel trade heavy cross-border fire as Blinken seeks to prevent regional escalation
Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah have traded fire in one of the heaviest days of cross-border fighting in recent weeks.
Indictment against high-ranking Hezbollah figure says he helped plan deadly 1994 Argentina bombing
A high-ranking member of Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization has been charged in a New York federal court with terrorism offenses, though he remains at large.
Lebanon's Christians feel the heat of climate change in its sacred forest and valley
For Lebanon’s Christians, the cedars are sacred, these tough evergreen trees that survive the mountain’s harsh snowy winters.
Hezbollah fires rockets at north Israel after an airstrike kills 5 of the group’s senior fighters
The militant Hezbollah group has fired more than 50 rockets at military posts in northern Israel.
Palestinian soccer team prepares for World Cup qualifying games against a backdrop of war
Makram Daboub may be struggling to prepare his Palestinian team for the start of 2026 World Cup qualification but he takes some comfort — for now at least — that his players stuck in Gaza are safe.
Lebanon's prime minister visits troops at the country's tense southern border with Israel
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister has visited troops deployed near the border with Israel and U.N. peacekeepers as Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops clash for a third week.
Israeli shelling along Lebanon border kills 1 journalist, wounds 6
An Israeli shell has landed in a gathering of international journalists covering clashes on the border in south Lebanon, killing a Reuters videographer and leaving six other journalists injured.
IMF sees economic growth in the Mideast improving next year. But the Israel-Hamas war poses risks
The International Monetary Fund says Middle East economies are gradually recovering as external shocks from the war in Ukraine and global inflation fade.
Business tycoon Carlos Ghosn's rise, fall and dramatic escape is subject of new Apple TV+ series
Carlos Ghosn, the former rock star businessman who fell from grace and fled authorities smuggled in a music instrument box, is getting what his dramatic story deserves — a multi-part Apple TV+ documentary series.
With hundreds lost in the migrant shipwreck near Greece, identifying the dead is painfully slow
Nearly two months after a dilapidated fishing trawler crammed with people heading from north Africa to Italy sank in the central Mediterranean, killing hundreds, relatives are still frantically searching for loved ones among the missing and dead.
Kuwait and Lebanon move to ban 'Barbie' over gender and sexuality themes ahead of Mideast release
“Barbie” is set to open across the Middle East on Thursday, but moves by Kuwait and Lebanon to ban the film over its themes on gender and sexuality have raised questions about how widely it will be released.
European scientists make it official. July was the hottest month on record by far
Now that July’s sizzling numbers are all in, the European climate monitoring organization made it official: July 2023 was Earth’s hottest month on record by a wide margin.
Cost of federal census recounts push growing towns to do it themselves
Only a single municipality, the Village of Pingree Grove in Illinois, has signed a contract so far with the U.S. Census Bureau to have the agency conduct a repeat head count following the 2020 census.
Mideast countries that are already struggling fear price hikes after Russia exits grain deal
Egypt and other lower-income Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon and Pakistan are worried about what comes next after Russia pulled out of a crucial wartime grain deal.
Halted Ukraine grain deal, funding shortages rattle UN food aid programs
A halted landmark grain deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to flow to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia is rattling the operations of the United Nations food agency, its deputy executive director said.
Aid group official warns that impasse at the UN on border crossing puts 4.1 million Syrians at risk
The head of a leading aid group says an impasse at the United Nations over a border crossing with Syria’s last rebel-held enclave is endangering 4.1 million Syrians living there.
New blood donation rules allow more gay men to give in US
New blood donations rules will allow sexually active gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships to give in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration guidelines ease decades-old restrictions on blood donations put in place to protect the blood supply from HIV.
Lebanon abruptly nixes plan for $122M airport 'Terminal 2'
Lebanon’s caretaker transportation minister says the contract for a new terminal at the country's main airport is cancelled, following an uproar over the lack of public bidding for the $122 million project.
Rights group: Mideast governments target LGBTQ people online
A rights group says in a new report that security agencies and government officials across several countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been using social media platforms and mobile dating apps to crack down on LGBTQ people.
Americans in Japanese prison in Ghosn escape seek to go home
Two Americans imprisoned in Japan for helping former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn avoid trial and escape to Lebanon are hoping to serve the rest of their time in the U.S. Paul Kelly, the attorney for Michael Taylor and his son Peter Taylor, said the elder man was suffering from serious back pain and frostbite.
Russian war in world's 'breadbasket' threatens food supply
The Russian tanks and missiles besieging Ukraine also are threatening the food supply and livelihoods of people in Europe, Africa and Asia who rely on the vast, fertile farmlands known as the “breadbasket of the world.”.
US hospitals letting COVID-infected staff stay on the job
Hospitals around the U.S. are increasingly taking the extraordinary step of allowing nurses and other workers infected with the coronavirus to stay on the job if they have mild symptoms or none at all.
Norway fines dating app Grindr $7.16M over privacy breach
Norway’s data privacy watchdog fined gay dating app Grindr $7.16 million for sending sensitive personal data to hundreds of potential advertising partners without users’ consent.
Lebanese central bank governor says corruption charges false
Lebanon’s central bank governor says he asked an auditing firm to look into transactions and investments and that contrary to media reports, the results showed no public money has been misused.
American father, son sent to Japan prison in Ghosn escape
A Tokyo court has handed down prison terms for the American father and son accused of helping Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, escape to Lebanon while awaiting trial in Japan.
Hendrick trio sets pace at re-opened Nashville Superspeedway
William Byron, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott paced the first ever Cup Series practice at Nashville Superspeedway in yet another display of how dominant Hendrick Motorsports is right now.
The Latest: Lebanon marks daily record of vaccinations
Lebanon has vaccinated a daily record of people against COVID-19, raising the total number of shots administered around the country against the virus to more than 1 million.
5 key takeaways from AP's interview with Carlos Ghosn
In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press in Beirut, former star auto executive Carlos Ghosn has shared his frustrations surrounding his stunning downfall and delved into his legal troubles in Japan, France and the Netherlands.
US offers $10 million reward for info on Hezbollah operative
WASHINGTON – The United States on Monday offered a $10 million reward for information on a Hezbollah operative who was convicted last year in the assassination of Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafik Hariri. Ayyash is a senior member of Hezbollah's Unit 121, an assassination squad that the department said reports to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The announcement said Ayyash is known to have been involved in efforts to harm American troops in the past. An international tribunal convicted Ayyash in absentia and sentenced him to five life sentences on charges related to the 2005 suicide truck bombing in Beirut that killed Hariri and 21 other people. Three other Hezbollah members had been acquitted in August of all charges that they also were involved in the killing that sent shock waves through the Middle East.
The Latest: Sinovac: CoronaVac vaccine effective in children
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)BEIJING — Sinovac said on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac is safe and effective in children ages 3-17. State-owned Sinopharm, who has two COVID-19 vaccines, is also investigating the effectiveness of its vaccines in children. The House vote came just before the state health department reported that more than 1 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered within the state. State officials say about 2.9 million vaccine doses have been given to about 1.1 million people so far in Arizona. ___LISBON, Portugal — Portugal resumed administering AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, a week after temporarily halting its use.
Japan charges Americans with helping Ghosn flee, jump bail
Japanese prosecutors have charged two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, in connection with the escape of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn to Lebanon. (DHA via AP, File)TOKYO – Japanese prosecutors charged two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, Monday in the escape of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn to Lebanon, while he was out on bail. Prosecutors said the Taylors were formally charged with helping a criminal escape, although dates and other details of a trial were undecided. Japan has put Ghosn on Interpol’s wanted list, but Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan. Peter Taylor, 28, is accused of meeting with Ghosn and helping his father carry out the escape.
Pope weighed Iraq virus risk but believes God will protect
Francis said the idea of a trip “cooks over time in my conscience,” and that the pandemic was the issue that weighed most heavily on him. Francis, the Vatican delegation and traveling media were vaccinated against COVID-19, while most Iraqis haven't been. Francis said he wasn’t sure if he would have to slow down his usual whirlwind pace on future trips. Otherwise, the only other trip Francis has promised to make is to Lebanon, though he offered no time frame. He said the country's patriarch had asked him to add a Beirut leg onto his Iraq trip but that he had declined, thinking it would be like tossing the country “crumbs," given all Lebanon’s current problems.
EXPLAINER: Japan to try US men accused of helping Ghosn flee
Two Americans suspected of helping Ghosn skip bail and escape to Lebanon in December 2019 have been extradited to Japan. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)TOKYO – Two Americans suspected of helping former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn skip bail and escape to Lebanon in December 2019 have been extradited to Japan. The box passed through airport security in Osaka, central Japan, and was loaded onto a private jet that flew Ghosn to Turkey. Peter Taylor is accused of meeting with Ghosn and helping his father carry out the escape. Japan has put Ghosn on Interpol's wanted list, but Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan.
The Latest: India finds new cases of a coronavirus variant
(AP Photo/Channi Anand)NEW DELHI — Health officials in India say cases of the coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa and Brazil have been found in India. Over 150 cases of another variant first detected in the United Kingdom have previously been found in India. ___SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is reporting 621 new coronavirus cases. State health officials on Tuesday reported 1,132 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths. Spain has officially reported more than 3 million virus cases -- just over 6% of the population -- and attributed more than 65,400 deaths to the virus.
The Latest: Fauci wins $1 million for "defending science"
Fauci won a $1 million award from the Israeli Dan David Foundation for courageously defending science during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool, File)TEL AVIV, Israel — Dr. Anthony Fauci has won the $1 million Dan David Prize for “defending science” and advocating for vaccines now being administered worldwide to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The shots were supplied by Pfizer, which has a contract to sell 10 million vaccines to Colombia. The U.K.’s rapid rollout of coronavirus vaccines to the most at-risk groups has also helped. The good news: Many of the new COVID-19 vaccines are made with new, flexible technology that’s easy to upgrade.
High court denies accused Ghosn smugglers' bid to stay in US
Taylor is accused of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn out of Japan in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges. The flight went first to Turkey, and then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Lawyers for the Taylors argue the men can’t legally be extradited and will be treated unfairly in the Japan. Their lawyers told the Supreme Court in a brief filed Friday that the men would face harsh treatment in the Japanese criminal justice system. U.S. authorities had said they would not hand the men over to Japan while their bid for a stay was pending before Breyer, an attorney for the Taylors said.
Judge OKs extradition of 2 wanted in ex-Nissan boss' escape
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani rejected a request to block the U.S. from handing Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, over to Japan. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani rejected a request to block the U.S. from handing Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, over to Japan. AdGhosn is now in Lebanon, where he has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Meanwhile, Ghosn headed to the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo and met up with Peter Taylor, who was already in Japan. Peter Taylor hopped on a flight to China, authorities say.
Lebanon signs with Pfizer for 2.1 million vaccine doses
(AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)BEIRUT – Lebanon finalized a deal with Pfizer on Sunday for 2.1 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine amid surge in infections that has overwhelmed the country's health care system. The doses are to arrive in Lebanon starting early February, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The government's statement said the Pfizer vaccines will be complemented with another 2.7 million doses from the U.N.-led program to provide for countries in need. Another 2 million doses are being negotiated in coordination with Lebanon's private sector and the other international pharmaceutical companies that have developed the vaccines, the ministry said. Iraq said it will secure Pfizer vaccines by early this year, but has not released any more information, including inoculation plans.
Lebanon begins new lockdown amid surge in coronavirus cases
The lockdown in Lebanon is the third since the first case was reported in late February. Also on Thursday, Lebanon broke its single-day record of new coronavirus cases for the third straight day, with 4,774 reported infections over the past 24 hours. The shortage of hard currency in Lebanon has severely curbed imports to the import-dependent country, including of medicine and medical supplies. In Egypt, Coptic Orthodox Christians were barred from attending Mass on Christmas Eve as the country fights a surge in coronavirus cases. Egypt has reported more than 145,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, including nearly 8,000 deaths.
World Bank warns of 'prolonged depression' in Lebanon
(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)BEIRUT – Lebanon’s economy faces an “arduous and prolonged depression,” with real GPD projected to plunge by nearly 20% because its politicians refuse to implement reforms that would speed up the country’s recovery, the World Bank said Tuesday. “Lack of effective policy action by authorities has subjected the economy to an arduous and prolonged depression,” the World Bank report said. “One year into the economic crisis, such policies have not yet been decided, let alone implemented. “Lack of political consensus on national priorities severely impedes Lebanon’s ability to implement long-term and visionary development policies,” said Saroj Kumar Jha, the World Bank regional director. “Without reforms, there can be no sustainable recovery and reconstruction, and the social and economic situation will continue to worsen,” the World Bank warned.
Japanese automaker Nissan posts loss amid pandemic, scandal
Nissan Motor Co. had a profit of 59 billion yen in July-September of 2019. Yokohama-based Nissan reported Thursday its quarterly sales dipped to 1.9 trillion yen ($18 billion) from 2.6 trillion yen a year earlier. The company is still bleeding red ink and expects a 615 billion yen ($5.8 billion) loss for this fiscal year, which ends in March. That is still an improvement over its earlier projection for a 670 billion yen loss ($6.4 billion). Nissan posted a 671 billion yen loss in the previous fiscal year.
As anger rises, Muslims protest French cartoons
Supporters of religious group burn a representation of a French flag during a rally against French President Emmanuel Macron and republishing of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad they deem blasphemous, in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. Muslims have been calling for both protests and a boycott of French goods in response to France's stance on caricatures of Islam's most revered prophet. Crowds of Islamist activists hanged an effigy of French President Emmanuel Macron from a highway overpass after pounding it furiously with their shoes. Turkey has led regional condemnation of the French president, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s verbal attacks on Macron prompting France to recall its ambassador to Turkey last weekend. Demonstrators trampled on portraits of Macron and called on Afghan leaders to shut down the French embassy, halt French imports and ban French citizens from visiting the country.
The Latest: NCarolina virus numbers head in wrong direction
Connecticut has seen an uptick in virus cases in communities across the state over the past few weeks. There were 3,747 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported Thursday, breaking the record of 3,279 set on Tuesday. The day of high case numbers comes just two weeks after the Republican governor repealed that same statewide mask mandate, citing declining numbers of virus cases. Mississippi has had more than 108,000 virus cases and at least 3,152 virus-related deaths. Mississippi’s state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Monday that six hospitals have no beds available in their intensive care units.
The Latest: Venezuela's Guaidó urges nations to decry Maduro
Member state flags fly outside the United Nations headquarters during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)TANZANIA – The Latest from the U.N. General Assembly (all times EDT):8:10 p.m. But U.S.-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó still put out his own online message during this year’s gathering of world leaders. Guaidó is recognized by nearly 60 nations as Venezuela’s president and has been in a nearly two-year standoff with Maduro. This week at the U.N. gathering of world leaders, African nations again have made it clear it’s time that changed.
Lebanese teen from Beirut joins global pop band
Nour Ardakani, a teenage singer from Lebanon, gives an interview to The Associated Press in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Ardakani became the latest to join a global pop band formed by Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls and American Idol, which aims to transform young unknowns into internet superstars. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)DUBAI – A teenage singer from Lebanon this week became the latest to join a global pop band formed by Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls and “American Idol,” which aims to transform young unknowns into internet superstars. Ardakani scored the 16th spot in the band after a series of Zoom auditions from quarantine that drew talented contenders from the Middle East. The band, similar to Fuller’s previous projects in show business, represents a career kick-starting platform for those dreaming of being catapulted from obscurity to teen pop fame.
'The port came to us': Story behind AP photo of Beirut blast
FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2020 file photo, Hoda Kinno, 11, is evacuated by her uncle Mustafa, in the aftermath of a massive explosion at the port in Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)When Mustafa Kinno felt the ground shake and heard the deafening blast toward the port, he frantically called his brother living nearby. He tried a neighbor, who said the family was sitting outside their apartment across from the port when it exploded. An image of the two, captured by Associated Press photographer Hassan Ammar, has come to symbolize the devastation of the Aug. 4 blast at the Beirut port, which took 193 lives and wounded 6,500. In the chaotic aftermath of the explosion, the Kinno family separated, each of them taken to a different hospital.
Ohio, GOP defend limit on ballot drop boxes to 1 per county
Ohio and Republican groups including the Trump campaign are defending a GOP election chief's directive limiting ballot drop boxes in the critical presidential battleground to one per county. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio and Republican groups including the Trump campaign are fighting to uphold a GOP election chief's directive limiting ballot drop boxes in the presidential battleground to one per county. LaRose argued that the number of drop boxes per county must be uniform to be fair, and that lawmakers had made clear in a law passed this spring that ballots had to be mailed or personally delivered to county board directors. Interest in access to ballot drop boxes has increased nationally since spring primary voting was hampered by virus concerns, the U.S. It is often the more urban, Democrat-heavy counties that lean toward drop boxes.
Judge OKs extradition for men accused of aiding Ghosn escape
U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell issued a ruling approving the extradition of Michael Taylor, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, and his son Peter Taylor, but the final decision rests with the State Department. The flight went first to Turkey, then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Bank records show Ghosn wired more than $860,000 to a company linked to Peter Taylor in October 2019, prosecutors said in court documents. Ghosns son also made cryptocurrency payments totaling about $500,000 to Peter Taylor in the first five months of this year, prosecutors say. The government seized $5 million from the bank account of Taylors company.
Show of solidarity after blast as Lebanon braces for protest
The port area lies in devastation following this week's massive explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. The blast killed 154 people, wounded more than 5,000 and laid waste to the countrys largest port and nearby areas. Also expected in Lebanon Saturday was the president of the European Council, Charles Michel. At the site of the blast in Beiruts port, workers were still searching for dozens of people who have been missing since Tuesday. It made an unscheduled detour to Beirut as the Russian shipowner was struggling with debts and hoped to earn some extra cash in Lebanon.
'The world exploded': Beirut blast takes a husband, father
This Aug. 19, 2019 photo photo provided by Soha Saade,, shows Soha and her husband Jihad with their children Gemma and Karl, in Miziara, north of Lebanon. (Soha Saade via AP)BEIRUT Soha Saade had not seen her husband since Christmas. The coronavirus pandemic had kept 44-year-old Jihad in Nigeria, where he worked far from his family in Beirut. Together, Jihad and Soha spent 13 days with their daughter, Gemma, as she received treatment. We only had one more day left in the hospital, Soha said.
PHOTOS: Beirut explosion leaves behind unspeakable damage
Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Marwan Tahtah (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday.
Videos and photos emerging on social media of Beirut explosion
A massive explosion happened in Beirut on Tuesday, causing immense damage and destruction, according to multiple reports. The explosion happened in downtown Beirut, and according to reports, was big enough to have a mushroom cloud rise above the capital city. Videos and photos of the explosion and its destruction have started to surface on social media, and words don’t do justice to how much devastation this explosion has on the city. I felt like I’m dying, I still can’t believe it #Lebanon #Beirut pic.twitter.com/EMTS470FOH — Ahmad M. Yassine | أحمد م. ياسين (@Lobnene_Blog) August 4, 2020BREAKING: Massive explosion in Beirut.
Huge explosions rock Beirut with widespread casualties, damage
BEIRUT Massive explosions rocked downtown Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the port, damaging buildings and blowing out windows and doors as a giant mushroom cloud rose above the capital. Witnesses saw many people injured by flying glass and debris. Lebanese Red Cross official Georges Kettaneh said hundreds of casualties have been confirmed as a result of the explosion. An Associated Press photographer near the port saw people lying injured on the ground, and hospitals called for blood donations, but exact casualties were not immediately known. Some local TV stations reported the blast was at Beiruts port inside an area where fireworks were stored.
Members of South Floridas Lebanese community react to explosion, destruction in Beirut capital
CORAL GABLES, Fla. A massive explosion ripped through the Beirut capital of Lebanon, causing a massive amount of destruction across the city. One person said they thought it was Hiroshima because the way the mushroom dust blew over the Port of Beirut. When that blast shook the Lebanon capital, the ripple effect was felt almost immediately by South Florida families thousands of miles away. Nabil Salem is a pillar in the Lebanese community in South Florida. Throughout the day, Salem has been following developments closely on social media and television.
No bail for 2 accused of helping ex-Nissan boss escape Japan
BOSTON A Massachusetts father and son who prosecutors say helped smuggle Nissans former chairman out of Japan last year were denied bail by a federal judge in Boston on Friday. The Taylors' lawyers had argued the pair were unlawfully arrested and cant be extradited because bail jumping is not a crime in Japan and, therefore, helping someone evade their bail conditions isnt a crime, either. The Taylors are wanted in Japan on allegations that they helped Ghosn flee the country in December while he was out on bail and awaiting trial on financial misconduct allegations. Authorities say the Taylors helped sneak Ghosn out of a hotel in a large box and then out of Japan on a private jet. The flight took Ghosn to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan.
Diageo goes green with carbon neutral distillery in Kentucky
Its distillery being built at Lebanon, Kentucky, is expected to be carbon neutral a first for the London-based company. The $130 million distillery of Bulleit bourbon is expected to be fully operational in 2021. This groundbreaking undertaking to electrify our operations and then power them with renewable electricity will result in one of the largest carbon neutral distilleries in North America." The renewable electricity will be supplied by Inter-County Energy and East Kentucky Power Cooperative, it said. The plant will supplement the company's Kentucky operations at the Stitzel-Weller distillery in Louisville and its distillery at Shelbyville.
Were they worth it?: Key protest movements over the decades
The very nature of a protest suggests a fervent desire for change, the need to right a perceived historic injustice. Confronting tyranny can also backfire, the result a more dictatorial leader or a ruinous civil war. Here's a look at some of the key protests of recent decades and what they achieved or failed. Syria exploded quickly from an uprising against the Assad dynasty to ruinous civil war which still continues with more than half million dead and millions displaced. In neighboring Lebanon and in Iraq, civil protests erupted last October against ruling elites.
5 things to know today - that aren't about the virus
Twenty years after Hezbollah guerrillas pushed Israels last troops from southern Lebanon, both sides are gearing up for a war that neither seems to want. Israeli troops are drilling for a possible invasion of Lebanon and striking Hezbollah targets in neighboring Syria. Hezbollah is beefing up its own forces and threatening to invade Israel. RISING TENSION BETWEEN ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH Israeli troops strike Hezbollah targets in Syria and drilling for what could be an invasion of Lebanon, while Hezbollah is beefing up its own forces and threatening to invade Israel. It will be the first time a private company, rather than a national government, sends astronauts into orbit.
Iran's 'largest internet shutdown ever' underway
The internet blackout started on Saturday evening and continued through Monday, according to internet watchdogs. Oracle's Internet Intelligence called it the "largest internet shutdown ever observed in Iran." Iran's protests took off weeks after demonstrations began in Lebanon and Iraq, forcing governments in both countries to agree to resign. Rapidly deteriorating economic conditions in Iraq, Lebanon and Iran have meant that the protesters have a clear common cause. He also recalled Iran's response to its 2018 protests, praising the armed forces for "neutralizing" "similar plans" for Iran.
Lebanon 'days' away from economic collapse, says central bank gov
Demonstrators in Beirut, Lebanon, block a road by staging a sit-in as they get in scuffles with police. (CNN) - Lebanon is on the verge of economic collapse unless an "immediate solution" can be found to end days of nationwide protests that have paralyzed the country, Central Bank Governor Riad Salame told CNN in an exclusive interview Monday. Salame said Hariri "wanted to resign" but has feared leaving a "vacancy" in government. Today there is no economic activity in the country," said Salame. "The issue today is an issue of a country that is stopped in its activity, and (it) cannot afford that," Salame added.
Lebanon President gives no ground after week of angry protests
BEIRUT - Lebanon's President Michel Aoun made no concrete concessions in his first public address since nationwide protests erupted against the country's political elites a week ago, as his speech was met with jeers from demonstrators. Calls for the government's resignation have grown since protests engulfed Lebanon on October 17. Our regime will not be removed based on protests on the ground. The President is a close political ally of the Shia group Hezbollah, which has a powerful armed wing in the country. Aoun's son-in-law and the country's foreign minister, Gebran Bassil, has been one of the main targets of the protests.
Feds: New Jersey man scouted US for potential Hezbollah attacks
Alexei Saab, a 42-year-old Lebanon native and naturalized US citizen, was charged in an indictment Thursday with nine offenses, which include providing material support to Hezbollah, the US Justice Department said. Hezbollah had given him extensive training in Lebanon, and made him a member of its wing that plans terror attacks outside of Lebanon, the Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), the Justice Department says. While he was in Lebanon in 2003, a Hezbollah handler asked him to prepare a detailed guide to New York City. During an investigation, the FBI found photographs of these locations in Saab's electronic devices, the Justice Department says. US counterterrorism officials have not publicly released estimates of how many Hezbollah members are suspected of being in the country.
On this day: November 3
1986: The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa reports that the United States has been secretly selling weapons to Iran in order to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon. This was the first public reporting of what became known as the Iran-Contra affair. Hide Caption