The Latest Breaking News from Beirut

UK Ruling Delivers Rare Victory for Beirut Blast Victims

A British court has ruled a London-based company that delivered the explosive ammonium nitrate to Beirut's port is liable towards the victims of a devastating blast in 2020, Lebanon's Beirut Bar Association said Thursday. On Aug. 4 that year, hundreds of tons of the chemical, typically used in fertilizers, detonated,…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Feb 23, 2023

UK ruling delivers rare victory for Beirut blast victims

A British court has ruled a London-based company that delivered the explosive ammonium nitrate to Beirut's port is liable towards the victims of a devastating 2020 blast, according to Lebanon’s Beirut Bar Association

The Independent UK · Feb 23, 2023

Rising poverty and hunger in Lebanon: The fight against malnutrition for low-income families

Protesters smashed windows of banks in the Lebanese capital Beirut this past week as the currency hit a new low against the dollar. The Lebanese lira has lost about 97 percent of its value, and more than 80 percent of the population live below the poverty line. Millions of people…

France 24 · Feb 22, 2023

Iranian Official Reiterates from Beirut Tehran's Support for 'Lebanon and its Resistance'

Iranian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Bagheri on Wednesday pointed to an "embargo exercised by the enemies of the region against Iran and Lebanon," saying, however, that he trusted Lebanon and its resistance in fighting these acts. Bagheri, who is also Iran's chief negotiator in international talks to revive the…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Feb 9, 2023

Beirut Blast Investigator Puts off Interrogations of Top Officials

The judge investigating the deadly 2020 Beirut port blast said he had postponed interrogations of senior current and former officials that had been set to begin on Monday until a legal dispute over the extent of his powers can be resolved. Last month Judge Tarek Bitar resumed his inquiry into…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Feb 7, 2023

Turkey, Syria deadly earthquakes: Can international aid get through in time?

Two earthquakes have claimed over 2,500 lives on the border between Turkey and Syria. In the early hours of the morning, as people slept, a 7.8-magnitude quake hit. The scale of the devastation caused to the surrounding area of Gazientep is clear to see from the news footage captured at…

France 24 · Feb 6, 2023

Former BBC journalist writes new Scottish indyref crime thriller

MARTIN Patience was in a worn-down café in Beirut when he realised he’d made a breakthrough with the characters in his new novel.

The National (Scotland) · Feb 6, 2023

Beirut blast investigator puts off interrogations of top officials

The judge investigating the deadly 2020 Beirut port blast said he had postponed interrogations of senior current and former officials that had been set to begin on Monday until a legal dispute over the extent of his powers can be resolved.

Reuters · Feb 6, 2023

Qatar boosts influence in Lebanon amid multiple crises

Wealthy Qatar has been silently expanding its influence in crisis-hit Lebanon in recent years, while oil-rich Gulf Arab nations ostracized the Mediterranean country over the growing influence of its militant Hezbollah group

The Independent UK · Feb 4, 2023

French Envoy Criticizes Lebanon over 'Slow' Reforms Needed for IMF Loan

The French diplomat charged with coordinating international support for Lebanon, so it can receive International Monetary Fund aid, on Friday criticized the slow pace of reforms in the crisis-hit country. The IMF last April announced an agreement in principle with Beirut for $3 billion in aid spread over four years,…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Feb 4, 2023