The Latest Breaking News from Beirut

Lebanon seeks to name second investigator to stalled Beirut blast probe, outraging victims

The appointment of a second judge, without the power to summon suspects or press charges, would undermine the investigation, victims say.

ABC News · Sep 7, 2022

Families slam plans for 2nd judge to probe Beirut port blast

Dozens of relatives of the victims of Beirut’s 2020 massive port blast have protested plans by the judiciary to name a second investigative judge, calling the move an attempt by the country’s political class to prevent justice

The Independent UK · Sep 7, 2022

Lebanon Seeks to Name 2nd Investigator to Stalled Beirut Blast Probe

Lebanon's judiciary wants to appoint a second judge to a stalled investigation into the Beirut port blast, according to a letter seen by Reuters, further complicating efforts to hold officials to account over a tragedy that killed more than 220 people. Judge Tarek Bitar's investigation into the 2020 explosion, which…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Sep 7, 2022

U.S. mediator in Lebanon-Israel maritime talks to arrive in Beirut this week

Amos Hochstein, the U.S diplomat mediating talks between Lebanon and Israel over their shared maritime border, will be in Beirut at the end of the week, a statement from Lebanon’s presidential palace said on Sunday.

Reuters · Sep 4, 2022

Hezbollah at 40 stronger than ever but has more enemies

Forty years since it was founded, Lebanon's Hezbollah has transformed from a ragtag organization to the largest and most heavily armed militant group in the Middle East

The Independent UK · Sep 1, 2022

Internet Shutdowns Hit Cash-Strapped Lebanon Due to Strike

Internet shutdowns rippled through cash-strapped Lebanon on Tuesday after employees of the country's state-owned telecom company went on strike, demanding higher wages. It was the latest reflection of one of the world's worst economic disasters, which has pulled three quarters of Lebanon's 6 million people into poverty. The Lebanese pound…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Aug 31, 2022

Riyadh Demands Beirut Turn over Suspect Who Threatened its Embassy

Saudi Ambassador to Beirut Waleed Bukhari demanded on Tuesday Lebanese authorities to arrest and turn over to Riyadh a suspect who had made threats to the Saudi embassy earlier this month. Bukhari met with Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi. The envoy said the suspect, a Saudi national called Ali…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Aug 31, 2022

New Book Narrates Successes, Disappointments of the ‘Battle for Change’ in Damascus

Discussing Sami Moubayed’s book “Tramway: The Road to Modernity Passed through Damascus,” which is scheduled for release by Riad El-Rayyes Books in Beirut in early September, Amin Maalouf said that the new book “awakens nostalgia and some hope.” The release represents the sixth collaboration between Moubayed and El-Rayyes Books.

Asharq Al-Awsat · Aug 30, 2022

Beirut Remembers Arafat’s Departure 40 Years Ago

On this day 40 years ago, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat departed Beirut, which was under Israeli siege, to Tunisia, his first leg on a journey back to a homeland smaller than his dreams. It was the end of an era, in which the Palestinian player was a mainstay and part…

Asharq Al-Awsat · Aug 30, 2022

The Lebanese House; Shattered Glass of Beirut; Maurice Broomfield: Industrial Sublime – review

In all their ruined glory a Beirut house and ancient glassware are recreated or restored, two years after the city’s devastating port explosion. Plus, a magnificent snapshot of postwar Britain’s industrial might

The Guardian - UK · Aug 28, 2022