(2020-08-06). EU to mobilize over ‚Ǩ33 million to support Lebanon. yenisafak.com The European Union is mobilizing over ‚Ǩ33 million for Lebanon after Tuesday's deadly explosion at Beirut's port, the head of the EU Commission told Lebanon's premier over the phone on Thursday.According to a readout of the phone call issued by the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen told Hassan Diab the bloc will provide further support depending on the ongoing humanitarian needs assessment.The EU's long-term support to help with the city's reconstruction also discussed during the phone call.The 27-member bloc Wednesday announced that it activated its "Civil Protection Mechanism" and send…
(2020-08-06). Iran sends aid to Lebanon over explosion at Beirut port. yenisafak.com The devastating tragedy in Beirut on Tuesday has drawn tremendous outpouring of shock and grief around the world with many countries, including Iran, coming forward with offers of help.Iran, one of Lebanon's key allies in the region, dispatched the second shipment of humanitarian aid to Beirut on Thursday, following the first shipment late on Wednesday.The consignment of humanitarian aid includes mainly food and medical supplies, said Mohammad Baqer Mohammadi, the deputy head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).Iran has also set up a field hospital in Beirut and sent a 37-member medical team comprising gen…
(2020-08-06). Trump Administration Approves the "Stealing" of Syria's Oil. globalresearch.ca Months after US president Donald Trump…
(2020-08-06). There Is No Political Solution to the Syrian Conflict. globalresearch.ca US Secretary of State, John Kerry, of the Obama administration, created a mantra for the media: "There is no military solution to Syria." He said it so many times, he seemed to convince everyone. However, after 9 years of …
(2020-08-06). French president urges to prioritize aid to Lebanon. yenisafak.com French President Emmanuel Macron stressed on Thursday to prioritize aids for blast-hit Lebanon without any condition.Following his arrival in Beirut, Lebanon's capital, Macron met with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun and the two leaders visited the site of massive explosion at the Port of Beirut.Macron said: "Lebanon is not alone … and we are fully aware that Lebanon's crisis is massive."He also vowed to secure and coordinate international aid to Lebanon, including medical supplies and medicine.The massive blast that rocked the Port of Beirut on Tuesday has left so far at least 135 dead and around 5,000 in…
(2020-08-06). Capacity to confront blast impact 'limited': Lebanon. yenisafak.com Lebanon's financial capacity to deal with the impact of the port warehouse explosion is "very limited," the country's economy minister said Thursday. | Raoul Nehme told a TV channel that damages of the devastating explosion, which killed at least 137 people and injured about 5,000 others in the capital Beirut on Tuesday, are estimated to be in billions of dollars. | "The capacity of the state is very limited, and so is that of the central bank and the banks," he said. "Grain silos [structures for storing bulk materials] have been completely destroyed, and we need time to evaluate the damages." | The Port of Beiru…
(2020-08-05). Headlines for August 5, 2020. democracynow.org Massive Explosion Tears Through Beirut, Leaving Hundreds Missing and Thousands Injured, Lebanon's PM Says 2,700 Tons of Ammonium Nitrate Sparked "National Catastrophe" in Beirut, Mississippi Becomes Biggest U.S. Coronavirus Hot Spot as Governor Mandates Masks, Georgia Prisoners Livestream Video From Prison Uprising Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Chicago Schools Cancel September Classes as Union Threatens Strike Over Coronavirus Safety, U.N. Warns Coronavirus School Closures Have Impacted Over One Billion Students, Brazil COVID-19 Deaths Approach 100,000 as Infections Surge in India, Black Lives Matter & Ferguson Acti…
(2020-08-05). Journalist Rami Khouri: Beirut Explosion Follows Years of Lebanese Gov't Incompetence & Corruption. democracynow.org 
The explosion in the port of Beirut, which killed at least 100 people and injured about 4,000 others, is the latest blow to Lebanon, which already faces an economic, political and public health crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic. The blast is believed to have been triggered by 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate inexplicably left unattended in a warehouse for six years. Journalist Rami Khouri says it's further proof of "the cumulative incompetence, corruption, lassitude, amateurism and uncaring attitude by successive Lebanese governments" that have failed the country. "It's the ruling political elit…
(2020-08-05). "Despair and Destruction": Doctor in Beirut Describes Harrowing Scenes After Massive Port Explosion. democracynow.org 
As Beirut reels from a massive explosion that killed at least 100 people and injured thousands, we get an on-the-ground update from pediatrician and writer Dr. Seema Jilani, who treated her own daughter for injuries after the blast. "It was extremely packed because we're just coming out of a four-day lockdown," says Jilani. "Everybody was out." Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab called the explosion a "national catastrophe."
(2020-08-05). Iran to send 2000 humanitarian packs to Beirut. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 05 (MNA) — "2,000 packages weighing 9 tons of food, as well as medicine and medical supplies, will be sent to Lebanon by IRCS", Iranian Red Crescent Society spokesman announced.
(2020-08-05). Iran's shipment of humanitarian aid to Lebanon. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 05 (MNA) — Iranian Red Crescent Society sent 95 tons of food and medicine to Beirut from Mehrabad Airport on Wednesday evening.
(2020-08-05). Explosion Rocks Beirut; Trump Defies SCOTUS, GOP Stimulus Failure. sputniknews.com Lebanon's capital of Beirut is reeling from an explosion on Tuesday that killed more than 135 people, injured thousands more and left the economy crippled. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump continues to push against a Supreme Court ruling on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, making life harder on immigrants.
(2020-08-05). Israel Hits Beirut with Nuclear Missile, Trump and Lebanese Govt. Confirm (continually updating). thealtworld.com 
Trump confirms this was a bombing, not an accident and is immediately scourged by pro-Israel press…starting with the Daily Beast | #Breaking #Syria President Assad orders all borders and ports in the country open to #Lebanon, orders caravans of ambulances to head to #Beirut and ferry injured to hospitals in #Damascus, and launches an air bridge of medical and food supplies between the two cities | Israeli Delilah missile carrying 6 kiloton (6000 tons of TNT equivalent) nuclear missile (unretouched photo via VT Damascus) Ti…
(2020-08-05). Beirut Blast a Deadly Blow to Lebanon's Already Shattered Economy. mintpressnews.com 
With Lebanon already suffering from a food crisis, currency collapse, and economic sanctions, the devastating explosion at Beirut's biggest port may be a death knell for the country's economy.
(2020-08-05). Lebanon ARRESTS ALL port officials as images are thought to reveal the poorly stored ammonium nitrate which blew up Beirut. rt.com 
After a colossal port explosion rocked the capital city of Beirut, the Lebanese government has decided to put all officials who oversaw storage and security there since 2014 under house arrest, until investigations are complete. | The country's Information Minister Manal Abdelsamad said the military will oversee their confinement, until all those responsible among the suspects are found. The port officials will be put under arrest "as soon as possible," according to Abdelsamad, and the whole procedure is expected to be finished "within the next five days." It is unclear as yet how many people are going to be a…
(2020-08-05). Devastating Beirut Explosion: An Accident or Something More Sinister? globalresearch.ca On Tuesday, a massive explosion rocked Beirut, Lebanon's port area. | Scores were killed, thousands wounded, dozens of people missing, along with widespread destruction and damage. | According to Lebanese authorities, around 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate were stored in …
(2020-08-05). Breaking: Israel Bombed Beirut? globalresearch.ca Photo: Massive mushroom cloud from Hezbollah warehouse bombing and its aftermath | A note to our readers | Important report by Tikun Olan
(2020-08-05). Shadowy US Firm Run by Former Diplomat Cinches Syria Oil Deal with Kurds. mintpressnews.com A Delaware-based company formed by a former American diplomat, a CEO of a private mercenary company and an old hand in the oil business has inked a deal with U.S.-backed Kurdish rebels to develop crude in Syria.
(2020-08-05). Massive explosion in Beirut kills dozens and injures thousands. wsws.org A deadly explosion in the port district of Beirut, Lebanon Tuesday evening flattened buildings in the immediate vicinity and sent a shock wave across the city.
(2020-08-05). Lebanon: Support for hospitals top UN priority in the wake of deadly blast. news.un.org The United Nations is working closely with the authorities in Lebanon to support ongoing response in the aftermath of the massive deadly explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday, destroying large swathes of the capital.
(2020-08-05). Syria criticizes US deal with SDF over its oil fields. peoplesdispatch.org Syrian oil fields in the north-eastern part of the country have been under the control of the Kurdish-led rebel group, Syrian Democratic Forces, since the defeat of ISIS in 2017…
(2020-08-05). New envoys of Oman, Germany submit credentials to Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 06 (MNA) — The new ambassadors of Oman and Germany submitted a copy of their credentials to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday.
(2020-08-05). Hezbollah launches blood donation campaign in Lebanon. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 05 (MNA) — Hezbollah Resistance Movement has launched a blood donation campaign in all Lebanese health centers in solidarity with the wounded in the explosion.
(2020-08-05). Zarif says Iran ready to assist Lebanon after explosion. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 05 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed the country's full readiness to render any necessary help to Lebanon after a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
(2020-08-05). Iran ready to dispatch medical equipment to Beirut: Hatami. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 06 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that his ministry is ready to send medical staff and equipment to Lebanon's Beirut following the huge explosion occurred in Beirut Port yesterday.
(2020-08-05). Lebanon rejects Trump's claim over deadly blast in Beirut. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 05 (MNA) — Lebanon rejects President Trump's claims that the Tuesday's massive blast in Beirut was caused by enemy action rather than an industrial incident.
(2020-08-05). Lebanon's stability significant for all regional countries. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 06 (MNA) — Iranian First Vice President Es'hagh Jahangiri said that Lebanon's stability and security are significant for all regional countries.
(2020-08-05). Iran standing by Lebanon: Ghalibaf. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 05 (MNA) — Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Tehran stands by the government and nation of the Lebanon for getting through this crisis.
(2020-08-05). Militants Shell Localities in Syria's Idlib, Aleppo Provinces, Russian Military Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group has attacked settlements in Syria's provinces of Idlib and Aleppo, Rear Admiral Alexander Shcherbitsky, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's centre for Syrian reconciliation, said at a briefing.
(2020-08-05). Doctor in Beirut Describes Harrowing Scenes After Massive Port Explosion. truthout.org As Beirut reels from a massive explosion that killed at least 100 people and injured thousands, we get an on-the-ground update from pediatrician and writer Dr. Seema Jilani, who treated her own daughter for injuries after the blast. "It was extremely packed because we're just coming out of a four-day lockdown," says Jilani. "Everybody was out." Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab called the explosion a "national catastrophe." | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its…
(2020-08-05). Pakistani envoy calls for raising awareness on Kashmir. yenisafak.com Pakistani citizens living abroad should raise awareness about the plight of people in Jammu and Kashmir, which was annexed by India and reduced to a centrally administered territory a year ago, Pakistan's ambassador to Ankara said on Wednesday.Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi's comments came at an event held in the Pakistani Embassy in Ankara where Youm-e-Istehsal, or Day of Exploitation, was marked with participation of officials, journalists and diplomatic representatives.The Pakistani administration declared Aug. 5 as Youm-e-Istehsal to protest against the Indian government's actions in Jammu and Kashmir, which Isla…
(2020-08-05). France's Macron to travel to Beirut on Thursday. yenisafak.com Macron, who spoken to Lebanese President Michel Aoun shortly after the blast, has already ordered French emergency assistance be sent to Lebanon, a country with deep historical ties to France.
(2020-08-04). U.S. using Kurds to steal Syria's oil. peoplesworld.org 
Kurdish forces were accused of "aggravated theft" and stealing from the Syrian people today after the semi-autonomous region known as Rojava signed an oil deal with the U.S. last week. The move, which has been portrayed as a necessity by Kurdish officials, has been widely criticized as evidence of support for the U.S. regime-change agenda …
(2020-08-04). HRW chief jumps to blame Hezbollah for devastating Beirut blasts — and backpedals immediately. rt.com 
Human Rights Watch head Kenneth Roth was quick to join a social media chorus blaming Hezbollah for deadly explosions in Beirut on Tuesday. Perhaps realizing the claim lacked a shred of evidence, he soon deleted it. | Roth rushed to blame Hezbollah for the huge explosions near the port of Beirut, blasts which killed at least 50 people and are believed to have wounded over 3,000 more. "Is this Hezbollah's way of saying don't mess with us for allegedly killing former Lebanese PM Hariri?" he asked in a tweet posted almost immediately after news of the explosions hit social media on Tuesday. | Billionaire-funded re…
(2020-08-04). Both Israel AND Hezbollah deny devastating Lebanon blasts were a rocket attack. rt.com 
The Israeli Defense Force has denied responsibility for two massive explosions in Beirut that killed at least 10 people on Tuesday and injured hundreds more. Hezbollah has also denied the blasts were the result of a rocket attack. | The huge explosions took place shortly after 6pm local time in a port area of Beirut where highly explosive materials are stored, according to Lebanon's internal security chief. Local media have reported the explosion took place at a fireworks depot near the port, while Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan initially said a ship carrying fireworks exploded in the port. | In a st…
(2020-08-04). 'Catastrophe': Lebanese PM pleads for help as 70+ confirmed dead & thousands injured in Beirut blasts. rt.com 
Lebanon's health minister has confirmed over 70 deaths following explosions in the country's capital, with thousands more injured. The blasts are under investigation with early reports linking it to stored fireworks and chemicals. | Two blasts struck the port area of Beirut, with the first hitting at around 6pm local time. The second appeared much stronger, sending a huge mushroom cloud-shaped plume of smoke and debris high overhead. | Also on rt.com | | Sp…
(2020-08-04). Ticking time bomb? Explosive stash that devastated Beirut was there since 2014, PM says, vowing to punish those responsible. rt.com 
As Lebanon's PM Hassan Diab picked through the rubble in his Beirut office, he promised that those responsible for a devastating warehouse explosion that destroyed much of the city would "pay the price." | A devastating explosion rocked Beirut on Tuesday evening, killing more than 70 people and injuring at least 2,700. Large swathes of the Lebanese capital were damaged by the blast, including the offices of Prime Minister Hassan Diab. | Pictures of the damage at Lebanon's PM Hassan Diab's office
(2020-08-04). BEIRUT BLAST AFTERMATH: Parts of Lebanon's capital lay in ruins after explosions leave dozens dead & buildings destroyed (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Videos obtained by RT show areas around Beirut's port reduced to rubble and ruins after explosions near the city's docks destroyed nearby buildings and blew out windows more than 10 kilometers away. | Free-lance journalist Owen Holdaway sent videos from Beirut Thursday evening showing the aftermath of the blasts. "A large part of the area has been completely devastated,"
(2020-08-04). Hundreds injured in Beirut explosions so powerful they turned streets into wasteland (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Huge explosions in the Lebanese capital Beirut have killed at least 10 people, local security and medical sources told Reuters. The blasts smashed buildings and turned the city's streets into a debris-strewn wasteland. | An explosion rang out at Beirut's port shortly after 6pm local time on Tuesday, followed immediately by another, deafening blast. The explosions obliterated buildings at the port and shattered windows several kilometers away, sending a mushroom cloud towering up into the sky. Health Minister Hamad Hassan has blamed the explosion on a fireworks accident. | As the dust settled, Hassan ordered al…
(2020-08-04). Lebanon: UN 'actively assisting' in response to huge explosions at Beirut port. news.un.org The United Nations has said that it is "actively assisting" in the response to the horrific explosions that ripped through the port area of Beirut on Tuesday, reportedly leaving dozens dead and thousands wounded, among them some UN naval peacekeepers.
(2020-08-04). Lebanon Explosion: At Least 78 Dead and 4000 Injured in Beirut. telesurenglish.net A colossal explosion Tuesday ravaged Beirut's port area causing several casualties and widespread damage to surrounding buildings. | RELATED: | As of this hour, there have been at least 78 fatalities reported and 4000 people injured, according to the information given to Reuters by Lebanon's Health Minister Hamad Hasan. | The shock wave blew out windows and false ceilings, as a giant mushroom cloud lifted up above th…
(2020-08-04). 'Heed the calls' for ceasefire in north-western Syria — UN. news.un.org The United Nations expressed concern on Tuesday for the safety and protection of more than four million civilians in north-western Syria, which has been hit with aerial bombardments over the past few days.
(2020-08-04). Israeli warplanes bomb targets in Syria. peoplesdispatch.org Israeli air force fighter jets, attack helicopters and other attack aircraft conducted airstrikes in southern Syria late on August 3, Monday. Israel claimed that the airstrikes were in retaliation to an attempted attack on Sunday along the northern Israel-Syria border in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. | The Syrian government is yet to confirm the specific locations targeted by the Israeli bombings. The official Syrian SANA news agency stated that the airstrikes caused significant material damage to Syrian government property, adding that no Syrians, civilian or military, were injured. | Syrian state media la…
(2020-08-04). United States Stealing Syrian Oil. popularresistance.org The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria has signed an agreement with an American oil company, well-placed sources with close knowledge of the deal told Al-Monitor. One of the sources said the agreement to market oil in territory controlled by the US-backed entity and to develop and modernize existing fields was inked last week "with the knowledge and encouragement of the White House." The sources named the company as Delta Crescent Energy LLC, a corporation organized under the laws of the state of Delaware. The sources gave no further details about the company but would only say they had been…
(2020-08-04). 'Terrible Attack': Trump Says US Military Experts Believe Beirut Blast Result of 'Bomb of Some Kind'. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump sent his sympathies to the Lebanese people on Tuesday, following an explosion in Beirut that has killed scores of people. However, the president referred to it as an "attack," which contradicts statements by the Lebanese government that it was an industrial accident.
(2020-08-04). 'Lacks Any Legal Status': US-SDF 'Oil Deal' Violates Syria's Sovereignty, Iran Says. sputniknews.com The deal between an unnamed American company and the Kurdish militia controlling oil-rich northeastern parts of the Arab Republic was announced on 2 August by US Senator Lindsay Graham despite the armed groups having no authority to strike deals on behalf of the Syrian government.
(2020-08-03). Israel strikes Syrian military targets near Damascus, IDF calls it 'response' to failed border attack. rt.com 
Israeli jets bombed several Syrian military sites south of Damascus late on Monday, the IDF has confirmed, saying that the attack had been launched in response to the attempted planting of a bomb in the Golan Heights. | The airstrike took place in the countryside southwest of Damascus, SANA news agency reported, describing explosions being heard in the city. | The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) then said in a statement the attack was a response to an attempted provocation on the Syrian-Israeli border, targeting a fence in the occupied Golan Heights. | The IDF said the strike targeted Syrian army's observation pos…
(2020-08-03). Nicaragua Targeted for US Overthrow in 2020-21. globalresearch.ca The USA failed State continues to seek destruction of Nicaragua (among other nations such as Venezuela, Cuba, Syria and Iran, who refuse to obey US demands for neoliberal privatization that enrich the already rich. | Introduction | George Washington, who waged …
(2020-08-03). 'US unilateral anti-Iranian sanctions unfair'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 03 (MNA) — Naming the unilateral US sanctions against Iran 'unfair', the Austrian Ambassador to Iran Stefan Schulz voiced readiness of 250 Austrian firms for establishing economic relations with Iran.
(2020-08-03). Turkey regrets US firm's signing oil deal with YPG/PKK. yenisafak.com Turkey Monday denounced a US firm's signing a deal with YPG/PKK-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to extract, process and produce oil in northeastern Syria."We deeply regret the US support to this step, disregarding international law, violating territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty of Syria, as well as being considered within the scope of financing terrorism. This act, which cannot be justified by any legitimate motive, is utterly unacceptable" the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement.Turkey's remarks came after media reports that the US-based company Delta Crescent Energy LLC signed a contract wi…