(2020-08-13). How the US helped push Lebanon to the brink of collapse, and now threatens more sanctions. thegrayzone.com While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the US government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to…
(2020-08-13). Lebanon parliament grants sweeping powers to military in Beirut. thecanary.co 
Lebanon's parliament has approved a state of emergency in Beirut in its first session since the explosion in the city last week.It has granted the military sweeping powers amid rising anger and political uncertainty in the capital.The blast that killed more than 170 people and injured at least 6,000 others changed the face of the city and forced the government to resign.People walk past debris from destroyed buildings in Beirut (Felipe Dana/AP)Before resigning, the government declared a state of emergency in Beirut that granted the military sweeping powers including the power to declare curfews, prevent public ga…
(2020-08-13). The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria? dissidentvoice.org On August 4, hours before a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued an ominous warning to Lebanon. "We hit a cell and now we hit the dispatchers. I suggest to all of them, including Hezbollah, to consider this," Netanyahu said during an official tour of a military facility …
(2020-08-13). Lebanon's Gov't Resigns, But Protesters Demand Structural Change. zcomm.org "The fall of cabinets and even the holding of early parliamentary elections are not necessarily signs that fundamental transformation is underway in Lebanon"
(2020-08-13). US Color Revolutions: From Eastern Europe to Egypt, Iran, Now Lebanon. globalresearch.ca It is necessary to study, how US color-techniques are applied for regime-change in Egypt (Tahrir) — Iran (Green Movement) and now Lebanon (Cedar Revolution + "Day of Rage"). | The US engineering of these all-but-spontaneous undercover "Color …
(2020-08-13). Deaths of children in northeast Syria 'could have been averted': UNICEF. news.un.org The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed "deep alarm" over reports that eight children — all under the age of five — have died in Syria's Al Hol camp, where several thousand children are languishing in dire conditions.
(2020-08-13). Lebanon: Bellwether, Battleground, And Bastard Child Of The Mideast. popularresistance.org When I was a kid, "Beirut" became a cultural shorthand for any chaotic and violent urban setting. In the 1990s, my hometown rappers — the Wu Tang Clan — repeatedly shouted out the Lebanese city (plus one of its civil war antagonists, the P.L.O. — Palestinian Liberation Organization); but so did Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem, and the Dead Kennedys. In the 2001 Hollywood blockbuster Spy Game, CIA agents played by Brad Pitt and Robert Redford sprint through rubble and gunfire along the Green Line dividing war-torn 1980s Beirut's Christian East and Musl…
(2020-08-12). Lebanon's Leaders Resign over deaths of 200, but Trump refuses Accountability for 163,462 Deaths. zcomm.org Trump by his peculiar combination of narcissism, contrarianism, irrationality, and political guile, has polished off more Americans than died in the entire Vietnam War…
(2020-08-12). Vietnam donates 10,000 masks to Maryland to fight COVID-19. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The Embassy of Vietnam in the United States presented 10,000 face masks to the state of Maryland at a ceremony held on August 7. At the handover ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Ha Kim Ngoc voiced his hope that the face masks will contribute to containing the spread of COVID-19 in Maryland. He added …
(2020-08-12). Turkey Marks 100 Years Since Treaty of Sèvres. Renewed Hostilities with Greece. globalresearch.ca Yesterday marked the 100-year anniversary from when the Treaty of Sèvres was signed. The Treaty of Sèvres saw the Ottoman Empire dismembered, with Greece, Syria and Armenia gaining old lost lands, an independent Kurdistan established, and France, Britain and Italy …
(2020-08-12). Beirut: A tragedy that threatens the region with war and chaos. thealtworld.com On the 4th August 2020 an apocalyptic event took place in the main port of Lebanon's capital city, Beirut. Two explosions tore the city apart. The first explosion was registered on multiple mobile phone videos. The second ripped through the city with terrifying force, killing an estimated 220 and injuring more than 7000. Many victims are still missing as the search for survivors and bodies continues in the aftermath of thirty seconds that has left Beirut and Lebanon reeling with shock. | Three hundred thousand people are reported to be homeless although it is suspected that all estimated numbers are conservative.
(2020-08-12). Beirut Blast Aftermath—MES EP.67. thealtworld.com The majority of Lebanese people put the blame squarely on the political elite and the corruption and mismanagement for the Beirut Explosion on August 4rth. However, only the US backed politicians in Lebanon began parroting from the first hour of the blast that Hezbollah is to blame for this disaster and sent in their protestors that same week to start riots in the capital while hundreds were still missing and thousands remain in hospitals getting treated as hundreds were laid for their final rest. To discuss this issue with us from Beirut is Mr. Maan Bachour Former secretary general of the Arab National Congress.
(2020-08-12). How Israel views the Beirut explosion and Hezbollah's involvement. thealtworld.com "Hezbollah controls the Harbour of Beirut and is knowledgeable of everything happening in it. It uses its influence to smuggle its shipments through and prefers to keep these shipments at the harbour to prevent Israel from bombing them." | "Hezbollah controls Lebanon and forced the choice of General Michel Aoun as a President and of Hassan Diab as a Prime Minister. Moreover, through its influence in the parliament and the cabinet, it is enforcing the protection of its arsenal and of its presence as a powerful armed organisation". | "Israel will use its influence to prevent any financial support from reaching Leba…
(2020-08-12). Podcast: The Beirut Explosion, Economic Terror and the Drumbeat of War Against Hezbollah. mintpressnews.com Lebanese journalists Laith Marouf and Marwa Osman recount their experience living through the recent blast that destroyed much of Beirut, an explosion that not only occurred during a period of rapid economic decline but of increasing public outrage over corruption and Western sanctions that have squeezed Lebanon dry.
(2020-08-12). Comment Israà´l voit l'explosion de Beyrouth et l'implication du Hezbollah. thealtworld.com ´ Le Hezbollah contrà¥le le port de Beyrouth et est au courant de tout ce qui s'y passe. Il se sert de son influence pour faire passer ses cargaisons en contrebande et préfère garder ces cargaisons au port pour empêcher Israà´l de les bombarder. ª | ´ Le Hezbollah contrà¥le le Liban et a forcé le choix du général Michel Aoun comme président et de Hassan Diab comme premier ministre. De plus, par son influence au parlement et au cabinet, il impose la protection de son arsenal et sa présence en tant que puissante organisation armée. ª | ´ Israà´l usera de son influenc…
(2020-08-12). Replaying the 'Syria Scenario' in Lebanon. thealtworld.com The US and its clients are trying to exploit the crisis to advance their plans to destroy Hezbollah. They should know better. | Let us start at the end, without getting bogged down in the details and analyses that fill the Lebanese and Arab media these days: The current ferment in Lebanon, which resulted in the resignation of Hassan Diab's government over the Beirut Port explosion, will eventually lead to the demise of Lebanon's corrupt ruling elite and the 1989 Taif Agreement that brought it to power and established the sectarian carve-up system that sustains it. | The Lebanese people want genuine democratic ref…
(2020-08-12). Lebanon should look East and abandon the West. thealtworld.com Post-blast Lebanon has everything to gain from rejecting the West's neoliberal demands and embracing China's Belt and Road | As much as Covid-19 has been instrumentalized by the 0.001% to social-engineer a Facing oh-so-timely color-revolution-style "protests," the current Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab has already resigned. | Even before the onshore portion of the port blew up, Beirut had requested a US$10 billion…
(2020-08-12). Lebanon: WFP racing to help vulnerable, prevent food shortages. news.un.org The World Food Programme (WFP) is racing to prevent food shortages in Lebanon as the country continues to reel from the triple shock of the devastating blast in Beirut, economic meltdown and the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-08-12). Macron Lectures Lebanon: The Condescending Politics of Aid. globalresearch.ca The
(2020-08-12). US needs terrorists in region: Bashar al-Assad. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the United States is in desperate need of terrorists in the region including ISIL terrorist group and seeks to support terrorists using Caesar sanctions law against Syria.
(2020-08-12). A Company Of Thieves Run By Washington To Steal Syrian Oil. popularresistance.org Stealing the resources of the Syrian people and plundering their wealth has always been a major goal of the United States in Syria, as it has completed its hostile approach by supporting terrorism there through an agreement between it and Qasad (SDF) militia to pillage the Syrian oil in an aggravated and declared crime that violates the rules of international law. | The administration of US President Donald Trump has worked for years on the scheme to plunder the Syrian oil, which was finally embodied in the agreement between Washington and Qasad militia as informed sources revealed to the (CNN) that the agreement…
(2020-08-12). German foreign minister visits blast-stricken Lebanon. yenisafak.com German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Beirut on Wednesday for a short visit to meet with Lebanese President Michel Aoun. | Maas will also attend the funeral of a German diplomat, who died in a massive blast that rocked the Beirut port on August 4. | According to Lebanese media, the top German diplomat will not meet any Lebanese officials except President Michel Aoun during his visit. | Ahead of his arrival in Beirut, Maas underlined the importance to carry out reforms in Lebanon as demanded by the international community. | He said aid pledged during Sunday's donor conference for Lebanon will not be given…
(2020-08-12). Turkey renovates 1,700-year-old tomb in northern Syria. yenisafak.com Afrin — just across Turkey's southern border — was liberated from the terrorist YPG/PKK by Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in 2018, but has still been subject to occasional attacks by the YPG/PKK terror group.Turkey continues to take care of the cultural assets in the area, thus, the restoration work was carried out by the Turkish southern Hatay province's Regional Directorate of Foundations.The renovation work, which started around six months ago and is planned to be completed at the end of the year, is being meticulously carried out by expert teams.According to the General Directorate of Foundations…
(2020-08-11). Lebanon's Gov't Resigns Amid Public Rage over Beirut Blast, But Protesters Demand Structural Change. democracynow.org 
After days of protests, Lebanon's government has resigned following the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed 200 people and injured thousands. The port blast, the source of which was 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate left unattended in a warehouse for more than six years, occurred as Lebanon was already facing political, economic and public health crises. We speak with Ziad Abu-Rish, a historian and research fellow at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and co-director of Bard College's Masters of Arts program in human rights and the arts, who says despite public outrage toppli…
(2020-08-11). Leaders in Lebanon Resign Over 200 Tragic Deaths, But Trump Refuses Accountability for 163,505 Covid-19 Fatalities. commondreams.org Dr. Anthony Fauci (center) in the White House briefing room while President Donald Trump talks to reporters about the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year. (Photo: Alliance for Health Policy/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1216280702_1.jpg …
(2020-08-11). 'Beirut is burning': Lebanese youth leader says country in trouble before blast. peoplesworld.org 
Following the devastating Beirut explosion, Robin Talbot and Ewan Simpson of the Young Communist League of Britain spoke to Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth (ULDY) president Adnan Al-Mokdad about his organization's response and the fast-moving political situation in Lebanon. The following article detailing their conversation is an edited version of an article that originally appeared …
(2020-08-11). Video: Chaos in Lebanon, Marked by Start of New Round of Israeli-Iranian Standoff. globalresearch.ca The explosion in the port of Beirut in early August that caused thousands of casualties became a trigger point for the further development of the already existing crisis in Lebanon. | In the following week days after the August 4 explosion, …
(2020-08-11). US, Israeli Media Scramble to Blame Hezbollah for Deadly Beirut Explosion. mintpressnews.com Pundits in the US and Israel are sounding the trumpets of war and trying to blame Hezbollah for the massive explosion in the port of Beirut. But a closer look at the stories being promulgated turn up the same old propaganda by the usual suspects…
(2020-08-11). Lebanese government resigns amid mounting anger over port blast. wsws.org While the blast's immediate cause has not been confirmed, the disaster was the result of criminal neglect and callous indifference by successive governments and Lebanon's ruling elite.
(2020-08-11). COVID-19 Response in Lebanon—Experiences and Challenges in a Low-Resource Setting. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint describes the unique challenges faced by Lebanon, a small densely populated country with a fragmented health care system, in its response to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, and it summarizes organizational, testing, and communications policies the nation has implemented that might be useful to other resource-limited countries and settings.
(2020-08-11). Beirut Blast, chance for great unity in Lebanon. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Leaving a note in the memorial notebook of Lebanon, an Iranian politician considered the threat caused by the recent blast in Beirut as an opportunity for reaching a great unity among the diverse Lebanese nation.
(2020-08-11). Lebanon's Government Resigns Amid Public Rage Over Beirut Blast. truthout.org After days of protests, Lebanon's government has resigned following the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed 200 people and injured thousands. The port blast, the source of which was 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate left unattended in a warehouse for more than six years, occurred as Lebanon was already facing political, economic and public health crises. We speak with Ziad Abu-Rish, a historian and research fellow at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and co-director of B…
(2020-08-10). Headlines for August 10, 2020. democracynow.org Lebanon Unrest Mounting as Death Toll from Catastrophic Port Blast Tops 200, Trump Signs Executive Orders After Coronavirus Bill Stalls, Dems Say They Are Unconstitutional , U.S. COVID-19 Cases Top 5 Million, with More Evidence of Infections in Children and Teens, Coronavirus Surging Across India, Brazil as Europe and Cuba Reimpose Containment Measures, Hong Kong Arrests Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Under National Security Law, Protesters Take to Streets of Belarus, Accuse Officials of Fraud After Lukashenko Claims 80% of Vote, Mauritius in State of "Environmental Emergency" as Tanker Leeches Fuel into Protected Areas,…
(2020-08-10). Migrants still landing in UK as govt takes tougher line. yenisafak.com A small boat carrying 20 Syrian migrants was met by the British Border Force off the coast of Dover, local media reported on Monday.Between Thursday and Sunday, almost 700 migrants landed in the UK via the Channel, according to Sky News.The British government has taken a tougher line on migration via the Channel in recent days.Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his willingness to work with French authorities to stop the channel crossings and ensure that migrants "understand that this isn't a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do"."But then there's a second thing we've…
(2020-08-10). Lebanon: President Macron Pushes "Neo-expansionism" globalresearch.ca The current geopolitical position of France is shaped by a variety of factors. As one of the key actors in the Mediterranean region, Paris is now primarily a European leader in countering Turkey's expansionist policy. Relations between the two countries …
(2020-08-10). Is the Partition of Lebanon now on the table? thealtworld.com Following the end of the 1975 civil war in Lebanon, the Taef agreement (one of the worse agreements on record) was signed between the belligerents. It delivered the country into the hands of the civil warlords who today rule Lebanon along with their children. Since then they have been frenetically diligent in stealing public wealth, mismanaging the country and offering precious little infrastructure to the inhabitants. They shelter behind the religious leaders, who are keen to offer protection to these lords… as long as they guard the governmental position allocated to each of the 18 Lebanese religions, accordi…
(2020-08-10). Macron Takes Advantage of Explosion to "Conquer Lebanon" globalresearch.ca All relevant events on the international stage have some geopolitical effects. Terrorist attacks, natural catastrophes, accidents and other tragedies also have implications for the power game between nations. In fact, any atypical event can completely change the way of relations …
(2020-08-10). Lebanese prime minister Hassan Diab resigns following massive protests. peoplesdispatch.org Protests against the government gained momentum after the blasts last week that claimed close to 200 lives and injured 6,000 others. The resignation of Hassan Diab was one of the key demands of the protesters…
(2020-08-10). Massive protests continue in Lebanon following Beirut blasts. peoplesdispatch.org Protests against the government gained steam after the blasts last week that claimed more than 150 lives and injured 6,000 others. The protesters are demanding the resignation of the government…
(2020-08-10). 'You are not alone, we are in this together', declare UN staffers in Lebanon. news.un.org Last Saturday was another scorching August day in Lebanon's shattered capital of Beirut, but UN staff members who had gathered outside UN House — itself damaged during the deadly port explosion – were determined to get straight to work, and stand in solidarity with the country they call home.
(2020-08-10). Beirut Blast to change political arrangement in Lebanon. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (MNA) — Iranian ex-ambassador to Germany said that It seems when the Beirut tensions end, the political arrangement of the forces in Lebanon will change and some political groups will turn to Hezbollah.
(2020-08-10). Iran, Iraq underscore expansion of mutual ties. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — In a Monday meeting between the ambassador of Iran to Iraq and the Iraqi minister of justice the two sides underlined the significance of improving bilateral ties between the two countries.
(2020-08-10). Iran not officially notified of ship seizure off Pakistan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (MNA) — In reaction to reports that an Iranian oil tanker was seized in the port of Karachi, Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad said that the Iranian embassy has not received any official report from Pakistani authorities.
(2020-08-10). Nikki Haley Mocked Online After Complaining About Late USPS Popcorn Delivery. sputniknews.com Online controversy has centered around the former US ambassador to the United Nations after she complained about postal service delays amid late deliveries nationwide.
(2020-08-10). Lebanon Bomb Might Focus the Minds of Regional Powers to Why Lebanon Matters. strategic-culture.org Macron has said he will throw his weight behind a political initiative to help Lebanon rebuild itself after an entirely corrupt government pushed the country towards an abyss. But will he suggest resignations of present leaders as a good start? And will he use his influence in the EU to get Brussels engaged? | The dust has settled in Lebanon now, after what might be described as its largest explosion to date in the troubled country. But while hordes of so-called analysts pour over the scarce details of what we know as fact, many will speculate about whether the explosion was indeed an accident — and, of cou…
(2020-08-10). Israel says ready for war with Lebanon: Gantz. yenisafak.com Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Monday Israel is ready for a war with Lebanon if such war is imposed on Tel Aviv. | In his briefing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Gantz warned that such war would have serious consequences on Lebanon. | "While [Hezbollah leader Hasan] Nasrallah is our biggest enemy in the north, he is Lebanon's biggest problem." He said. | Gantz also said that the situation in the Middle East in the past decade was fragile and uncertain, stressing that Israel will continue efforts to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear power, and from operati…
(2020-08-10). Lebanon gov't intends to resign: Source. yenisafak.com The resignation of Prime Minister Hassan Diab's government has become "inevitable", a Lebanese cabinet source said on Monday. | "The prime minister intends to tender the resignation of his government," the source told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. | Lebanese Minister of Communications and Information Technology Talal Hawat and Minister of Displaced Ghada Chreim also said in cabinet meeting that the government's resignation has become "inevitable." | "If the government did not resign, I will," Hawat said. | On Monday, Justice Minister Marie-Claude Na…