(2020-08-10). Lebanese Gov't Faces Collapse Amid Rage-Filled Protests over Blast, Economic Crisis & Corruption. democracynow.org 
The Lebanese government may be on the verge of collapse amid protests over the massive port explosion that devastated much of Beirut and killed at least 200 people and injured thousands. At least four ministers and nine members of Parliament have resigned. "The dominoes are falling," says Dion Nissenbaum, a Beirut-based reporter for The Wall Street Journal, who led an investigation into the official neglect that preceded last week's explosion, and says it has intensified public outrage over long-standing government dysfunction, calling it "the straw that's broken the camel's back here."
(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). Guterres pledges continued UN support for Lebanon 'in every possible way'. news.un.org The United Nations and humanitarian partners are working around the clock to support and mobilize emergency assistance in the aftermath of the deadly explosion in Beirut Port last Tuesday.
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 'Execute Them': Lebanon Protesters Demand Revenge After Blast. popularresistance.org Mock gallows nooses tied to brooms: Lebanese protesters on Saturday clamored for bloody revenge against a leadership they blame for the massive blast that engulfed their capital. | "There is hatred and there is blood between us and our authorities," said Najib Farah, a 35-year-old protester in central Beirut. "The people want revenge." | On a street leading to parliament, young men lobbed stones at security forces who replied with tear gas, a familiar sight in Lebanon since last October. | Thousands of young men and women earlier revived the main camp of a months-long protest movement, some of them carrying portr…
(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…
(2020-08-09). IRCS sends over 90 tons humanitarian aid to Beirut. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) —The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society said that so far, over 90 tons of various humanitarian packages have been sent to Lebanon, and sending of the other four shipments weighing 60 tons is underway.
(2020-08-09). As Israel's Regime Change War on Hezbollah ramps up, This Devastating Image Haunts. thealtworld.com 
I'm not an expert on explosives but damn, that looks like a nuke going off. That mushroom cloud…. Infrared, coloriz…
(2020-08-09). Lebanese officials 'do not expect' to find survivors in Beirut rubble, Russian rescue team says, as death toll reportedly hits 220. rt.com 
A first-response team from Russia has finished looking for survivors of powerful blasts in Beirut. They say Lebanese officials don't think anyone is still alive under the rubble, while the death toll has jumped from 158 to 220. | "Representatives of Lebanon's Defense Ministry… officially stated that they are no longer expecting to find anyone alive under the rubble," Russia's Emergencies Ministry spokesperson told the media. He added that the Russian team had recovered six bodies during its work in Beirut and treated more than 90 injured. | The Russian team arrived in Lebanon's capital to help with the relie…
(2020-08-09). Macron styles himself as Lebanon's savior, ready to reshape country's system in Western image. rt.com 
French President Emmanuel Macron has rallied a host of international donors to support Lebanon, and promised that the country's future "is being decided now." The French leader, it seems, will be the one making the decisions. | More than 150 people lie dead, with thousands injured following a devastating chemical explosion in the capital of Beirut on Tuesday. As public anger toward the Lebanese government grows, two ministers and at least seven Members of Parliament have resigned — and crowds of enraged protesters have stormed government buildings and demanded the wholesale resignation of Prime Minister…
(2020-08-09). Video: Syrian Army Undertakes Failed Advance in Northern Lattakia Amid Rise of ISIS Attacks in Deir Ezzor. globalresearch.ca Iranian-backed militias and the Syrian National Defense Forces (NDF) have launched a joint security operation against ISIS cells in the area between the towns of al-Mayadin and al-Bukamal, on the western bank of the Euphrates. According to pro-government sources, hundreds …
(2020-08-09). Beirut blast: 'The faster we act, the better we can reduce human suffering,' says UN deputy chief. news.un.org To help Lebanon overcome the tragedy and recover better, "we will need all hands on deck", deputy UN chief Amina Mohammed told a virtual donors conference on Sunday, convened to rally international support in the wake of last week's massive explosion at the Beirut port, which killed some 150 people, wounded thousands and caused destruction throughout much of the city.
(2020-08-09). "Greater Israel": The Zionist Plan for the Middle East. globalresearch.ca When viewed in the current context, the war on Iraq, the 2006 war on Lebanon, the 2011 war on Libya, the ongoing wars on Syria and Iraq, the war on Yemen, must be understood in relation to the Zionist Plan for the Middle East…
(2020-08-09). Global Warfare: "We're Going to Take out 7 Countries in 5 Years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan & Iran.." globalresearch.ca Originally published in March 2007. | Global Research Editor's Note: | This interview serves as a reminder regarding the diabolical timeline of America's hegemonic project. Is Iran the next target "to be taken out"? | All these countries including Lebanon and Iran are …
(2020-08-09). Beirut Disaster City—MES EP.66. thealtworld.com A massive blast that ripped through the port in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killed dozens, wounded thousands and damaged buildings across a country grimly familiar with upheaval. Officials have said it was caused by the detonation of chemicals stored there, without saying whether it was an accident or an attack. The tragedy piles yet another layer of hardship on a country already reeling from the worst financial crisis in its history and struggling to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak. To discuss this issue with us from Beirut is Dr. Jamal Wakeem, university professor. | The footage of the destruction of Beir…
(2020-08-09). Iran, Bosnia seeking to expand media coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Sarajevo Mahmoud Heidari met and held talks with the head of the state broadcasting of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday.
(2020-08-09). New US rep. for Iran indicates Trump's confusion. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Venezuela Hojjatollah Soltani said that the new US special representative for the Islamic Republic of Iran indicates Trump's confusion.
(2020-08-09). Russia says terrorists attacked eight cities in Syria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (MNA) — The Head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria announced on Sun. that terrorists of Tahrir al-Sham (Jabhat al-Nusra, Al-Nusra Front) invaded eight cities in Syria's Idlib and Aleppo provinces.
(2020-08-09). Parl. mulls over Lebanon's developments after blast: Spox. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission addressed the developments in Lebanon after a devastating explosion happened in Beirut Port last week.
(2020-08-09). There Is No Political Solution To The Syrian Conflict. popularresistance.org 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 conflict it appears there is neither a military, nor political solution for Syria. Despite the fact that the Syrian government under President Assad, with help from Russia, has regained 70% of the territory, and all the major cities are calm, still there is no possibility for recovery or reconstruction of hospitals, schools, homes and lives due to the US sanctions.
(2020-08-09). Ex-Lebanon premier denies knowledge of Beirut shipment. yenisafak.com Former Lebanese premier Tammam Salam has denied receiving correspondence or information about the arrival of hazardous chemical materials shipment in Beirut, which allegedly caused a deadly blast in the capital on Tuesday.In a statement on Sunday, Salam's media office said reports alleging that he was aware of the arrival of a ship carrying chemical materials to Beirut were "false and bare of truth." Earlier, media reports suggested that a Lebanese court had ordered the ship to unload its cargo at the Beirut port when Salam was the prime minister.Salam, who served as a prime minister from Feb. 2014 to Dec. 2016,…
(2020-08-09). France to host fundraising conference for Beirut. yenisafak.com France's President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday will bring the international community together to raise funds for Beirut in the aftermath of the deadly blast earlier this week.The virtual conference will be held at 1200GMT with Macron hosting the conference from his vacation home in the south of France.The conference is backed by the United Nations and will involve major world leaders, including Lebanon's President Michel Aoun and US President Donald Trump.Leaders from the EU, Britain, China, Russia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE are also expected to participate.Two massive explosions tore through…
(2020-08-08). Turkey's IHH aids thousands in Lebanon after blast. yenisafak.com Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) on Saturday provided humanitarian aid for thousands who have been affected by Tuesday's massive explosion at Beirut port.In a statement, the IHH said rescue efforts are still underway for those still missing after the blast, which killed at least 154 people."The grain silos destroyed by the explosion were a vital artery for the supply of food in the country," IHH said, warning of a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon in case of failure to supply the country with enough quantities of flour within a short period of time.According to the statement, the IHH has launched a camp…
(2020-08-08). You will hang! Lebanese protesters 'execute' cardboard cutouts of PM, President & Hezbollah's Nasrallah (VIDEO). rt.com 
Lebanese protesters have built gallows in Beirut to hang cardboard cutouts of Prime Minister Hassan Diab, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and other politicians they blame for the recent port blast and crisis in the country. | The anger of people spilled into the streets on Saturday, with some 10,000 gathering at Martyrs' Square in the center of the capital. They chanted anti-government slogans and staged a performance, which apparently served as a warning to those in power. Many in Lebanon blame the negligence of the authorities for a massive ammonium nitrate explosion on Tuesday that killed more than 150 p…
(2020-08-08). Almost 240 people injured, 1 officer killed in Beirut protests amid clashes, reports of fire & police shooting. rt.com Army has been deployed to Beirut downtown to quell protests over the deadly blast earlier this week. At least 238 people were injured and 63 of them hospitalized and police said an officer was killed in the clashes. | Thousands of protesters gathered at Martyrs' Square in central Beirut, attempting to reach the Parliament and clashing with riot police. | Demonstrators threw rocks and projectiles at the officers, who responded by employing tear gas and other special means. |
(2020-08-08). 'Lebanese people have suffered too much': US encourages 'peaceful' regime change as protests rage in blast-ravaged Beirut. rt.com 
The US Embassy has expressed its solidarity with anti-government protesters in Lebanon, urging all sides to "refrain from violence," after clashes in blast-devastated Beirut left around 500 people injured. | Thousands of people gathered in Beirut on Saturday, demanding the government resign over corruption and negligence, which they believe led to the horrific explosion this week. | Also on rt.com | | Amid clashes with riot police, protesters stormed sev…
(2020-08-08). Lebanese protesters occupy Foreign Ministry & other govt buildings in Beirut (PHOTO, VIDEO). rt.com 
Demonstrators who took to the streets of Beirut after the Lebanese capital was rocked by a massive blast earlier this week have stormed the Foreign Ministry and other government buildings, amid violent clashes with police. | Around 10,000 people gathered at Martyrs' Square in central Beirut to accuse the government of negligence, which they say allowed a massive ammonium nitrate explosion to occur at the port on Tuesday. | Read more | | T…
(2020-08-08). Lebanese PM calls for early parliamentary elections as protests rage following Beirut explosion. rt.com 
As protests gather steam in Beirut, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called for early elections, saying they are the only way out of the deep political crisis which has worsened following the explosion in the city's port. | In a short speech on Saturday, Diab said the country "cannot get out of this crisis without early parliamentary elections." He added he was not to blame for the country's deep economic and political woes, Reuters reported. | Short speech by Hassan Diab included a call for early parliamentary elections in Lebanon. Aside from that, just a lot of vague talk of accountability, "national…
(2020-08-08). Beirut blasts intensify economic and political crisis in Lebanon. peoplesdispatch.org Decades of neoliberal policies have made Lebanon among the most unequal societies in the world, and social and economic discontent is expected to grow following the blasts…
(2020-08-08). Iran calls on IAEA to clarify Saudis' secret nuclear program. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 09 (MNA) — Iran's ambassador to IAEA Kazem Gharibabadi has called for the IAEA to put forward a report on Saudi Arabia's secret program of building yellowcake uranium processing plant.
(2020-08-08). UN experts renew call for removal of US anti-human sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 08 (MNA) — A group of UN experts has once agian called for unilateral US sanctions to be lifted on countries including Iran, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and Cuba.
(2020-08-08). Beirut: Explosion Was 'An Accident Caused By Negligent Governments'. popularresistance.org After the first news and the stupor generated by the violent explosions in the port of Lebanon, all kinds of rumors and false news began to circulate, trying to further poison the atmosphere of pain in which had fallen on the people of that country. In addition to the very high number of deaths (around 100) and thousands of injured, a strategic port of the Lebanese nation was destroyed. To be able to monitor the situation and the consequences of what happened, we spoke with Wafica Ibrahim, a journalist for Al Mayadeen TV and correspondent for Resumen Latinoamericano, in the Middle East…
(2020-08-08). Militants Shell 8 Towns in Syria's Idlib, Aleppo Provinces, Russian Military Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Syrian militants from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group shelled eight towns in the northwestern Idlib and Aleppo provinces, the head of Russia's Syria reconciliation centre said Saturday.
(2020-08-08). Fertilizer Likely Behind the Beirut Explosion Is Unevenly Regulated Across US. truthout.org This article about the Beirut explosion was originally published by the A powerful explosion that ripped through Beirut on Tuesday and killed more than 130 people may be the latest example of the danger posed by a common fertilizer stored in communities throughout the U.S. | As investigators work to find the official cause of the blast, Lebanon President Michel Aoun said i…
(2020-08-08). Turkey ready to rebuild Port of Beirut: Turkish VP. yenisafak.com Ankara is ready to send more medical assistance and food aid to help Lebanon during its time of need, Turkey's vice president said on Saturday.Fuat Oktay, who is visiting the Lebanese capital along with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, said all of Turkey's hospitals and air ambulances are at Lebanon's service, as the country deals with the devastating fallout of Tuesday's massive blast at the port of Beirut.He said Ankara has told Lebanon that it can use Turkey's Mersin port until the Beirut port is rebuilt."Turkey is ready to help rebuild the heavily damaged Beirut port and nearby buildings," the vice…
(2020-08-08). At least 43 Syrians among people killed in Beirut blast. yenisafak.com At least 43 Syrian nationals were among those killed in a massive explosion in the port of Beirut on Tuesday that destroyed parts of the Lebanese capital, Al-Mayadeen TV channel said on Saturday, citing the Syrian embassy in Lebanon.Al Mayadeen is a Lebanon-based channel close to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
(2020-08-07). Lebanon's corrupt, colonial system leads to explosion catastrophe. thegrayzone.com Beirut's explosion disaster is the product of a corrupt, sectarian political system maintained by foreign powers, Rania Masri argues. The…
(2020-08-07). Blasts in Beirut 'tragic humanitarian crisis': Nasrallah. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 07 (MNA) — Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah delivering a speech on the latest developments in Lebanon described blasts in Beirut as a 'tragic humanitarian crisis'.
(2020-08-07). Israel shot down drone on Golan Heights overnight — military. rt.com 
Israel's military said on Friday it had shot down a drone overnight that crossed into Israeli airspace near Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights. The strategic plateau is at the frontier with Syria. | The army said the incident was not connected to the triggering of sirens later in the day by a false alarm regarding a drone infiltration, Reuters reports. | Israel has been on high alert as tensions have escalated with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Earlier in the week Israeli aircraft attacked targets in Syria. | Most of the Golan Heights were captured by Israel from Syria in a war in 1967.
(2020-08-07). Hezbollah leader denies group had arms at Beirut port, calls for transparent probe into blast. rt.com 
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday denied statements made in Lebanon and abroad that the group had arms warehoused at Beirut port. He also called for a just and transparent investigation into blast that occurred there on Tuesday. | "We know more about the port of Haifa than the port of Beirut," the Jerusalem Post quoted him as saying. "The port of Beirut is not our responsibility, whereas the port of Haifa is part of our defense strategy." | In a televised speech, Nasrallah said that Tuesday's huge explosion in the Lebanese capital was an exceptional event in the country's modern history which…
(2020-08-07). 'Scene from a post-apocalyptic movie': Russian rescue operations begin at the very epicenter of Beirut explosions. rt.com 
Rescue teams from Russia have begun their search operations at the ruins left by two massive explosions in Lebanon's capital Beirut, while survivors seek medical care in newly set-up emergency hospital tents. | Teams of Russian relief workers and their search dogs arrived in Beirut on Friday and quickly started looking for any survivors trapped under the enormous grain silos near the port, at the very epicenter of the blasts. The corn-filled silo — which sustained severe damage — has been credited with shielding some of the nearby area from the worst of the explosions. | Speaking to RT's Igor Zhdanov…
(2020-08-07). WATCH powerful shockwave from Beirut explosion hit church as guests gather for wedding. rt.com 
An exclusive video from a church shows guests running in fear after a shockwave from the blast in Lebanon's capital Beirut makes the walls shake and blows out the windows. | The clip obtained by RT's Ruptly video agency starts with jubilant guests gathering for a wedding in Ain El Remmaneh, near Beirut. They are confused and startled by what at first appears to be a minor earthquake. | When the shockwave hits the church a few seconds later, the guests scream in horror, stumbling and rushing to the exit. | One person grabs a child before running outside, where a plume of thick reddish smoke billows high into…
