Lebanon

BEIRUT (AP) — Another significant section of the devastated Beirut Port silos collapsed on Tuesday morning in a cloud of dust. No injuries were reported — the area had been long evacuated — but the collapse was another painful reminder of the horrific August 2020 explosion.

The collapse left the silos’ southern part standing next to a pile of charred ruins. The northern block had already been slowly tipping over since the initial explosion two years ago but rapidly deteriorated after it caught fire over a month ago due to fermenting grains.

23 August 2022; MEMO: The northern section of the grain silos at Beirut Port collapsed this morning, covering the surrounding area with dust, the official National News Agency reported, adding that only a small section of the silo now remains standing.

"The northern part of the silos in Beirut Port collapsed, as dust covered the surrounding area," NNA said.

22 August 2022; MEMO: Lebanon denied on Monday that it has reached an agreement on the demarcation of its maritime border with Israel, Anadolu has reported.

The denial followed a report by Israel's Channel 12 TV on Sunday which claimed that the two countries were close to agreeing a demarcation deal.

19 August 2022; MEMO: The Head of Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, said on Friday the outcome of nuclear talks in Vienna would have no impact on maritime talks aimed at delineating Lebanon's border with Israel, Reuters reports.

"Whether a nuclear deal with Iran is signed or not, if the US mediator does not give Lebanon what it asked for in terms of its rights, we are heading towards an escalation – we are heading towards a problem," said Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in a televised speech, without elaborating.

BEIRUT, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The head of Lebanon's pro-Iran group Hezbollah said on Friday he had no immediate comment on the stabbing attack against Indian-born author Salman Rushdie in the United States because the group was still gathering information.

Speaking in a televised address, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah added that he saw an "urgent need" for his group to make a statement on the attack, which has been blamed on a 24-year-old American citizen of Lebanese origin.

BEIRUT, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon must send back Syrian refugees inside the country despite the reported lack of support from donor countries in facilitating the plan, the country's minister of the displaced said Friday.

Hosting a significant number of refugees has so far cost almost 33 billion U.S. dollars, "which constitutes a huge burden on the Lebanese economy," Issam Charafeddine told Radio Liban Libre.

"The direct cost incurred by Lebanon covers wheat, electricity, water, educational policy, infrastructure and environmental pollution," Charafeddine explained.

17 August 2022; MEMO: Lebanon has received a third batch of monthly financial assistance from Qatar, as the country and its health sector continue to suffer from the severe economic crisis.

According to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), the assistance from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) is used for the purchasing of fuel and oil required to run the country's healthcare facilities every month.

BEIRUT, Aug 16 (Reuters) - A Lebanese judge has ordered the release from detention without charge of man who last week took hostages at a Beirut bank in an attempt to access his savings frozen after the country's 2019 financial implosion, the man's brother and a legal group said.

Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein, 42, entered the Federal Bank of Lebanon branch in Beirut's Hamra district on Thursday and threatened employees with a firearm, agreeing to leave only after the bank pledged to give him $35,000 out of a total of his more than $200,000 deposit. 

BEIRUT, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Foreign Ministry on Monday strongly condemned Israeli missile attacks on Syria and the use of the Lebanese airspace to launch the attack.

The ministry warned in a statement against "the consequences of this aggressive behavior, and the continued violation of Lebanese sovereignty which constitutes a violation of international laws and treaties."

The ministry added that it would file a complaint to the UN Security Council, asking it to intervene to formally end the ongoing Israeli violations.

BEIRUT, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The father of a man charged with attempting to murder novelist Salman Rushdie has locked himself in at his home in southern Lebanon and is refusing to speak to anyone, town mayor Ali Tehfe said on Sunday.

The suspect in Friday's attack in New York state has been identified by police as 24-year-old Hadi Matar from New Jersey. He has pleaded not guilty. Matar is originally Lebanese and his family comes from the south Lebanon town of Yaroun.