Rights group alleges Lebanon and Cyprus violated refugees' human rights and EU funds paid for it
A global watchdog report says European Union aid sent to Lebanon in an attempt to regulate migration by sea is funding practices that violate human rights.
Lebanon's health care system in tatters but still preparing for a possible wider war with Israel
Lebanonโs health care system has been battered by multiple crisis but is now preparing for the possibility of a devastating wider conflict with Israel.
Israel-Hamas war latest: A cease-fire is key to ending the region's cycle of violence, Blinken says
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling for โall partiesโ in the Middle East to avoid escalatory actions that could plunge the region into further conflict.
For Iran and Hezbollah, calibrating response to Israeli strikes leaves no room for error
Two back-to-back strikes in Beirut and Tehran targeted high-ranking figures in Hezbollah and Hamas and have been attributed to Israel.
Israel-Hamas war latest: Israel says it killed one of Hezbollah's commanders in Beirut strike
Israel has struck the Lebanese capital of Beirut and says it killed the militant commander allegedly behind a rocket strike that killed 12 youths.
'Hellishly hot' southern Europe bakes under temperatures topping 104 F
The Italian health ministry has placed 12 cities under the most severe heat warning as a wave of hot air from Africa is baking southern Europe.
Hezbollahโs deputy leader says group would stop fighting with Israel after Gaza cease-fire
The deputy leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah says the only definite path to a cease-fire on the Lebanon-Israel border is a full cease-fire in Gaza.
The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group warns archenemy Israel against wider war
The leader of Lebanonโs militant Hezbollah group says it has new weapons and intelligence capabilities that could help it target more critical positions deeper inside Israel in case of an all-out war.
Gunman captured after shootout outside US Embassy in Lebanon
The Lebanese military said that its solidiers shot and captured a gunman who attacked the U.S. embassy near Beirut after a shootout that injured an embassy security guard.
US repatriates 11 citizens from notorious camp for relatives of Islamic State militants in Syria
The United States has repatriated 11 of its citizens from sprawling camps in northeastern Syria that house tens of thousands of family members of suspected Islamic State militants.
Hamas is sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks in the latest sign of progress
Hamas says it's sending a delegation to Egypt as soon as possible to continue talks in the latest sign of progress in the fragile cease-fire process.
Key recommendations for strengthening the neutrality of the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees
An independent panel reviewed the neutrality of the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees after Israel alleged that a dozen of its employees in Gaza had participated in Hamasโ Oct. 7 attacks.
Attack blamed on IS militants kills 22 pro-government fighters in central Syria
An opposition war monitor and a pro-government media outlet say an attack on pro-government fighters by suspected members of the Islamic State group in central Syria killed 22 pro-government fighters.
Human rights group alleges widespread torture, abuse of detainees accused of IS affiliation in Syria
Amnesty International says it has documented widespread abuses, including torture and deprivation of medical care, in detention facilities holding thousands of suspected Islamic State members and their relatives in northeast Syria.
A Lebanese nun's request to pray for Hezbollah fighters highlights schisms over the group's weapons
A video showing a Lebanese nun asking young students to pray for the โmen of the resistance,โ a reference to Hezbollah fighters, has sparked controversy in Lebanon.
Austria's top diplomat appeals for a pause in Mideast fighting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
Austriaโs foreign minister has urged Israel and Lebanonโs militant Hezbollah group against escalating the conflict along the volatile Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel's air force strikes deep inside Lebanon, killing 2 people, after Hezbollah downs a drone
The Israeli military says its air force has struck targets of the militant Hezbollah group deep inside Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader says his group must retaliate for suspected Israeli strike in Beirut
The leader of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah says his group must retaliate after a presumed Israeli strike hit a Beirut neighborhood this week, killing a senior Hamas official.
Thousands attend the funeral of a top Hamas official killed in an apparent Israeli strike in Beirut
Thousands of people took to the streets of Beirut for the funeral of a top Hamas commander, Saleh Arouri, who was killed earlier this week in an apparent Israeli airstrike in the Lebanese capital.
An apparent Israeli strike killed a top Hamas commander. How might it impact the Gaza conflict?
The killing of a top Hamas commander in an apparent Israeli airstrike on a Beirut apartment has given Israel an important symbolic achievement in its 3-month-old war against the Islamic militant group.
A Hamas official killed in a Beirut strike had been on Israel's hit list for years
Saleh Arouri, the deputy political head of Hamas and a founder of the groupโs military wing, had been in Israelโs sights for years before he was killed in a drone strike in a southern suburb of Beirut.
Apparent Israeli strike kills senior Hamas figure in Beirut and raises fears conflict could expand
An apparent Israeli strike in the Lebanese capital of Beirut has killed Hamasโ No. 2 political leader, marking a potentially significant escalation of Israelโs war against the militant group and heightening the risk of a wider Middle East conflict.
US Navy helicopters fire at Yemen's Houthi rebels and kill several in latest Red Sea shipping attack
The U.S. military says its forces opened fire on and killed several Houthi rebels after they attacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea.
France urges Lebanese leaders to work on bringing calm along the border with Israel
Franceโs foreign minister is urging Lebanese leaders to work on reducing tensions along the border with Israel, warning that the raging Israel-Hamas war, now in its third month, could spread to other parts of the region.
Journalists' rights group counts 94 media workers killed this year, most of them in Gaza
The International Federation of Journalists says 2023 has been an unprecedented year for the number of media workers killed on the job.
The World Food Program will end its main assistance program in Syria in January, affecting millions
The U.N. World Food Program says it will end in January its main assistance program across war-torn Syria, where over 12 million people lack regular access to sufficient food.
Attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah group wound 7 Israeli troops, 10 others along border with Israel
Israelโs military and rescue services say attacks by Lebanonโs Hezbollah group have wounded seven Israeli troops and 10 other people.
Leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah holds talks with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures
The leader of Lebanonโs Hezbollah group has met with top Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials.
Hostilities in Syria are the worst in 4 years, with disregard for civilian lives, UN official says
The head of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria says that fighting there has reached its worst point in years, with devastating consequences for civilians.
Protesters in Lebanon decrying Gaza hospital blast clash with security forces near U.S. Embassy
Hundreds of protesters have clashed with Lebanese security forces in the Beirut suburb of Aukar near the United States Embassy.
Hezbollah destroys Israeli surveillance cameras along the Lebanese border as tension soars
Lebanonโs militant Hezbollah group said Monday it has started destroying surveillance cameras on several Israeli army posts along the border as tension rose following the Israel-Hamas war that began Oct.7.
Iran's foreign minister warns Israel from Beirut to stop Gaza attacks or risk 'huge earthquake'
Iranโs foreign minister has called on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza, warning that the war might expand to other parts of the Middle East if Hezbollah joins the battle.
The fall of an enclave in Azerbaijan stuns the Armenian diaspora, extinguishing a dream
The Armenian diaspora has been stunned by the swift fall of the Armenian-majority enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani troops and the exodus of much of its population.
Lebanon launches probe into late-night shots outside US Embassy that caused no injuries
Lebanese authorities are investigating a late-night shooting outside the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy just outside Beirut.
IMF warns Lebanon that the country is still facing enormous challenges, years after a meltdown began
The International Monetary Fund has warned that Lebanon is still facing enormous economic challenges, four years after the country's historic meltdown began.
Two men questioned in Lebanon at Turkey's request over 2019 escape of former Nissan tycoon
Lebanese judicial officials say authorities in Beirut have questioned two people at Turkey's request on suspicion of being involved in the 2019 escape of an auto tycoon from Japan to Lebanon.
Lebanese premier warns Syrian refugees pose a danger to the small nation's balance
Lebanon's caretaker prime minister is warning that Syrian refugees could become a threat to the small Mediterranean nationโs delicate demographic and sectarian balance.
US military calls for end of fighting in east Syria and warns it could lead to IS resurgence
The United States military called for an end to days of fighting between rival U.S.-backed groups in east Syria, warning it may help the resurgence of the Islamic State group.
Offshore drilling rig arrives in Lebanese waters ahead of work near Israel border
Lebanese Cabinet ministers say an offshore drilling rig has arrived at its destination in the Mediterranean Sea off Lebanonโs coast and will start its search for gas in the coming weeks.
With hundreds lost in the migrant shipwreck near Greece, identifying the dead is painfully slow
Nearly two months after a dilapidated fishing trawler crammed with people heading from north Africa to Italy sank in the central Mediterranean, killing hundreds, relatives are still frantically searching for loved ones among the missing and dead.
European scientists make it official. July was the hottest month on record by far
Now that Julyโs sizzling numbers are all in, the European climate monitoring organization made it official: July 2023 was Earthโs hottest month on record by a wide margin.
Banks from 4 Arab countries are in talks to invest in struggling Lebanese banks, official says
Banks from four Arab countries are interested in investing in Lebanonโs struggling banking sector, which has been hard-hit by the small nationโs three-year economic meltdown.
Halted Ukraine grain deal, funding shortages rattle UN food aid programs
A halted landmark grain deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to flow to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia is rattling the operations of the United Nations food agency, its deputy executive director said.
Aid group official warns that impasse at the UN on border crossing puts 4.1 million Syrians at risk
The head of a leading aid group says an impasse at the United Nations over a border crossing with Syriaโs last rebel-held enclave is endangering 4.1 million Syrians living there.
A gunman opens fire at a Lebanon mosque, killing one person and wounding several others
The Lebanese army and state news agency say a shooting at a mosque during prayers left one person dead and several others wounded.
Auto tycoon Ghosn files $1 billion lawsuit in Lebanon against Nissan over his imprisonment in Japan
Lebanese officials say auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn has filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Nissan and about a dozen individuals in Beirut over his imprisonment in Japan and what he says is misinformation spread against him.
From ashes and debris, iconic Beirut museum reopens 3 years after massive damage from port blast
Lebanonโs Sursock Museum has reopened to the public, three years after a deadly explosion in the nearby Beirut port reduced many of its treasured paintings and collections to ashes.
World Bank approves $300 million financing to help poor people in Lebanon
The World Bank has approved a $300 million additional financing to Lebanon's poor, giving cash to families struggling in the countryโs historic economic meltdown.
Iran urges Lebanese sides to reach agreement over president
Iranโs foreign minister says Tehran wants Lebanon's rivals to reach an agreement to elect a new president in the crisis-hit country that has been without a head of state October.
No consensus on Syrian Arab League return after Saudi summit
After meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss Syriaโs political fate, a group of regional leaders promised to continue talks to reach a political solution to the Syrian conflict.
EU official says major aid to Lebanon depends on IMF deal
A European Union official visiting Lebanon says the international body will boost its humanitarian assistance to the crisis-stricken country, but that more significant long-term aid depends on reforms and a deal with the International Monetary Fund.
Lebanon abruptly nixes plan for $122M airport 'Terminal 2'
Lebanonโs caretaker transportation minister says the contract for a new terminal at the country's main airport is cancelled, following an uproar over the lack of public bidding for the $122 million project.
Rushed daylight-saving decision puts Lebanon in 2 time zones
The Lebanese governmentโs last-minute decision to delay the start of daylight saving time by a month until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan resulted in mass confusion.
Tear gas, clashes as Lebanon protesters try to storm govt HQ
Lebanese security forces are firing tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters who tried to break through a fence leading to the government headquarters in downtown Beirut.
Lebanon to construct new terminal at Beirut airport
Lebanon will construct a $122 million terminal at Beirutโs Rafik Hariri International Airport to be operated by a leading Irish airport company when itโs completed in four years,.
European team ends questioning of Lebanon Central Bank chief
Lebanese judicial officials say that a European legal team has wrapped up two days of questioning of the country's Central Bank chief in a money-laundering probe linked to the governor.
Lebanon Central Bank chief questioned by European lawyers
Lebanonโs embattled Central Bank chief has been questioned for the first time before a European legal team visiting Beirut in a money-laundering probe linked to the governor.
Lebanon leans on US dollar to cope as currency, economy tank
The Lebanese pound has lost as much as 98% in value since late 2019, and now most restaurants and many stores are demanding to be paid in dollars to bypass whatโs seen as a nearly useless currency.
UK ruling delivers rare victory for Beirut blast victims
A British court has ruled a London-based company that delivered the explosive ammonium nitrate to Beirut's port is liable towards the victims of a devastating 2020 blast, according to Lebanonโs Beirut Bar Association.
Top prosecutor orders release of Beirut port blast detainees
Lebanonโs top prosecutor has ordered all suspects detained in the investigation into the deadly 2020 Beirut port blast released and filed charges against the judge leading the probe.
Lebanese pound hits new low as political deadlock persists
The value of the Lebanese pound has hit a new low, now trading at 50,000 to the dollar, as the countryโs deeply divided Parliament failed to elect a president for the eleventh time.
Americans convicted in Japan on Ghosn's escape return home
A lawyer for an American father and son convicted in Japan on charges of helping Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, escape to Lebanon says they have been returned to the U.S. Michael Taylor was sentenced last year to two years in prison, while his son Peter Taylor was sentenced to 20 months.
French minister urges Lebanon to swiftly elect new president
France's foreign minister has urged Lebanon's political leadership to swiftly elect a new president and warned that a political vacuum could plunge the Mediterranean country into a deeper crisis.
Families slam plans for 2nd judge to probe Beirut port blast
Dozens of relatives of the victims of Beirutโs 2020 massive port blast have protested plans by the judiciary to name a second investigative judge, calling the move an attempt by the countryโs political class to prevent justice.
Mine explodes in north Syria, killing 4 young brothers
An opposition war monitor and a paramedic group say four children were killed when a mine and explosives left inside an abandoned apartment went off in a rebel-held town in northern Syria.
Hostage standoff at Beirut bank ends with gunman's arrest
A hostage standoff in which a gunman demanded a Beirut bank let him withdraw his trapped savings has ended with the man's surrender, and the bank handing over a reported $35,000 to his brother.