Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant has officially stepped down in a ceremony that replaced him with Israel Katz, the former foreign minister, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Gallant earlier this week.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says more than 3,000 people have been killed during 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

President Joe Biden and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides have discussed a new effort by the U.S. administration and mediators in the Middle East to forge cease-fires to end fighting in Lebanon and Gaza.

With the U.S. presidential election just a week away, the Biden administration is not giving up hope for short-term deals for cease-fires between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

France’s government is defending its decision to bar Israeli companies supplying the wars in the Middle East from exhibiting at an upcoming trade fair outside Paris.

The Israeli military says one of its airstrikes in early October killed a top Hezbollah official who had been widely expected to become the group’s next leader.

Hezbollah's acting leader says the militant group will aim rockets into more areas of Israel.

Israel’s military says four soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah drone attack on an army base Sunday evening.

Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 22 people have been killed and 117 wounded in Israeli airstrikes that hit two areas in central Beirut.

The Pentagon says is sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if necessary.

In just over a week, intensified Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed seven high-ranking commanders and officials from the powerful Hezbollah militant group, including the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The head of the United Nations is warning world leaders that impunity, inequality and uncertainty are driving modern civilization toward “a powder keg that risks engulfing the world."

The Biden administration is taking a more hands-off approach than usual during a week of dramatic escalation between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Human rights advocates are calling for an independent investigation into the deadly explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon and Syria.

U.S. officials say Israel warned U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a call Tuesday that a military operation was going to take place in Lebanon.

Three judicial officials have told the Associated Press that Lebanon has charged its embattled former central bank governor with the embezzlement of $42 million.

Israel's army says two airstrikes in the West Bank have killed nine Palestinian militants as violence flares again in the Israeli-occupied territory.

A pair of assassinations of anti-Israel militant leaders hours apart is threatening to set off a regional clash and upend already fragile talks toward ending the war in Gaza.

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.

With cease-fire talks faltering in Gaza and no clear offramp for the conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border, the daily exchanges of strikes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have sparked fires that are tearing through forests and farmland on both sides of the frontline.

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon has killed a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions continue to boil.

International donors meeting in Brussels say they will commit 7.5 billion euros, about $8.1 billion, in both grants and loans to support Syrians battered by war, poverty, and hunger for the rest of this year and beyond.

Syria's state media says a bomb attached to a car exploded in the western part of the Syrian capital that is home to several diplomatic missions, killing one person and causing material damage.

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 Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks.

The Israel-Hamas war has stretched on for half a year and has become one of the most destructive, deadly, and intractable conflicts of the 21st century.

The Mega Millions jackpot has reached $977 million for Friday night’s drawing after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Tuesday night.

Around 60,000 Israelis who evacuated from cities and towns along the border with Lebanon are grappling with the question of when they will be able to return home.

The slow-simmering cross-border conflict between Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Israeli forces has escalated, reviving fears that the daily clashes could expand into an all-out war.

Officials in Cyrpus say police have rescued 60 Syrian migrants from a rickety wooden boat that had been at sea six days and appeared to have run short of food and water.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling on Israel to work with moderate Palestinians and neighboring countries on plans for postwar Gaza.

Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah have traded fire in one of the heaviest days of cross-border fighting in recent weeks.

For Lebanon’s Christians, the cedars are sacred, these tough evergreen trees that survive the mountain’s harsh snowy winters.

The militant Hezbollah group has fired more than 50 rockets at military posts in northern Israel.

Makram Daboub may be struggling to prepare his Palestinian team for the start of 2026 World Cup qualification but he takes some comfort — for now at least — that his players stuck in Gaza are safe.

An Israeli shell has landed in a gathering of international journalists covering clashes on the border in south Lebanon, killing a Reuters videographer and leaving six other journalists injured.

The International Monetary Fund says Middle East economies are gradually recovering as external shocks from the war in Ukraine and global inflation fade.

Carlos Ghosn, the former rock star businessman who fell from grace and fled authorities smuggled in a music instrument box, is getting what his dramatic story deserves — a multi-part Apple TV+ documentary series.

Sweden has raised its terrorism alert level one notch, to the second highest following recent Quran burnings in the Scandinavian country, which sparked angry demonstrations in Muslim nations.

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.

Officials in Kuwait and Lebanon have moved to ban “Barbie” as the film is set to open across the Middle East.

Now that July’s sizzling numbers are all in, the European climate monitoring organization made it official: July 2023 was Earth’s hottest month on record by a wide margin.

Only a single municipality, the Village of Pingree Grove in Illinois, has signed a contract so far with the U.S. Census Bureau to have the agency conduct a repeat head count following the 2020 census.

Egypt and other lower-income Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon and Pakistan are worried about what comes next after Russia pulled out of a crucial wartime grain deal.

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.

The head of a leading aid group says an impasse at the United Nations over a border crossing with Syria’s last rebel-held enclave is endangering 4.1 million Syrians living there.

Lebanon’s 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.

A rights group says in a new report that security agencies and government officials across several countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been using social media platforms and mobile dating apps to crack down on LGBTQ people.

Pope Francis has marked the second anniversary of the Lebanon port explosion by insisting that truth and justice “can never be hidden.”.

The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain has set out from the port of Odesa.

As inflation surges around the world, politicians are scrambling for ways to keep food affordable as people increasingly protest the soaring cost of living.

A central Indiana man charged with murder in connection with the March death of his wife is one of three candidates who advanced in a primary election this week for a township board.

Food plays a central role in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, from the daytime fasting to celebratory iftar meals to break the fast.

Two Americans imprisoned in Japan for helping former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn avoid trial and escape to Lebanon are hoping to serve the rest of their time in the U.S. Paul Kelly, the attorney for Michael Taylor and his son Peter Taylor, said the elder man was suffering from serious back pain and frostbite.

The Russian tanks and missiles besieging Ukraine also are threatening the food supply and livelihoods of people in Europe, Africa and Asia who rely on the vast, fertile farmlands known as the “breadbasket of the world.”.

Health authorities around the U.S. are increasingly taking the extraordinary step of allowing nurses and other workers infected with the coronavirus to stay on the job if they have mild symptoms or none at all.

Norway’s data privacy watchdog fined gay dating app Grindr $7.16 million for sending sensitive personal data to hundreds of potential advertising partners without users’ consent.

Lebanon’s central bank governor says he asked an auditing firm to look into transactions and investments and that contrary to media reports, the results showed no public money has been misused.

They can make cakes sparkle, but decorative glitters can contain toxic metals and aren’t always safe to eat.

Arab heads of state and senior officials from the region including archenemies Iran and Saudi Arabia are meeting at a conference hosted by Iraq.

A Tokyo court has handed down prison terms for the American father and son accused of helping Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, escape to Lebanon while awaiting trial in Japan.

Two Americans charged in Japan with helping Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, jump bail and escape Japan for Lebanon have apologized in a Tokyo court.

William Byron, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott paced the first ever Cup Series practice at Nashville Superspeedway in yet another display of how dominant Hendrick Motorsports is right now.

Lebanon has vaccinated a daily record of people against COVID-19, raising the total number of shots administered around the country against the virus to more than 1 million.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press in Beirut, former star auto executive Carlos Ghosn has shared his frustrations surrounding his stunning downfall and delved into his legal troubles in Japan, France and the Netherlands.

South Korea’s daily increase in coronavirus infections exceeded 500 for the fourth straight day, a pace unseen since January, as experts raise concern about another viral surge amid a slow rollout in vaccines.

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)BEIJING — Sinovac said on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac is safe and effective in children ages 3-17. State-owned Sinopharm, who has two COVID-19 vaccines, is also investigating the effectiveness of its vaccines in children. The House vote came just before the state health department reported that more than 1 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered within the state. State officials say about 2.9 million vaccine doses have been given to about 1.1 million people so far in Arizona. ___LISBON, Portugal — Portugal resumed administering AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, a week after temporarily halting its use.

Japanese prosecutors have charged two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, in connection with the escape of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn to Lebanon. (DHA via AP, File)TOKYO – Japanese prosecutors charged two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, Monday in the escape of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn to Lebanon, while he was out on bail. Prosecutors said the Taylors were formally charged with helping a criminal escape, although dates and other details of a trial were undecided. Japan has put Ghosn on Interpol’s wanted list, but Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan. Peter Taylor, 28, is accused of meeting with Ghosn and helping his father carry out the escape.

Francis said the idea of a trip “cooks over time in my conscience,” and that the pandemic was the issue that weighed most heavily on him. Francis, the Vatican delegation and traveling media were vaccinated against COVID-19, while most Iraqis haven't been. Francis said he wasn’t sure if he would have to slow down his usual whirlwind pace on future trips. Otherwise, the only other trip Francis has promised to make is to Lebanon, though he offered no time frame. He said the country's patriarch had asked him to add a Beirut leg onto his Iraq trip but that he had declined, thinking it would be like tossing the country “crumbs," given all Lebanon’s current problems.

Two Americans suspected of helping Ghosn skip bail and escape to Lebanon in December 2019 have been extradited to Japan. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)TOKYO – Two Americans suspected of helping former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn skip bail and escape to Lebanon in December 2019 have been extradited to Japan. The box passed through airport security in Osaka, central Japan, and was loaded onto a private jet that flew Ghosn to Turkey. Peter Taylor is accused of meeting with Ghosn and helping his father carry out the escape. Japan has put Ghosn on Interpol's wanted list, but Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan.

(AP Photo/Channi Anand)NEW DELHI — Health officials in India say cases of the coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa and Brazil have been found in India. Over 150 cases of another variant first detected in the United Kingdom have previously been found in India. ___SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is reporting 621 new coronavirus cases. State health officials on Tuesday reported 1,132 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths. Spain has officially reported more than 3 million virus cases -- just over 6% of the population -- and attributed more than 65,400 deaths to the virus.

Fauci won a $1 million award from the Israeli Dan David Foundation for courageously defending science during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool, File)TEL AVIV, Israel — Dr. Anthony Fauci has won the $1 million Dan David Prize for “defending science” and advocating for vaccines now being administered worldwide to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The shots were supplied by Pfizer, which has a contract to sell 10 million vaccines to Colombia. The U.K.’s rapid rollout of coronavirus vaccines to the most at-risk groups has also helped. The good news: Many of the new COVID-19 vaccines are made with new, flexible technology that’s easy to upgrade.

Taylor is accused of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn out of Japan in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges. The flight went first to Turkey, and then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Lawyers for the Taylors argue the men can’t legally be extradited and will be treated unfairly in the Japan. Their lawyers told the Supreme Court in a brief filed Friday that the men would face harsh treatment in the Japanese criminal justice system. U.S. authorities had said they would not hand the men over to Japan while their bid for a stay was pending before Breyer, an attorney for the Taylors said.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani rejected a request to block the U.S. from handing Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, over to Japan. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani rejected a request to block the U.S. from handing Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, over to Japan. AdGhosn is now in Lebanon, where he has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Meanwhile, Ghosn headed to the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo and met up with Peter Taylor, who was already in Japan. Peter Taylor hopped on a flight to China, authorities say.

(AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)BEIRUT – Lebanon finalized a deal with Pfizer on Sunday for 2.1 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine amid surge in infections that has overwhelmed the country's health care system. The doses are to arrive in Lebanon starting early February, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The government's statement said the Pfizer vaccines will be complemented with another 2.7 million doses from the U.N.-led program to provide for countries in need. Another 2 million doses are being negotiated in coordination with Lebanon's private sector and the other international pharmaceutical companies that have developed the vaccines, the ministry said. Iraq said it will secure Pfizer vaccines by early this year, but has not released any more information, including inoculation plans.

The lockdown in Lebanon is the third since the first case was reported in late February. Also on Thursday, Lebanon broke its single-day record of new coronavirus cases for the third straight day, with 4,774 reported infections over the past 24 hours. The shortage of hard currency in Lebanon has severely curbed imports to the import-dependent country, including of medicine and medical supplies. In Egypt, Coptic Orthodox Christians were barred from attending Mass on Christmas Eve as the country fights a surge in coronavirus cases. Egypt has reported more than 145,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, including nearly 8,000 deaths.

(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)BEIRUT – Lebanon’s economy faces an “arduous and prolonged depression,” with real GPD projected to plunge by nearly 20% because its politicians refuse to implement reforms that would speed up the country’s recovery, the World Bank said Tuesday. “Lack of effective policy action by authorities has subjected the economy to an arduous and prolonged depression,” the World Bank report said. “One year into the economic crisis, such policies have not yet been decided, let alone implemented. “Lack of political consensus on national priorities severely impedes Lebanon’s ability to implement long-term and visionary development policies,” said Saroj Kumar Jha, the World Bank regional director. “Without reforms, there can be no sustainable recovery and reconstruction, and the social and economic situation will continue to worsen,” the World Bank warned.

Nissan Motor Co. had a profit of 59 billion yen in July-September of 2019. Yokohama-based Nissan reported Thursday its quarterly sales dipped to 1.9 trillion yen ($18 billion) from 2.6 trillion yen a year earlier. The company is still bleeding red ink and expects a 615 billion yen ($5.8 billion) loss for this fiscal year, which ends in March. That is still an improvement over its earlier projection for a 670 billion yen loss ($6.4 billion). Nissan posted a 671 billion yen loss in the previous fiscal year.

Supporters of religious group burn a representation of a French flag during a rally against French President Emmanuel Macron and republishing of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad they deem blasphemous, in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. Muslims have been calling for both protests and a boycott of French goods in response to France's stance on caricatures of Islam's most revered prophet. Crowds of Islamist activists hanged an effigy of French President Emmanuel Macron from a highway overpass after pounding it furiously with their shoes. Turkey has led regional condemnation of the French president, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s verbal attacks on Macron prompting France to recall its ambassador to Turkey last weekend. Demonstrators trampled on portraits of Macron and called on Afghan leaders to shut down the French embassy, halt French imports and ban French citizens from visiting the country.

Connecticut has seen an uptick in virus cases in communities across the state over the past few weeks. There were 3,747 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported Thursday, breaking the record of 3,279 set on Tuesday. The day of high case numbers comes just two weeks after the Republican governor repealed that same statewide mask mandate, citing declining numbers of virus cases. Mississippi has had more than 108,000 virus cases and at least 3,152 virus-related deaths. Mississippi’s state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Monday that six hospitals have no beds available in their intensive care units.

Member state flags fly outside the United Nations headquarters during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)TANZANIA – The Latest from the U.N. General Assembly (all times EDT):8:10 p.m. But U.S.-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó still put out his own online message during this year’s gathering of world leaders. Guaidó is recognized by nearly 60 nations as Venezuela’s president and has been in a nearly two-year standoff with Maduro. This week at the U.N. gathering of world leaders, African nations again have made it clear it’s time that changed.

Nour Ardakani, a teenage singer from Lebanon, gives an interview to The Associated Press in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Ardakani became the latest to join a global pop band formed by Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls and American Idol, which aims to transform young unknowns into internet superstars. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)DUBAI – A teenage singer from Lebanon this week became the latest to join a global pop band formed by Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls and “American Idol,” which aims to transform young unknowns into internet superstars. Ardakani scored the 16th spot in the band after a series of Zoom auditions from quarantine that drew talented contenders from the Middle East. The band, similar to Fuller’s previous projects in show business, represents a career kick-starting platform for those dreaming of being catapulted from obscurity to teen pop fame.

FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2020 file photo, Hoda Kinno, 11, is evacuated by her uncle Mustafa, in the aftermath of a massive explosion at the port in Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)When Mustafa Kinno felt the ground shake and heard the deafening blast toward the port, he frantically called his brother living nearby. He tried a neighbor, who said the family was sitting outside their apartment across from the port when it exploded. An image of the two, captured by Associated Press photographer Hassan Ammar, has come to symbolize the devastation of the Aug. 4 blast at the Beirut port, which took 193 lives and wounded 6,500. In the chaotic aftermath of the explosion, the Kinno family separated, each of them taken to a different hospital.

Ohio and Republican groups including the Trump campaign are defending a GOP election chief's directive limiting ballot drop boxes in the critical presidential battleground to one per county. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio and Republican groups including the Trump campaign are fighting to uphold a GOP election chief's directive limiting ballot drop boxes in the presidential battleground to one per county. LaRose argued that the number of drop boxes per county must be uniform to be fair, and that lawmakers had made clear in a law passed this spring that ballots had to be mailed or personally delivered to county board directors. Interest in access to ballot drop boxes has increased nationally since spring primary voting was hampered by virus concerns, the U.S. It is often the more urban, Democrat-heavy counties that lean toward drop boxes.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell issued a ruling approving the extradition of Michael Taylor, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, and his son Peter Taylor, but the final decision rests with the State Department. The flight went first to Turkey, then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Bank records show Ghosn wired more than $860,000 to a company linked to Peter Taylor in October 2019, prosecutors said in court documents. Ghosns son also made cryptocurrency payments totaling about $500,000 to Peter Taylor in the first five months of this year, prosecutors say. The government seized $5 million from the bank account of Taylors company.

The Badaoui family, who lives in Dearborn, Michigan, ended up hosting that lemonade stand -- but it wasn’t so little. Mustapha Badaoui was putting it into terms his 4-year-old daughter Fatima, who goes by the nickname Fufu, could understand. “We were saying people were hurt, they lost their stuff, and (Fatima) says, ‘Why don’t we help the people in Lebanon?’” Mustapha Badaoui recalled. In addition to Fufu, the Badaoui family has two other children, ages 2 and 1. “I haven’t told her that she won’t make this much in the future just yet,” Mustapha Badaoui responded with a laugh.

The port area lies in devastation following this week's massive explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. The blast killed 154 people, wounded more than 5,000 and laid waste to the countrys largest port and nearby areas. Also expected in Lebanon Saturday was the president of the European Council, Charles Michel. At the site of the blast in Beiruts port, workers were still searching for dozens of people who have been missing since Tuesday. It made an unscheduled detour to Beirut as the Russian shipowner was struggling with debts and hoped to earn some extra cash in Lebanon.

BEIRUT, Lebanon A San Antonio couple who captured the blast in Beirut on camera earlier this week is recovering in the hospital. Heavy smoke was sent into the air as the couple looked from their condo. PHOTOS: Beirut explosion leaves behind unspeakable damageThe two people who captured the blast are Imad Khalil and his wife, Lina. President Donald Trump earlier this week said the blast might have been a deliberate attack. Macron promises help, Beirut residents vent fury at leadersInvestigators probing the deadly blast are focused on possible negligence in the storage of tons of ammonium nitrate.

This Aug. 19, 2019 photo photo provided by Soha Saade,, shows Soha and her husband Jihad with their children Gemma and Karl, in Miziara, north of Lebanon. (Soha Saade via AP)BEIRUT Soha Saade had not seen her husband since Christmas. The coronavirus pandemic had kept 44-year-old Jihad in Nigeria, where he worked far from his family in Beirut. Together, Jihad and Soha spent 13 days with their daughter, Gemma, as she received treatment. We only had one more day left in the hospital, Soha said.

TEXAS CITY, Texas Tuesdays explosion in Beirut, Lebanon released incredible amounts of energy and resulted in unthinkable damage. A large amount of ammonium nitrate, a chemical compound often used in fertilizer, is now believed to be the culprit. Events such as the Oklahoma City bombing and the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion were caused by ammonium nitrate. But perhaps the event most comparable to Beirut happened in Texas City. Texas City explosion in 1947On April 16, 1947, in Galveston Bay, a French vessel called the SS Grandcamp was carrying nearly 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate.

Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Marwan Tahtah (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday.

A massive explosion happened in Beirut on Tuesday, causing immense damage and destruction, according to multiple reports. The explosion happened in downtown Beirut, and according to reports, was big enough to have a mushroom cloud rise above the capital city. Videos and photos of the explosion and its destruction have started to surface on social media, and words don’t do justice to how much devastation this explosion has on the city. I felt like I’m dying, I still can’t believe it #Lebanon #Beirut pic.twitter.com/EMTS470FOH — Ahmad M. Yassine | أحمد م. ياسين (@Lobnene_Blog) August 4, 2020BREAKING: Massive explosion in Beirut.

BEIRUT A massive explosion shook Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday wounding a number people and causing widespread damage. The afternoon blast shook several parts of the capital and thick smoke billowed from the city center. The explosion appeared to be centered around Beirut's port and caused wide scale destruction and shattered windows miles away. An Associated Press photographer near Beirut's port witnessed people wounded on the ground and widespread destruction in central Beirut. Some local TV stations reported the blast was at Beiruts port inside an area where firecrackers were stored.

BOSTON A Massachusetts father and son who prosecutors say helped smuggle Nissans former chairman out of Japan last year were denied bail by a federal judge in Boston on Friday. The Taylors' lawyers had argued the pair were unlawfully arrested and cant be extradited because bail jumping is not a crime in Japan and, therefore, helping someone evade their bail conditions isnt a crime, either. The Taylors are wanted in Japan on allegations that they helped Ghosn flee the country in December while he was out on bail and awaiting trial on financial misconduct allegations. Authorities say the Taylors helped sneak Ghosn out of a hotel in a large box and then out of Japan on a private jet. The flight took Ghosn to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan.

Its distillery being built at Lebanon, Kentucky, is expected to be carbon neutral a first for the London-based company. The $130 million distillery of Bulleit bourbon is expected to be fully operational in 2021. This groundbreaking undertaking to electrify our operations and then power them with renewable electricity will result in one of the largest carbon neutral distilleries in North America." The renewable electricity will be supplied by Inter-County Energy and East Kentucky Power Cooperative, it said. The plant will supplement the company's Kentucky operations at the Stitzel-Weller distillery in Louisville and its distillery at Shelbyville.

The very nature of a protest suggests a fervent desire for change, the need to right a perceived historic injustice. Confronting tyranny can also backfire, the result a more dictatorial leader or a ruinous civil war. Here's a look at some of the key protests of recent decades and what they achieved or failed. Syria exploded quickly from an uprising against the Assad dynasty to ruinous civil war which still continues with more than half million dead and millions displaced. In neighboring Lebanon and in Iraq, civil protests erupted last October against ruling elites.