Western Asia

Fury in Lebanon as officials admit knowing stockpile could blow up Beirut

The death toll from the ammonium nitrate blast rises to 137 as the number of wounded reaches at least 5,000, compounding public anger that erupted in protests last year against a government seen as corrupt and inefficient.

Lebanon's Aoun promises transparent probe into powerful Beirut blast

The government declares two-week state of emergency in Beirut after the massive blast in the port area of the capital kills at least 135 people with some 5,000 wounded and tens still missing.

How Beirut’s port became home to a floating bomb

The blast in Beirut shook the city resulting in widespread devastation. Questions remain over why the cargo was allowed to remain at the port for so long.

Beirut port explosion: A crippling blow to Lebanon’s food security

Lebanon imports 80 percent of its food supplies and the Port of Beirut was a vital lifeline for the country’s grain imports, storing 85 percent of its cereals.

'How much more can we take?' Beirut is in mourning and rejects ‘resilience’

Beirut is a city in shock but its residents are clear-eyed about who they see as the culprit behind the disaster at the port.

The chemical behind the Beirut explosion has been a concern for years

Despite strict rules regulating the trade of ammonium nitrate, businesses often fail to take necessary precautions.

Lebanon wakes up to utter devastation after Beirut blast

Frantic Lebanese set up social media pages to search for missing loved ones, many of whom are believed to be stuck under rubble after a mammoth port blast split through Lebanon's capital, leaving 300,000 homeless.

Who is responsible for the Beirut disaster?

Whatever the immediate cause, the reason for the deadly explosion in Beirut is criminal neglect and a rotten system built and maintained by the country’s political elite.

Death toll rises after deadly explosion in Lebanon's Beirut

Lebanese Red Cross says at least 100 people have been killed and over 4,000 wounded in the massive explosion at a port in Beirut.

Here's how the world is reacting to the horror of Beirut's port explosion

With deaths and injuries on the rise, nations are offering help and people are taking to social media to express solidarity and condolences.

Trump administration approves the “stealing” of Syria’s oil

US government brokers a deal that would see Syria’s oil finance a terror group.

Israel bombs southern Syria in retaliation for foiled Golan attack

In a rare statement acknowledging strikes in neighbouring Syria, the Israeli army said its targets included “observation posts and intelligence collection systems, anti-aircraft artillery facilities and command and control systems".