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Beirut

Beirut is the capital city of Lebanon, and also its largest metropolis and main seaport. It is one of the oldest cities in the world.

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All Content on this topic

Emmanuel Macron

Macron piles pressure on Lebanon's leaders

In a scathing rebuke, the French president warned time is running out to form a new government.
PoliticsSeptember 27, 2020
Mustapha Adib

Lebanon: PM-designate Adib resigns

Mustapha Adib, who's been in the post for less than a month, has quit amid a deadlock over forming the next Cabinet.
PoliticsSeptember 26, 2020
Laila Zahed with Lebanese flag, board saying 'we remove all the trash'

In Lebanon, women drive the fight for change

In a country convulsed by crises, Lebanon's women lead the fight for change, as Sina Schweikle reports from Beirut.
PoliticsSeptember 19, 2020
Smoke from a huge fire raging in Beirut port

Lebanon: Huge fire at Beirut port burns food aid

The blaze has sparked alarm among residents just over a month after a deadly blast hit the same port.
CatastropheSeptember 10, 2020
Beirut after the blast

Displaced Syrians want out of Lebanon

Lebanon faces economic ruin, protests and a slow recovery from the devastating explosion in the heart of the capital.
ConflictsSeptember 8, 2020
Rescuers search at the site of a collapsed building in Beirut

'No sign of life' under Beirut blast rubble, say rescuers

A rescue team in Beirut has found no sign of life beneath a collapsed building and would now focus on finding remains.
CatastropheSeptember 6, 2020
Rescuers in Beirut

Pulse signal prompts search for Beirut survivor

Rescuers in Beirut have detected signals which could indicate a survivor under the rubble, a month after the explosion.
CatastropheSeptember 3, 2020
A man looks in the distance to Beirut's destroyed port

Big cities, big problems

Beirut explosion, one month on, US police demand more support, and Tokyo's Koenji district resists gentrification.
GlobalizationSeptember 2, 202029:58 min
Libanon | Emmanuel Macron im Gepräch mit Journalisten

Macron urges political reform during Lebanon visit

The French president marked the struggling nation's centenary by planting a cedar tree and meeting with politicians.
PoliticsSeptember 1, 2020
Lebanon Protest in Beirut

Opponents of Lebanon's sectarian system unify

Beirut's blast has galvanized groups opposed to the sectarian system of governance into a new coalition. Can it deliver?
PoliticsAugust 31, 2020
Libanon Mustapha Adib, neuer Premierminister

Lebanon taps diplomat Mustapha Adib to lead new government

Lebanese leaders have thrown their weight behind Lebanon's ambassador to Germany to lead the country.
PoliticsAugust 31, 2020
Destruction in Beirut after a devastating port explosion on August 4, 2020

Lebanon at 'risk of disappearing,' warns France

Lebanon could "disappear" without swifter action from its political elite, France's top diplomat has warned.
PoliticsAugust 27, 2020
Helicopter putting out fires after explosion in Beirut, Lebanon

Dust and garbage loom large over Beirut recovery

The Lebanese capital is grappling with cleanup efforts that threaten to cause more air problems.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 27, 2020
Protesters in Lebanon

Beirut blast complicated by Hariri verdict

The upcoming verdict in the Hariri case offers some closure, but after the Beirut blast it could also ignite tensions.
PoliticsAugust 16, 2020
Cyrine Farhat and Wadiha Butros Keries in Beirut, Lebanon

Beirut blast: Youth helping Lebanon's most desperate

After the huge explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital, young people are coming to the aid of their fellow citizens.
ConflictsAugust 14, 2020
Sursock Museum in Beirut after explosion

Beirut's cultural scene damaged by explosion

Beirut's Sursock Art Museum survived 15 years of war, but not the blast. The arts community is at risk of collapse.
CultureAugust 14, 2020
Beirut explosion

UN experts demand probe into Beirut explosion

Nearly UN human rights experts have called for a swift and independent probe into the Beirut port blast.
SocietyAugust 13, 2020
People take part in an anti-government protest

Lebanon: Lawmakers approve Beirut state of emergency

Lebanese MPs have approved a two-week state of emergency that gives extensive power to the military.
PoliticsAugust 13, 2020
Riot police in Beirut

Will protests bring true reform to Lebanon?

Activists want a total overhaul of a system whose negligence caused the August 4 explosion in Beirut.
CatastropheAugust 12, 2020
Berlin: Protest at the Lebanese Embassy

Lebanese people in Germany mourn Beirut blast

Many worry that international aid funds will be used to prop up Lebanon's corrupt political class.
CatastropheAugust 12, 2020
Heiko Maas in Beirut

German foreign minister calls for reform on Beirut visit

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas gave a cheque for €1 million to the Lebanese Red Cross upon arrival in Beirut.
PoliticsAugust 12, 2020
Lebanon Proteste in Beirut

Government falls as tolls from Beirut blast grow

The August 4 explosion in Beirut killed more than 150 people and left at least 300,000 homeless.
CatastropheAugust 10, 2020
A demonstrator waves the Lebanese flag in front of riot police during a protest in Beirut, Lebanon

Lebanese government resigns after Beirut blast

Lebanese PM Hassan Diab has announced that he is stepping down in the wake of last week's deadly Beirut explosion.
PoliticsAugust 10, 2020
Libanon Proteste in Beirut

Maas to travel to Beirut, demand reform

Germany has pledged €20 million in aid following the devastating explosion in Beirut last week.
PoliticsAugust 10, 2020
Protest in Beirut

Lebanon: Beirut protesters and police clash for second day

A fire broke out near the Lebanese parliament as protesters once again clashed with the police over the deadly blast.
PoliticsAugust 9, 2020
A group of men sit near the entrance of a shop damaged after a large explosion on August 4, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon.

In pictures: Beirut blast aftermath — destruction, chaos and protests

A powerful explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, killing at least 150 people and injuring thousands more.
CatastropheAugust 9, 202011 images
Protests in Beirut, Lebanon

Beirut blast: Donors want reforms in return for aid

International donors pledged "not to let the Lebanese people down" after the deadly blast, but called for reforms.
PoliticsAugust 9, 2020

Lebanon's worst enemy is its own government

Diana Hodali
The causes of the Beirut blast should be investigated by an outside body, not the corrupt government, says Diana Hodali.
PoliticsAugust 8, 2020
A demonstrator holds a shield during a protest following Tuesday's blast, in Beirut

Lebanon: Protesters take over ministries after deadly blast

Prime Minister Hassan Diab says he will present a draft bill proposing early elections in the country.
CatastropheAugust 8, 2020
Rescue workers and dog search for missing persons in Beirut

Beirut: Frantic search for survivors hastens, dozens missing

The race to find survivors in the rubble in the Lebanese capital Beirut comes as more than 60 people remain missing.
PoliticsAugust 8, 2020
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he visits a devastated street of Beirut

Can Lebanon pin its hopes on France's Macron?

Many Lebanese welcome the support pledged by Macron, but what can France achieve?
PoliticsAugust 8, 2020
Lebanese President Michel Aoun

Lebanese leaders try to calm anger

As shock turns to fury among Beirut residents, Lebanese political figures have called for calm while promising reform.
CatastropheAugust 7, 2020
photo of Tel Aviv city Hall lit with Lebanese flag at night

Monuments worldwide lit in solidarity with Beirut

Landmark structures all over the world are lit up with the Lebanese flag — out of solidarity.
CultureAugust 7, 2020
A Russian rescue worker and his dog search for survivors at Beirut port

Lebanon faces 'grim' prospect of food and medical shortages

UN agencies have pledged to deliver aid to Beirut, as it reels from the destruction of a major explosion.
PoliticsAugust 7, 2020
Rescuers at the site of an explosion in the city port.

Germany's Maas warns against destabilization in Lebanon

The German foreign minister says there needs to be a "desire for reform" among Lebanon's elite to avoid destabilization.
PoliticsAugust 7, 2020
Beirut port seen from satellite moments after the explosion

Lebanese authorities detain workers, freeze assets

Port workers in Beirut have been detained and assets of top managers frozen as authorities investigate the deadly blast.
CrimeAugust 7, 2020
Lebanon: Explosion in Beirut

Lebanese open homes to Beirut blast victims

Beirut's blast left thousands without doors, windows and homes. Households, monasteries and hotels are stepping up.
CatastropheAugust 6, 2020
Screenshot DW Videostill Interview mit Israa Seblani

Beirut bride recounts horrors of wedding day blast

Israa Seblani was posing for her wedding day photos when a deadly explosion blasted through the Lebanese capital.
SocietyAugust 6, 2020
Foreign Office in Berlin Foreign Office in Berlin

German Embassy diplomat confirmed killed in Beirut blast

The official's death is the first confirmed Germany fatality following Tuesday's explosion.
CatastropheAugust 6, 2020
President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Beirut, greeted by Lebanese President Michel Aoun

55,000 call for France to take control of Lebanon

Critics say corruption and mismanagement by Lebanon's government was the cause of the deadly blast in Beirut.
PoliticsAugust 6, 2020
Explosion in Beirut

EU offers trade perks as Lebanon in economic jeopardy

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said trade benefits were being explored following Beirut's port blast.
PoliticsAugust 6, 2020
An aerial view shows the massive damage done to Beirut port's grain silos (C) and the area around it on August 5, 2020, one day after a mega-blast tore through the harbour in the heart of the Lebanese capital with the force of an earthquake, killing more than 100 people and injuring over 4,000

National mourning begins in Lebanon, aid inbound

Investigations continue on why a huge stockpile of volatile chemicals was left in the port for years.
PoliticsAugust 6, 2020
Hand holding some ammonium nitrate from a container

What makes ammonium nitrate so dangerous?

Ammonium nitrate, thought to be behind Tuesday's blast in Beirut, has several applications — including in explosives.
ScienceAugust 5, 2020
Damages of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's northern port

Beirut blasts: Here's what we know so far

Lebanon is in mourning after two explosions rocked its capital Beirut. Here's what we know so far about the disaster.
CatastropheAugust 5, 2020
Libanon | Beirut | Gewaltige Explosion am Hafen

Beirut resembles apocalyptic war scene

A Lebanese doctor described the fallout from the blast as "apocalyptic." The devastation adds to a feeling of rage.
PoliticsAugust 5, 2020
An aerial view shows the massive damage at Beirut port's grain silos (C) and the area around it on August 5, 2020, one day after a massive explosion hit the harbour

Beirut blast live updates: Half of city affected by damage

A blast ripped through the port Beirut, Lebanon, killing dozens and injuring thousands. Follow DW for live updates.
CatastropheAugust 5, 2020
This picture taken on August 4, 2020 shows a general view of destruction along a street in the centre of Lebanon's capital Beirut, following a massive explosion at the nearby port of Beirut

Condolences pour in for Lebanon after Beirut blast

Germany says embassy staff were among the injured and that Berlin hopes to aid its citizens and Lebanese authorities.
CatastropheAugust 5, 2020
Beirut explosion aftermath

Lebanon: Deadly Beirut explosion injures thousands

Thousands were injured and dozens killed after a massive explosion shook Beirut's port.
SocietyAugust 4, 2020
Riot police in Beirut

Violence erupts at Beirut anti-government rally

Protesters threw stones and smashed store fronts, angry at Lebanon's economic woes.
PoliticsJune 6, 2020
Protesters throw stones at troops in Tripoli

Riots in Lebanon with economy in crisis

Hundreds of protesters clashed with troops in Tripoli for a second day despite a coronavirus lockdown.
PoliticsApril 29, 2020