MICHEL AOUN

Pope Francis is appealing for Lebanon’s politicians to put their personal interests aside and agree on a path to help the country emerge from years of economic meltdown and a new political vacuum.

President Michel Aoun has left Lebanon’s presidential palace, marking the end of his six-year term without a replacement.

Lebanon and Israel signed and delivered copies of a U.S.-mediated sea border deal following months of indirect talks.

Lebanon's parliament has approved amendments to a banking secrecy law, a key demand of the International Monetary Fund before agreeing to a bailout program.

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.

Lebanon's parliament has failed to elect a president, just weeks before incumbent President Michel Aoun's six-year term comes to an end.

Lebanon is celebrating the victory of a female dance troupe from this crisis-hit Mideast country in the America's Got Talent competition show.

Forty years since it was founded, Lebanon's Hezbollah has transformed from a ragtag organization to the largest and most heavily armed militant group in the Middle East.

A granddaughter of a former Lebanese president has announced her long shot candidacy for the cash-strapped country's upcoming presidential elections.

A Lebanese minister says the government hopes to start sending back tens of thousands of Syrian refugees within months.

Lebanon's elections brought into parliament 13 new independent lawmakers who hail from the protest movement against the country's traditional political factions.

Final results in Lebanon's weekend parliamentary elections show that the militant Hezbollah group and its allies have lost the majority of parliament seats they had held since 2018.

Preliminary results from parliamentary elections in Lebanon over the weekend show the country's militant Hezbollah group and its allies have apparently suffered losses.

Lebanese voted for a new parliament against the backdrop of an economic meltdown that is transforming the country and low expectations that the voting would significantly alter the political landscape.

The deeply divisive issue of the militant Hezbollah group's weapons has been at the center of the upcoming vote for a new 128-member parliament in Lebanon.

In every household in Lebanon it's likely that one or more family members plan to emigrate — if they can get a passport.

Thousands of Lebanese living in nearly 50 countries began early voting in the country’s closely watched parliamentary elections, days after a similar vote was held in 10 predominantly Muslim nations.

On May 15, Lebanese vote in national parliamentary elections, the first since their country's economy took a nosedive.

Lebanon’s government is holding its first meeting in three months to discuss the budget as talks with the International Monetary Fund over the country’s economic meltdown resumed.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the international community has not done enough to support Lebanon, grappling with a dire economic crisis and home to over 1 million Syrian refugees.

Lebanon’s president has discussed his country’s economic meltdown and an unprecedented diplomatic crisis between Beirut and Persian Gulf nations with the Emir of Qatar.

A group of protesters have stormed a ministry building in Beirut as the Lebanese pound hit a new low amid a worsening economic and political stalemate.

Lebanon is seeking a dialogue with Saudi Arabia to resolve an unprecedented diplomatic rift over a Lebanese Cabinet minister’s comments, even as new reasons for tension emerged.

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on two Lebanon businessmen and a lawmaker, saying they have profited from corruption in the struggling country.

Iran’s foreign minister says talks between regional archrivals Iran and Saudi Arabia have made significant inroads.

Lebanon’s president is asking the international community for assistance to help the country recover from one of the worst financial crises the world has seen in modern history.

The Lebanese presidency says a new government has been formed, breaking a 13-month deadlock that saw the country slide deeper into financial chaos and poverty.

An international human rights group says Lebanese officials knew of the risks posed by the highly explosive material stored at Beirut’s port and did nothing to protect the public against it.

Tensions have intensified in Lebanon with riots in the north leaving more than two dozen people injured, including five soldiers who were attacked with a hand grenade.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has stepped down, nine months after he was named to the post by the parliament.

Lebanese troops have deployed in the northern city of Tripoli to take up positions around major state institutions after a night of protests and riots against worsening living conditions.

Lebanon’s president and prime minister-designate have traded barbs, accusing one another of obstruction, negligence and insolence.

Pope Francis has met with Lebanon’s prime minister-designate and urged all Lebanese political leaders to “urgently commit themselves to the benefit of the nation.”.

A senior U.S. official has warned that Lebanese politicians who continue to block reforms in the crisis-hit country could face punitive actions by Washington and its allies.

Come down, we are hungry, we are fed up!” yelled Ahmad Shuman, a protester frustrated at the small number of people taking part in demonstrations. Inflation and prices of basic goods have skyrocketed in the country, which imports more than 80% of its basic goods. Meanwhile, lawmakers approved $200 million in assistance from the central bank's shrinking foreign reserves to go to Lebanon's electricity company. The transfer is to cover fuel purchases for the next few weeks to prevent the country from plunging into darkness. AdThe crisis is posing the gravest threat to Lebanon’s stability since the 1975-90 civil war.

The plan also calls for “a targeted set of reforms, which are essential to facilitate recovery and reconstruction," he added. Macron, whose country once governed Lebanon as a protectorate, supported pushing ahead with an aid program despite frustration with the Lebanese ruling class. Representatives from 27 countries participated in Wednesday's meeting, including 12 heads of state and local Lebanese aid groups which have a central role as trusted partners, according to the French presidency. A new government would be the first step toward implementing a French roadmap for reforms to enable the release of billions of dollars of international aid. Aoun said Lebanon is negotiating a $246 million loan from the World Bank to deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and Lebanon’s emergency needs.

U.N. peacekeeping military vehicles enter the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force in the southern Lebanese border town of Naqoura, Lebanon, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. Lebanon and Israel are to begin Wednesday indirect talks over the disputed maritime border between the two countries in the presence of American officials who are mediating between the Middle Eastern nations. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)NAQOURA – Lebanon and Israel began indirect talks on Wednesday over their disputed maritime border, with American officials mediating the talks that both sides insist are purely technical and not a sign of any normalization of ties. The U.S.-mediated talks began at a U.N. post along the border known as Ras Naqoura, on the edge of the Lebanese border town of Naqoura. Israel and Lebanon also held indirect negotiations in the 1990s, when Arab states and Israel worked on peace agreements.

FILE - In this Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, file photo, Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib speaks to journalists at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon. The announced by Adib deals a blow to French President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to break a dangerous stalemate in the crisis-hit country. The announcement by Moustapha Adib nearly a month after he was appointed to the job further delays the prospect of getting the foreign economic assistance needed to rescue the country from collapse. An official in Macron’s office, commenting on Adib’s resignation, described it as “a collective betrayal” by Lebanon's political parties. The Lebanese pound dropped against the dollar following his resignation, trading at more than 8,100 Lebanese pounds on the black market Saturday.

BEIRUT – Facing an economic meltdown and other crises, Lebanon’s president on Wednesday asked for the world's help to rebuild the capital's main port and neighborhoods that were blown away in last month’s catastrophic explosion. Most urgently, the country needs the international community’s support to rebuild its economy and its destroyed port. Aoun suggested breaking up the damaged parts of the city into separate areas and so that countries that wish to help can each commit to rebuilding one. Aroun said Lebanon had requested technical assistance from certain countries, particularly soil samples and satellite images from the moment of the explosion. Guterres made his remarks during a meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meetings.

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.

The Commissioner-General of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees Philippe Lazzarini, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the U.N. relief agency, UNRWA, headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020. The financial crisis that the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees is experiencing could lead to ceasing some of its activities in what would raise risks of instability in this volatile region, Lazzarini said Wednesday. UNRWA's financial crisis was sparked by the loss of all funding from the United States, its largest donor, in 2018. UNRWA has registered 6,876 confirmed cases among Palestinian refugees, most of them in the West Bank, where some 5,000 cases have been detected. “We have people being more and more in despair expecting UNRWA to deliver more services, at a time UNRWA is already experiencing financial crisis,” Lazzarini said.

FILE - In this Aug.6, 2020 file photo, French President Emmanuel Macron, second left, and Lebanese President Michel Aoun, second right, meet at BeirutRafic Hariri International Airport, in Lebanon. In the wake of Beirut's massive port explosion, Macron has taken a tough line, setting deadlines for Lebanon's politicians to carry out reforms. “Regrettably maybe President Macron does not know whom he is dealing with.”Resistance to reform can be startling. But already, there appear to be delays in negotiating a new Cabinet, despite a Monday deadline that Macron said Lebanese politicians agreed on to form the government. “The only state that is not interfering in Lebanon’s affairs is the Lebanese state,” goes one joke making the rounds.

BEIRUT A Lebanese diplomat was appointed to form a new government in crisis-hit Lebanon on Monday after winning the backing of major political parties. Lebanon's president is holding consultations with heads of parliamentary blocs to designate a new prime minister for the crisis-stricken country, with a career diplomat poised to win the job Monday. Macron and other world leaders as well as the International Monetary Fund have refused to give assistance to Lebanon before its leaders enact major reforms. Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri emerged from his meeting with Aoun on Monday, telling reporters his 18-member bloc had given its backing to Adib. Adib, who has been Lebanons ambassador to Germany since 2013, served as an advisor to one of Lebanons former Prime Ministers, Najib Mikati.

BEIRUT The office of Lebanons president said Friday that binding consultations with members of Parliament to designate a new prime minister will begin early next week. Mondays consultations will coincide with a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Lebanon, a former French protectorate. The blast, the most destructive single incident in Lebanons history, killed more than 180 people, wounded nearly 6,000 and left nearly 300,000 people homeless. President Michel Aouns office released a schedule of the consultations that will begin Monday morning and end in the afternoon. The fighting briefly closed the main highway linking Beirut with southern Lebanon.

(AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)BEIRUT Lebanese President Michel Aoun says the probe into a devastating blast in Beirut is very complex and wont be finished quickly. Responding to calls that he step down, Aoun told French TV station BFMTV in his first interview with foreign media since the Aug. 4 blast that it would be "impossible" because it would create a power vacuum. The cause of the fire that ignited nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at Beiruts port remains unclear. We had the determination to reach conclusions quickly but we found out that the issues are very complex and require time, said Aoun. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has denied his group has any role in the explosion and said any international probe would likely seek to clear Israel of responsibility in the port explosion, if it had a hand.

FILE - In this August 5, 2020 file photo, smoke rises from the scene of an explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)BEIRUT A team of FBI investigators is due to arrive in Lebanon this weekend to take part in the probe of Beirut's massive explosion, a senior U.S official said on Saturday after visiting the location of the blast. David Hale, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, called for a thorough and transparent investigation. Hassan Nasrallah said the cause of the explosion is still unclear, adding that any international probe would also have to clear Israel of any responsibility in the port explosion. On Friday, the United Nations launched a $565 million appeal for Lebanon with immediate humanitarian assistance and initial recovery efforts.

Maas said that Lebanon needs a "strong reboot" and far-reaching economic reforms to rebuild trust with its citizens. Heiko Maas spoke ahead of his trip to Beirut, following last week's explosion at the city's port that killed at least 171 people and wounded thousands. (Dalati Nohra via AP)BEIRUT Germany stands ready to help Lebanon with reconstruction and further investment after last week's massive explosion, but any support will be linked to economic reforms and an end to pervasive corruption in Lebanon, Germany's foreign minister said Wednesday. Ahead of his arrival in Beirut, Maas said Lebanon needs a strong reboot and far-reaching economic reforms to rebuild trust with its citizens. I think everyone in Lebanon has to recognize that things cannot continue like this, this country needs big reforms, he said.

The wife of Rami Kaaki, one of ten firefighters who were killed during the last week's explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, mourns during her husband's funeral at the firefighter headquarters, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Thousands of people marched near the devastated port, remembering those who died in the worst single blast to hit the country. Outgoing Health Minister Hamad Hassan said the blast killed a total of 171 people, with between 30 and 40 still missing. Lebanese have demanded an independent Cabinet not backed by any of the political political parties they blame for the mess they are in. Many are also calling for an independent investigation into the port explosion, saying they had zero trust in a local probe.

Words are written by Lebanese citizens in front of the scene of Tuesday's explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)BEIRUT Hospitals and schools, then shattered and bent water pipes, then the crater that once was Lebanon's port. In the short-term, the aid streaming into Lebanon is purely for humanitarian emergencies and relatively easy to monitor. Lebanon's wheat stockpile, stored next to the warehouse filled with ammonium nitrate, was destroyed in the explosion. Julien Courson, head of the Lebanon Transparency Association, said the country's non-profits are forming a coalition to monitor how relief and aid money is spent.

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.

A soldier stands at the devastated site of the explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. The protesters said Saturday the Foreign Ministry would be the headquarters for a revolution and called on the current government to resign. Rage against the government spiked after the Beirut port explosion Tuesday that killed nearly 160 people and injured 6,000 while leaving much of the coastline mangled. A Lebanese health ministry official said on Saturday that the blast killed 154 people, including 21 bodies who have not been identified. Oktay arrived earlier in the day with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)BEIRUT The Latest on the explosion in Beirut (all times local):11 a.m.A French presidential official says French President Emmanuel Macron is arriving in Beirut following Tuesday's deadly port explosion and will be greeted by Lebanese President Michel Aoun. The official says Macron will go directly to the port and meet Lebanese and French teams in the disaster area. Later in the day, Macron will head to the presidential palace for meetings with top officials. The French official says Macrons trip is meant to show that Lebanon is not alone and to give the Lebanese people confidence. Macron has said his role is to show that he believes in the country.