Fadi dimassi

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 8 BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s top prosecutor Wednesday ordered the release of all suspects detained in the investigation into the deadly 2020 port blast in Beirut and filed charges against the judge leading the probe, he told The Associated Press. The move by chief prosecutor Judge Ghassan Oweidat marked another blow to the investigation, which has stalled for years. The probe has threatened to rattle Lebanon’s ruling elite, which is rife with corruption and mismanagement, and has helped push the country into an unprecedented economic meltdown. Oweidat charged Bitar with resuming his work despite legal challenges against him that had halted the investigation, abusing authority, conducting work contradictory to his prerogatives, and overstepping his authority. He also issued a travel ban. The decision came after Bitar on Monday resumed the investigation … [Read more...] about Top prosecutor orders release of Beirut port blast detainees

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister signaled Friday that the military would stop its airstrikes if Palestinian militant groups halted rocket attacks, a day after the deadliest Israeli raid in decades raised the prospect of a major flare-up in fighting. After a limited exchange of Palestinian rockets and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza overnight, residents of Jerusalem were on edge Friday morning as they waited to see what comes next. Israel’s defense minister instructed the military to prepare for new strikes in the Gaza Strip “if necessary.” The bombardments followed an Israeli raid in the flashpoint Jenin refugee camp, which turned into a gun battle that killed at least seven militants and a 61-year-old woman. The raid sparked clashes elsewhere during which Israeli forces killed a 22-year-old in al-Ram, a Palestinian town north of Jerusalem. At the funeral in … [Read more...] about Jerusalem, West Bank on edge after outbreak of violence