BEIRUT (Reuters) - Germany’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that Lebanon needed a government able to fight corruption and enact reforms as he toured Beirut port, scene of the devastating explosion that has kindled protests and led the government to resign. The Aug. 4 blast at a warehouse storing highly explosive material killed at least 172 people, injured some 6,000, left around 300,000 without habitable housing and wrecked swathes of the Mediterranean city, compounding a deep economic and financial crisis. “It is impossible that things go on as before,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. “The international community is ready to invest but needs securities for these investments. It is important to have a government that fights the corruption. “Many in Europe have a lot of interest for this country. They want to know that there are economic reforms and good governance,” Maas added.

The resignation of Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government has deepened uncertainty. His cabinet’s talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout had already stalled over internal differences about the scale of financial losses. Forming a new government could be daunting amid factional rifts and growing public discontent with a ruling class that many Lebanese brand as responsible for the country’s woes. The foreign ministers of Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed on Wednesday on the importance of creating “beneficial external conditions” for the formation of a new Lebanese government, the Russian foreign ministry said. Humanitarian aid has poured in but foreign countries have made clear they will not provide funds to help pull Lebanon from economic collapse without action on long-demanded reforms to tackle systemic graft, waste, mismanagement and negligence.

Lebanese security officials warned the prime minister and president of catastrophic danger only two weeks before the explosion which left much of …

by arabnews.com -- DUBAI: Lebanese actress Nadine Nassib Njeim revealed this week, she has decided to leave her home country after a massive explosion ripped through the city of Beirut, killing over 135 people and injuring thousands. Last week, the star, who lives close to the port area where the explosion happened, underwent six hours of surgery. “In this moment, from the hospital, I made a decision: I will leave the country and live in safety in another country that respects its people,” she wrote to her one million twitter followers. “It is better than staying and dying in a country ruled by bullies.” The former Miss Lebanon then addressed the rulers in her tweet saying: “When you are buried underground, we will come back to our country. Otherwise, there is no need to speak any further, and thank you.” After the tragic incident, the star shared a video – shot by someone else – of her damaged apartment on Instagram. “Half my face and my body were covered in blood,” said Njeim. “I thank God first, who saved my life.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Angry and grieving protesters on Tuesday read aloud the names of at least 171 people killed in last week’s explosion at Beirut port and called for the removal of Lebanon’s president and other officials they blame for the tragedy. Gathered near “ground zero”, some carried pictures of the victims as a large screen replayed footage of the mushroom cloud that rose over the city on Aug. 4 after highly-explosive material stored for years detonated, injuring some 6,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. “HE KNEW” was written across an image of President Michel Aoun on a poster at the protest venue. Underneath, it read: “A government goes, a government comes; we will continue until the president and the parliament speaker are removed.” Container lines resume calls to Beirut as terminal restarts operations Reuters reported that the president and prime minister were warned in July about the warehoused ammonium nitrate, according to documents and senior security sources.

Aoun, who has pledged a swift and transparent investigation, tweeted on Tuesday: “My promise to all the pained Lebanese is that I will not rest until all the facts are known.” Residents of Beirut were still picking up the pieces as search operations continued for 30 to 40 people still missing and security forces fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters in the fourth such day of unrest. “Our house is destroyed and we are alone,” said Khalil Haddad. “We are trying to fix it the best we can at the moment. Let’s see, hopefully there will be aid and, the most important thing: hopefully the truth will be revealed.” Lebanese have not been placated by Monday’s resignation of Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government and are demanding the wholesale removal of what they see as a corrupt ruling class they brand as responsible for the country’s woes. “We will not forget until nooses are erected (for the leaders),” one man said at Tuesday’s demonstration after he read out some of the victims’ names shown on the screen.