Lebanon

Lebanon's parliament has approved a state of emergency that grants sweeping powers to the army, citing the exceptional circumstances in the country following a massive explosion in Beirut last week. 

A U.N.-backed court will soon pronounce verdicts in a 15-year-old bombing in Beirut that roiled the Middle East. But critics say the court’s protracted deliberations and huge expense have undermined its original purpose.

Earlier in the day the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that as a result of a huge explosion, a ship from its Maritime Task Force docked in the port was damaged, leaving some UNIFIL naval peacekeepers injured – some of them seriously.

Lebanon has appointed Charbel Wehbe as foreign minister after Nassif Hitti resigned from the position, saying the country risked becoming a "failed state" and the government showed a lack of reformist will.

Conflicting narratives, lack of evidence leaves much about Monday's escalation between Hezbollah and Israel unclear. UN peacekeepers are investigating an incident on Lebanon's southern border after Israel said it foiled a Hezbollah "infiltration attempt", though the Iran-backed group said the allegations were "absolutely not true".

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said Tuesday that Israel had violated his country’s sovereignty with what he called a “dangerous military escalation” after Israeli and Hezbollah forces traded cross-border fire Monday.