For one couple in Lebanon, last week’s explosion in Beirut will be forever bound up with another life-changing event. The birth of their baby boy George. And the father-to-be caught it all on film. Lebanon’s Parliament approved a two-week state of emergency for Beirut in its first meeting after August 4th’s catastrophic explosion. It grants the military broad powers – like prohibiting gatherings and declaring curfews. Protesters and rights groups fear the measure could lead to a crackdown on civil liberties. Lebanese lawmakers have met to approve emergency measures, following last week’s devastating explosions which destroyed the port of Beirut. The move gives the military wide-ranging powers, which critics worry could be used to crack down on protesters, who blame politicians for the disaster. Meanwhile, volunteers from across Lebanon have travelled to Beirut to help residents clear the streets of rubble. Plastic sheeting is being used to replace countless windows shattered by the blast, and the army is distributing boxes of food to residents – hundreds of thousands of whom have been left homeless. More than 170 people were killed in the blast and thousands more injured.
Beirut blast: The ‘miracle baby’, a resign gov’t and city reconstruction | DW News
