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LEBANON

Italian general to head UN force in Lebanon

UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday appointed Italian general Luciano Portolano to head the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

Published: 17 June 2014 08:07 CEST
Italian general to head UN force in Lebanon
Italian general Luciano Portolano will head up the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. Photo: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP

Portolano will succeed his countryman and fellow general Paolo Serra, who is leaving the post on July 24 after two-and-a-half years.

Portolano, a 54-year-old major general, currently serves as deputy chief of staff for joint operations in Italy's armed forces, according to a statement from Ban's office.

He previously commanded the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Regional Command West in Afghanistan.

Italy is one of the main troop contributors to UNIFIL, a multinational force established in 1978 to monitor the border between Lebanon and Israel. It consists of 10,200 soldiers.

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EXPLOSION

German diplomat killed in Beirut blast

In the devastating explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut, an employee of the German Embassy was also killed, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced Thursday.

Published: 6 August 2020 11:55 CEST
German diplomat killed in Beirut blast
Lebenon's capital of Beirut on Thursday morning. Photo: DPA

“Our worst fears have been confirmed. A member of our Embassy in Beirut has died in her apartment as a result of the explosion,” he said of the first confirmed German fatality.

“All members of the Foreign Ministry are deeply saddened by the loss of their colleague.”

Maas expressed his and colleagues' condolences to the relatives and staff of the Embassy in Beirut.

“My thanks go to all those who, like our late colleague, take great personal risks every day all over the world in the service of our country,” Maas said.

A tweet from the Foreign Office expressing Maas' condolences.

READ ALSO: German embassy staff among thousands wounded in Beirut blast

The massive detonation in the port of Beirut on Tuesday has killed more than 130 people and injured around 5,000.

Rescue workers expect the number of victims to rise further. The explosion destroyed large parts of the port and surrounding areas.

Germany has pledged aid to Beirut, both in the form of financial support and Germany a large-scale Bundeswehr mission.

The country's Air Force is providing its Airbus A310 “MedEvac”, which is equipped to transport seriously injured people.

The exact cause of the detonation is still unclear. According to various reports, it is connected with large quantities of ammonium nitrate which are said to have been stored in the port for years without any safety precautions.

 

 

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