Beirut bomb blast kills former premier
At least nine other people were killed and 100 wounded in the blast. It raised immediate fears that Lebanon largely peaceful since the 1990 end of its civil war was headed toward a new and bloody chapter in its differences with Syria, which has about 15,000 troops in the country.
At least 20 cars were set on fire in a blast that devastated the front of the famous St George Hotel, blowing off balconies, and damaged a British bank and the Phoenicia Hotel along the Mediterranean waterfront.