French President Emmanuel Macron has set the bar high in its strategy on Lebanon after the port blast that devastated Beirut, upping the pressure on the country's political elite by not just promising aid but also demanding radical reform.

White shirt sleeves rolled up, Emmanuel Macron waded through cheering crowds in the devastated streets of Beirut Thursday where disaster survivors pleaded with him to help get rid of their reviled ruling elite.

His head bandaged just like his patients, Dr Antoine Qurban said Tuesday's enormous blast brought "Armageddon" to Beirut's overwhelmed hospitals in chaotic scenes reminiscent of a war zone.

Heritage buildings, trendy bars and hip art galleries, all gutted: the vibrant Mar Mikhail district, once one of Beirut's gems, is now a wasteland of broken glass and destroyed cars.

The United Arab Emirates' Barakah nuclear power plant, a first for the Arab world, successfully started up Saturday in a region grappling with conflicts.

On August 2, 1990, the army of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein swarmed into neighbouring Gulf emirate Kuwait, annexing the small oil-rich territory.

Seven months later, Iraq was chased out by a US-led international coalition, leaving behind a devastated and pillaged Kuwait, and 750 oil wells ablaze.

"We won't leave until Bibi leaves." Israel's struggle to contain the coronavirus has stirred deep-seated resentment towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and protests demanding his resignation are growing by the week. 

Brazil is being battered by the coronavirus crisis, but the damage is uneven across the sprawling South American country, where experts say chaotic policy-making has only made a complicated situation worse.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will on Friday participate with hundreds of people in the first Muslim prayers at Hagia Sophia since a top court revoked the Istanbul landmark's museum status.

UK Minister for the Middle East James Cleverly has reflected on his virtual visit to Lebanon on Thursday through an opinion piece.

Below is the full text of the opinion piece as received by Naharnet: