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              Car Bomb Rocks Beirut, Former Minister Assassinated

   by VOA News

   Lebanese officials say a car bombing in central Beirut has killed
   former Finance Minister Mohamad Chatah and at least three others.
   Chatah, a Sunni Muslim, was a respected economist and senior advisor to
   ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri. He previously served as the Lebanese
   ambassador to Washington.
   The explosion, which occurred near government headquarters, left a
   thick cloud of black smoke rising above the city skyline. Video and
   social media showed terrified people running from the scene, with cars
   on fire and windows blown out.
   So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing. Lebanon has
   seen a recent increase in violence related to the bloody Syrian civil
   war spilling over the border.
   Chatah was an outspoken critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. His
   [1]last message on Twitter, posted about hour before the car bombing,
   was critical of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has
   supported President Assad in the country's civil war.
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   [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/large-explosion-rocks-beirut/1818366.
   html

References

   1. https://twitter.com/mohamad_chatah
   2. http://www.voanews.com/content/large-explosion-rocks-beirut/1818366.html