UPDATED
Live Beirut explosions: Many feared dead in 'national disaster' - latest news 


Campbell MacDiarmid, middle east correspondent
Danielle Sheridan, political correspondent
4 AUGUST 2020 • 10:50PM

At least 70 dead and more than 2,700 injured, officials say
Everything we know so far
'It was like a nuclear explosion': How terrified residents fled the fireball
Fears grow over hazardous materials released by blast
Lebanon's PM: 'Those responsible will pay the price'
Explosion heard as far away as Cyprus

Massive explosions shook Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday in a blast that has killed 70, with many more fatalities feared to come.

Health Minister Hamad Hasan said an explosion in the centre of the city had injured at least 2,700 people according to "preliminary estimates" and caused extensive damage, Lebanon's LBC television channel quoted the minister as saying.

He said that those who can leave the city should, saying the hazardous materials in the air after the explosion can have long-term deadly effects.

The president of Lebanon said on Twitter that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was stored in a warehouse for six years without safety measures

Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that those responsible for would "pay the price" and appeared to suggest that the warehouse at the epicentre of the blast had been "dangerous".

"I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability," he said in a televised speech. "Facts about this dangerous warehouse that has been there since 2014 will be announced and I will not preempt the investigations."

Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut CREDIT: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR


The blast was so loud that people could hear it in Cyprus.

"I saw a fireball and smoke billowing over Beirut. People were screaming and running, bleeding," said a Reuters witness.

"Balconies were blown off buildings. Glass in high-rise buildings shattered and fell to the street."



Video was shared online of the moment an enormous explosion erupted near the Beirut waterfront, sending an immense shockwave tearing through downtown neighbourhoods.

Moments before, a fire could be seen burning at the base of a billowing grey tower of smoke, apparently from an initial explosion near the port area.

The major blast was preceded by a smaller one ten minutes earlier in the same port area of the city (see the map below).



Local media showed images of bloodied people trapped under rubble following the explosion, the cause of which was not immediately clear.

Hospitals called for blood donations and the Lebanese Red Crescent sent out an alert to paramedics, calling on them to rush to dispatch centres.

Beirut City Governor Marwan Aboud said: "Beirut is a disaster city and the scale of the damage is enormous" and called the blast a "national disaster akin to Hiroshima."

Early reports in local media suggested the incident may have been an accidental explosion of fireworks stored at the port.

A Hizbollah source told Lebanese media that the blast was unrelated to recent tensions between Israel and the militant group on Lebanon's southern border, saying there was "no truth in everything that is being circulated about an Israeli strike on Hizbollah weapons in the port".



The blast damaged balconies and blew out windows miles away, with the explosion heard across the city and some districts losing electricity.

It comes as Lebanon faces its worst financial and economic crisis in decades. The country's powerful Hezbollah movement said all of the country's political powers must unite to overcome the "painful catastrophe".

Video showed damage to the offices of local newspaper the Daily Star, where the ceiling had collapsed and shattered glass and dust covered overturned furniture.

A wounded man is checked by a fireman near the scene CREDIT: ANWAR AMRO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES


"Buildings are shaking," tweeted one resident, while another wrote: "An enormous, deafening explosion just engulfed Beirut. Heard it from miles away".

Boris Johnson tweeted his condolences. "The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking," the Prime Minister said.

"All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected."


Auto updateOn
10:33pm

'Unacceptable levels of ammonium nitrate stored in warehouse'


Lebanon's president has said a state of emergency should be declared in Beirut for two weeks.

Michael Aoun, in remarks published on the Presidency Twitter account, said it was "unacceptable" that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was stored in a warehouse for six years without safety measures and vowed that those responsible would face the "harshest punishments".

Mr Aoun also called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
10:15pm

Lebanese are 'people I hold dear', says Pompeo


Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, has said: "I’d like to extend my deepest condolences to all those affected by the massive explosion at the port of Beirut today.

"We are closely monitoring and stand ready to assist the people of Lebanon as they recover from this tragedy.

"Our team in Beirut has reported to me the extensive damage to a city and a people that I hold dear, an additional challenge in a time of already deep crisis.

"We understand that the Government of Lebanon continues to investigate its cause and look forward to the outcome of those efforts."
9:56pm

'Thousands of tons of nitrate may have exploded'


The Telegraph's Josie Ensor reports that Lebanese media are suggesting that thousands of tons of nitrate may have gone up in the blast.



I have read this about 10 times now and I can't find the words. Local Lebanese station reporting that preliminary investigation believes 2,700 tons of confiscated nitrate exploded after someone "welded a small hole to prevent theft" #Beirutblast https://t.co/S3FGZ0VgJh— Josie Ensor (@Josiensor) August 4, 2020
9:52pm

Watch: Priest hit by debris during service



During a live streamed holy mass in Beirut , the debris fell on the priest and the parishioners. Praying for #Beirut pic.twitter.com/0q4lQ50xDK— Steven Nabil (@thestevennabil) August 4, 2020
9:44pm

Calls for evacuation over chemical fears


The head of the Lebanese American University Hospital is calling for evacuation of Beirut due to the hazardous materials in the air from the explosion.

Lebanon’s Health Minister has said that those who can leave the city should, saying the remnants of the explosion can have long-term deadly effects.
9:43pm

'It was like a nuclear explosion': How panic-stricken residents fled the fireball


A colossal fireball erupted, sending a huge shockwave tearing through entire districts of Beirut and momentarily obscuring the sun, Abbie Cheeseman and Campbell MacDiarmid write.

The force of the blast threw some of the amateur cameramen off their feet. Further out the blastwave tore balconies from apartment buildings miles away.

As dust covered the city, an enormous mushroom cloud rose overhead.

"It was like a nuclear explosion," said Walid Abdo, a 43-year-old school teacher in the neighbourhood of Gemayzeh near Beirut.

Rumbling aftershocks continued for several minutes, as piercing screams rose as bystanders rushed to pull bloodied bodies from the rubble of damaged buildings.

Read more: How Beirut blast sent panic-stricken residents fleeing

The explosion near Beirut's waterfront flattened much of the port area CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
9:36pm

In pictures: Devastation in an ancient city

Fire crews struggled to contain the blaze after the explosions CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

A firefighter helps a wounded man at the scene CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

Residents described balconies being blown off and buildings collapsing CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

Beirut's harbour has been decimated CREDIT: EPA

Emergency teams rushed to the scene of the blast CREDIT: EPA
9:11pm

British embassy staff injured


A small number of staff at the UK embassy in Beirut sustained non-life threatening injuries in the explosion and where necessary are receiving medical attention, a Foreign Office spokesperson told Sky News. No one from the embassy was killed.

Some buildings in Beirut still standing bear the scars of the explosions CREDIT: EPA
8:59pm

Lebanon's PM pleads for help from 'friendly countries'


Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab has urged "friendly countries" to send help after the catastrophe.

"I am sending an urgent appeal to all countries that are friends and brothers and love Lebanon, to stand by its side and help us treat these deep wounds," he said in a televised address.

8:52pm

'France stands alongside Lebanon - always'


President Macron has tweeted his support to the people of Lebanon: "I express my fraternal solidarity with the Lebanese after the explosion which claimed so many victims and caused so much damage this evening in Beirut.

"France stands alongside Lebanon. Always. French aid and resources are being delivered to the site."

Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, tweeted: " My thoughts are with the people of #Lebanon and with the families of the victims of the tragic #BeirutBlast. The EU stands ready to provide assistance and support. Stay strong."
8:50pm

Death toll rises to 50


Lebanon's health ministry has confirmed that there are at least 50 dead, with more than 2,700 injured.

A man carried an injured girl through debris in the Achrafiyeh district of Lebanon CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
8:22pm

'Those responsible will pay the price', says Lebanese PM


Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that those responsible for would "pay the price" and appeared to suggest that the warehouse at the epicentre of the blast was "dangerous".

"I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability," he said in a televised speech.

"Facts about this dangerous warehouse that has been there since 2014 will be announced and I will not preempt the investigations."

CREDIT: REUTERS
8:04pm

Death toll begins to rise in the aftermath


The blast has left 27 people dead and 2,500 injured, according to "preliminary estimates" announced by Health Minister Hamad Hassan.

"It is a disaster in every sense of the word," he said in an interview with several television channels while visiting a hospital in the Lebanese capital.
7:45pm

2,200 casualties reported


The Lebanese Red Cross director general says there are 2,200 casualties due to the explosion, with the number expected to rise
7:35pm

Video shows the devastation caused



Apocalypse in #Beirut complete destruction #beirutexplosion #beirutblast #انفجار_بيروت pic.twitter.com/mzExIq2N6u— Shada Omar شدا عمر (@Shadaomar) August 4, 2020


A video posted by a local journalist shows the scale of the damage the explosion has caused, with buildings reduced to rubble and fire alarms ringing out across the city
7:26pm

Wounded people are streaming into Beirut's hospitals

People have been taken into emergency wards after being rescued from rubble in their neighbourhoods CREDIT: IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The damage caused has not yet been calculated CREDIT: IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Men walk across the site of the blast CREDIT: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR


7:20pm

'Strange smell' reported at cite of explosion


Local media is reporting a 'strange smell' at the location of the disaster, and that Lebanese officials are asking civilians to leave the area in case toxic chemicals were incinerated
7:16pm

Foreign Secretary sends 'thoughts and prayers'


Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary, said his "thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the devastating explosion in Beirut today".

"The UK stands in solidarity with the people of Lebanon and is ready to offer help and support including to those British nationals impacted," he said
7:08pm

Explosion comes as Lebanon faces devastation 




The blast has come at a time when Lebanon's economy is facing collapse, hit both by a financial crisis and coronavirus restrictions. Many have lost jobs, while the worth of their savings has evaporated as the currency has plunged in value against the dollar. The result has thrown many into poverty.

It also comes amid rising tensions between Israel and the militant Hezbollah group along Lebanon's southern border.

The explosion was reminiscent of massive blasts during Lebanon's civil war and took place only three days before a UN-backed tribunal was set to give its verdict in the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a truck bombing more than 15 years ago. That explosion, with a ton of explosives, was felt miles away, just like Tuesday's explosion.

It was the latest chapter for a country that has suffered a 15-year civil war, repeated conflict with Israel, political assassinations and various other crises including the current unprecedented financial and economic crisis.
6:57pm

Foreign Office says it is 'closely monitoring' the incident


Danielle Sheridanwrites:

FCO Spokesperson said: “We are closely monitoring the situation in Beirut following reports of an explosion”

Tobias Ellwood, Chairman of the Defence Select Committee and Former Middle East minister said today’s explosions “takes Lebanon into a darker chapter than it’s already experiencing, given the state of the economy and the unstable political environment”.

“You can’t rule out a deliberate intention to further destabilise an already fragile country,” he told The Telegraph.

“We know the complexities of Beirut. It simply isn’t coping given the tense neighbourhood it finds itself in. We need to provide greater international support for this country that for too long has been suffering from the fall out of the Syria conflict, on top of its own internal political division.”
6:41pm

Red Cross treats hundreds of injured people


Hundreds of people who were injured in the Beirut port blast were taken to hospitals but many remain trapped in homes damaged by the explosion, the head of the Lebanese Red Cross said.

George Kettaneh told local media there was no exact figure of how many were injured as many were still trapped in homes and within the area of the blast. Others were being rescued by boat.

Lebanese broadcaster LBCI quoted Hotel Dieu Hospital in Beirut as saying that was treating more than 500 injuries and was not able to receive more. Tens of injured needed operations, the hospital said appealing for blood donations.
6:26pm

Fake news circulates over Israeli involvement


James Rothwell in Jerusalem writes:

Within minutes of the explosion, spurious rumours began to circulate online that Israel had played some role in the blast at the port of Beirut, which occurred at around 6pm local time.

Some Arabic news channels falsely reported that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, had claimed responsibility for the attack.

In fact, Mr Netanyahyu had issued a statement about an unrelated Israeli airstrike in Syria, which was in retaliation for an attempted terror attack at Israel's northeastern border with Syria earlier this week. This was then misattributed to the incident in Beirut, according to Elizabeth Tsurkov, a leading Syria analyst.

Israeli officials have stressed that they had "nothing to do with the explosion."

Tensions between Israel and Hizbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, have soared in recent weeks at the border between Israel and Lebanon, as well as at the Israel-Syria border.

Hizbollah has vowed revenge for an airstrike attributed to Israel which it says killed one of their fighters. Israel says it recently thwarted an attempted attack by Hizbollah at the Lebanese border, firing on a group of armed men as they crossed into Israeli territory.

Even Hizbollah has denied Israel played any role in the Beirut explosion, according to Lebanese media, which quoted a Hizbollah source who distanced the group from the rumour.
6:14pm

The blast is being blamed on a stash of explosives


Lebanon's Head of General Security says the blast was caused by a fire in a depot of highly explosive material, including Sodium nitrate, at Beirut's port. He said that material was confiscated from a ship months ago and stored there.
6:12pm

The Pentagon has put out a statement


The US Pentagon said: "We are aware of the explosion and are concerned for the potential loss of life due to such a massive explosion."
6:06pm

Bodies taken to hospitals as casualties are reported

At least 10 bodies have been taken to hospitals following a massive explosion in Beirut's port area, a Lebanese security source and a medical source told Reuters. 




How Beirut blast sent panic-stricken residents fleeing as fireball engulfed their city

The shockwave from the unexplained blast blew balconies off buildings miles away

By Abbie Cheeseman BEIRUT and Campbell MacDiarmid, 

MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT

4 August 2020 • 9:30pm

The explosion near Beirut's waterfront flattened much of the port area and destroyed huge areas of downtown CREDIT: AFP

By the time the second much larger explosion engulfed the Lebanese capital on Tuesday, scores of residents had their smartphones trained on the Beirut waterfront.

Their footage showed a billowing tower of smoke rising over the port area, where flames were engulfing a warehouse area.

Moments later a colossal fireball erupted, sending a huge shockwave tearing through entire districts of Beirut and momentarily obscuring the sun.

The force of the blast threw some of the amateur cameramen off their feet. Further out the blastwave tore balconies from apartment buildings miles away.

As dust covered the city, an enormous mushroom cloud rose overhead.

"It was like a nuclear explosion," said Walid Abdo, a 43-year-old school teacher in the neighbourhood of Gemayzeh near Beirut.

Rumbling aftershocks continued for several minutes, as piercing screams rose as bystanders rushed to pull bloodied bodies from the rubble of damaged buildings.

Panicked soldiers with blood-streaked faces sprinted down streets strewn with rubble. People were trapped in their collapsed homes, the Lebanese Red Cross said.

“All the downtown area windows are smashed and there are wounded people walking 

around. It is total chaos," one witness said.

A man in wheeled into a hospital following an explosion CREDIT: IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images


Sirens wailed from dozens of ambulances ferrying wounded from the port area.

Calls went out for blood donations as the wounded began to fill the emergency departments of hospitals already filled with coronavirus patients. Some people were turned away due to the number of severely injured.

The emergency room at St George’s hospital not far from the waterfront was destroyed, leaving medics treating screaming patients in the car park.

Hotel Dieu Hospital reported it was treating more than 500 patients and was unable to receive more. Dozens of injured required operations.

With the civil war still a recent memory, panic gripped Beirut residents. Many fled the city, blocking major roads.

The cause of the blast was unclear but the orange hue of the smoke made many worried about possible chemical exposure.

For weeks fears of Lebanon’s impending collapse have focused on the nose diving economy, hyperinflation, and a spiking poverty rate now over 50 per cent.

With thousands of businesses closing, life-savings wiped out and the middle class disappearing, warnings have highlighted impending hunger, potential unrest, and even the possibility of renewed conflict.

But not even the most alarmist scenarios predicted the calamity that just befell the capital.

UPDATED
Shocking videos capture massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut
Ryan Pickrell
2 hours ago

A screenshot of a video purportedly showing an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Screenshot/Twitter

A massive explosion shook the Lebanese capital city of Beirut on Tuesday, with many feared dead from the blast and resulting shock wave.

The cause of the blast, which originated near the city's port, was not immediately clear. Early reports pointed to a fire at a fireworks storage facility, but the director-general of Lebanese intelligence suggested that confiscated high-explosive materials stored at the local port triggered the explosion.

A red-orange cloud — the color of which could be explained by nitrates — lingered over part of the city after the explosion.

Numerous casualties and extensive damage were reported. Wednesday has been declared a national day of mourning.

A massive explosion and a serious shock wave shook the Lebanese capital city of Beirut on Tuesday. Emergency workers are responding to extensive damages and a high number of casualties.

Videos of the huge blast, the cause of which is still unclear, quickly surfaced on social media.
—Nader Itayim | ‌‌نادر ایتیّم (@ncitayim) August 4, 2020
—Tobias Schneider (@tobiaschneider) August 4, 2020

Lebanon's National News Agency reported that a fire had broken out at a fireworks warehouse, suggesting that this might have triggered an explosion.
—Ghada Alsharif (@GhadaaSharif) August 4, 2020

Local reports said that the blast was felt many miles away.

—Tobias Schneider (@tobiaschneider) August 4, 2020

Some observers said they suspected that the massive explosion was caused by the ignition of a flammable source such as a container full of fertilizer.
—Abby Sewell (@sewella) August 4, 2020

Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, the director-general of Lebanese intelligence, dismissed the fireworks explanation as "ridiculous," attributing the blast to confiscated high-explosive materials stored at the local port.

But Ibrahim said he would not preempt the investigation.
—Ahmad M. Yassine | أحمد م. ياسين (@Lobnene_Blog) August 4, 2020

A red-orange cloud — the color of which could be explained by nitrates — lingered over the blast site after the explosion.

The extent of the damage remains unclear, but local reports indicated that while the blast was focused on the port area, there was widespread damage in the city.

The National News Agency said there were "countless" casualties. The country's health ministry said that at least 67 people were dead and more than 3,500 have been wounded, the BBC reported.

The country's prime minister said that Wednesday would be a national day of mourning.

A massive explosion just devastated Beirut. Here's what the unbelievable destruction looks like for people on the ground.
Ryan Pickrell
2 hours ago

A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

A devastating explosion rocked Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on Tuesday.

The exact cause of the blast is unknown, but a senior Lebanese intelligence official said that he suspects that confiscated high-explosive materials stored at the port where the explosion occurred are to blame.

The country's health ministry says that at least 67 people are dead and more than 3,500 people are injured, BBC reports.

A huge explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut Tuesday caused widespread devastation. The number of casualties and the full extent of the damage are still emerging.

Early state media reporting said the blast followed the outbreak of a fire at a fireworks storage facility at the local port, but the director of Lebanese intelligence pointed to highly-explosive materials that had been confiscated and stored in the area.

The exact cause of the terrible blast, which was captured on video, remains unclear.
—Nader Itayim | ‌‌نادر ایتیّم (@ncitayim) August 4, 2020

The following photos, some of which are GRAPHIC, show the situation on the ground in Beirut.

An orange-red cloud lingered over the blast site shortly after the explosion.

A picture shows the scene of an explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020. Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

The blast caused widespread destruction well beyond the port where the explosion occurred.

A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut. Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

The blast, which was felt miles away, severely damaged buildings, blowing out windows and doors and collapsing ceilings.

A picture shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020 Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

A reporter for The Independent who was in the area said the shock wave from the blast "literally pushed us [to] fall to our knees."
—Bel Trew (@Beltrew) August 4, 2020

Emergency workers rushed onto the scene to attend to the wounded, as well as to battle fires in the wake of the explosion.

Firefighter douse a blaze at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020. Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

Fires could be seen burning at the port into the evening.

A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

A New York Times reporter shared what she described as "terrifying" footage of the streets of Beirut on social media.
—Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) August 4, 2020

Lebanon's health minister announced that at least 67 people were killed in the explosion. The death toll is feared to be higher.

People carry a wounded man after an explosion at the Port of Beirut. Photo by Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

He added that more than 3,500 people have been injured.

An injured man is treated after a large explosion on August 4, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon (Photo by Daniel Carde/Getty Images
Source: BBC

Local media reports have said that hospitals have been overwhelmed by the high number of casualties.

A picture shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020. Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

The country's prime minister has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning in response to Tuesday's tragedy.

A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.. Photo by STR / AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

Deutsche Bank probes Trump and Kushner’s personal banker over the Park Avenue apartment she bought from a company partly owned by president’s son-in-law for $1.5million in 2013

Deutsche Bank launches internal investigation into 2013 real estate purchase 

Rosemary Vrablic and two subordinates bought a Park Avenue apartment 

They paid $1.5million to firm partly owned by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner 

At the time, Vrablic was Kushner's and Trump's banker at Deutsche Bank 

Banks normally don't allow employees to conduct personal business with clients

There is no indication that apartment was purchased at below market value 

Trump's ties to Deutsche Bank have come under scrutiny since his 2016 election

German bank lent Trump hundreds of millions when no other bank would 

Lawmakers and New York prosecutors asked bank for Trump's financial records

By ARIEL ZILBER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and REUTERS

PUBLISHED: 2 August 2020

Deutsche Bank has launched an internal investigation into President Trump’s personal banker over a 2013 purchase of a Manhattan apartment from a company partly owned by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to a report.

Rosemary Vrablic and two other colleagues at Deutsche Bank spent $1.5million for an apartment at 715 Park Avenue in New York City.

Real estate records obtained by The New York Times indicate that the property was acquired from a firm called Bergel 715 Associates.

According to the Times, Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, received between $1million and $5million last year from Bergel 715.

Rosemary Vrablic (right) is the subject of an internal inquiry at her firm Deutsche Bank after it was learned that she and two other colleagues bought an apartment at 715 Park Avenue in New York City for $1.5million from a company partly owned by her then-client, Jared Kushner (left), in 2013. Kushner and Vrablic are seen above in New York City in 2014

+6


Vrablic and two of her colleagues - Dominic Scalzi and Matthew Pontoriero - bought an apartment at 715 Park Avenue on Manhattan's Upper East Side

+6


Financial records indicate that Vrablic, Scalzi, and Pontoriero bought the property from a company called Bergel 715 Associates

+6

Newly released financial disclosure forms indicate that Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump (seen right with her husband at the White House on July 26), earned between $1million and $5million from Bergel 715 Associates last year

The Times reported that a person who was ‘familiar with Kushner’s finances’ said that the president’s son-in-law held an ownership stake in the company at the time Vrablic and her two colleagues bought the Park Avenue property.

There is no indication that the unit in the building, which is described as a 908-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bath apartment with a balcony overlooking Park Avenue - was purchased at below market value.

The unit, 12A, was sold in 2015 for $1.85million - a 22 per cent increase from the 2013 purchase price. The higher valuation is considered normal in New York real estate.

At the time of the purchase in June 2013, Vrablic was a personal banker to high-end clients that included Donald Trump and Kushner.

Vrablic purchased the apartment along with two of her subordinates in Deutsche Bank’s private banking division - Dominic Scalzi and Matthew Pontoriero.

Scalzi and Pontoriero have been asked to comment by DailyMail.com.

Deutsche Bank extended some $190million in loans to both Kushner and Trump at that time of the Park Avenue real estate transaction. In the ensuing years, they would seek to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars more from the bank.

In the years leading up to Trump’s election victory in 2016, Vrablic helped steer a total of more than $300million in loans to Trump, according to The New York Times.

The Times reported that Kushner introduced his father-in-law to Vrablic in 2011.


Matthew Pontoriero worked for Vrablic in the personal banking division of Deutsche Bank at the time of the transaction

Kushner arranged the meet-and-greet after he realized that Trump was looking to borrow money from lenders to finance expensive real estate projects that were put on hold due to the 2008 recession.

At that time, Trump was unable to find a bank willing to extend him a loan due to a series of defaults and bankruptcies.

Even though Trump had defaulted on a loan from Deutsche Bank in 2008, Vrablic and her bosses agreed to take him on as a client.

In 2012, Deutsche Bank approved a $175million loan to Trump for his Doral golf resort outside Miami and for the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago.

Trump also asked the bank for a $1billion loan that he would use to buy the Buffalo Bills NFL franchise, though this never came to pass since the bid to purchase the club was rejected.

Deutsche Bank then lent Trump’s firm $170million which it would use to convert the Old Post Office building in Washington, DC, to a hotel.

Vrabic also extended a $15million personal line of credit to Kushner and his parents, according to the Times.

Banks normally forbid their employees from doing personal business with clients due to the potential for conflicts of interest.

A Deutsche Bank spokesperson told the Times that it had only been made aware of the 2013 transaction between Vrablic and the other two employees and Bergel 715 after it was contacted by the newspaper.



‘The bank will closely examine the information that came to light on Friday and the fact pattern from 2013,’ a spokesperson for the bank told the Times.

+6

Before he was elected president, Trump received hundreds of millions of dollars in loans from Deutsche Bank. The president is seen above at the White House on Thursday

Christopher Smith, the general counsel at Kushner Companies, the family-owned real estate conglomerate, told the Times: ‘Kushner is not the managing partner of that entity and has no involvement with the sales of the apartments.’

After Trump's shock election victory in 2016, his relationship with Deutsche Bank has attracted scrutiny from lawmakers.

The House Financial Services Committee has examined possible money laundering in US property deals involving Trump.

The House Intelligence Committee has investigated whether Trump’s dealings left him vulnerable to the influence of foreign individuals or governments.

The two committees issued subpoenas in April 2019 requiring Deutsche Bank to hand over the banking records of Trump, his children and his businesses.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors in New York could seek Trump's financial records from lenders including Deutsche Bank.

Cyrus Vance Jr, the Manhattan district attorney, in September 2019 sought nearly a decade of tax returns. 




It is part of a criminal investigation that began in 2018 into Trump and the Trump Organization, the president’s family real estate business, spurred by disclosures of hush payments made to two women who said they had past sexual relationships with him - pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

+6


The German lender has come under scrutiny from lawmakers and New York prosecutors who are seeking financial records tied to its dealings with Trump

Trump and his aides have denied the relationships.

Investigators hope the records will reveal whether there are any financial links between Trump and Russia’s government, sources familiar with the probe have said.

Sources within Deutsche Bank have denied any Russian connections to Trump loans.

At the time he became president in January 2017, Trump owed the bank around $350 million, according to sources.

The Financial Services Committee also issued a subpoena to Capital One, which had maintained a long-term relationship with Trump and has been scrutinized for some of its business practices. 

Read more:
Deutsche Bank Opens Review Into Personal Banker to Trump and Kushner - The New York Times

A Mar-a-Lago Weekend and an Act of God: Trump’s History With Deutsche Bank - The New York Times

Deutsche Bank probes Trump and Kushner's personal banker over 2013 purchase of Park Avenue apartment

Democrats investigate Trump's ties to Deutsche Bank in 2019

Trump and Jared Kushner's personal banker is under review by Deutsche Bank over her purchase of a $1.5 million Manhattan apartment from a Kushner-owned company

Tyler Sonnemaker Aug 2, 2020,

Trump and Kushner's personal banker is under investigation by Deutsche Bank. Mandel Ngan/Getty Images

The personal banker of President Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner is facing an internal review from her employer, Deutsche Bank, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Deutsche Bank is looking into Rosemary Vrablic over her 2013 purchase of a New York City apartment from a company part-owned Kushner, a Deutsche Bank spokesperson confirmed.
Kushner and Trump are longtime clients of Vrablic, who entered the public spotlight during the 2016 presidential campaign when Trump cited her as evidence of his close ties with Wall Street.

Deutsche Bank's dealings with Kushner and Trump have faced scrutiny before, including an ongoing FBI investigation into suspicious transactions between Kushner Companies and Russians and its $2 billion in loans to Trump despite his history of defaults.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.


Deutsche Bank has launched an internal review into the personal banker for President Donald Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kusher, The New York Times first reported Sunday and Business Insider confirmed.

The company is looking into Rosemary Vrablic and two of her coworkers regarding a 2013 purchase of an approximately $1.5 million apartment on New York City's Park Avenue from the real estate firm Bergel 715 Associates, a company that Kushner has a financial stake in, according to The Times.

Kushner disclosed Friday in a financial report that he and his wife, Ivanka Trump, earned between $1 million and $5 million in income from Bergel 715, and a source told The Times that Kushner was a part-owner of the firm when the transaction was made.

Banks often have policies barring employees from doing personal business with their clients in order to avoid conflicts of interest between bankers and their employer.


Deutsche Bank spokesperson Daniel Hunter confirmed the review and directed Business Insider to its statement to The Times, which said: "The bank will closely examine the information that came to light on Friday and the fact pattern from 2013."

Deutsche Bank also told The Times that it was not aware that its employees — Vrablic, as well as Dominic Scalzi and Matthew Pontoriero, two of her coworkers on the company's private-banking team — had done business with a company connected to Kushner until contacted by the paper.

Kushner and his family have banked with Vrablic since before she started at Deutsche Bank in 2011, according to The Times, and he told the House Intelligence Committee that he introduced Trump to Vrablic "about six years ago."

Vrablic entered the public spotlight during Trump's 2016 presidential campaign when he told The Times in an interview about his alleged struggle finding bankers: "Why don't you call the head of Deutsche Bank? Her name is Rosemary Vrablic." (Vrablic is and was not the head of Deutsche Bank; that was John Cryan at the time).

Trump's relationship with Deutsche Bank has repeatedly come under scrutiny. Last year, The Times reported that the bank had loaned him more than $2 billion over more than two decades — with Vrablic personally steering more than $300 million his way despite his long history of defaults.

Federal prosecutors from multiple jurisdictions including the FBI opened an investigation last year into Deutsche Bank after an employee flagged a series of suspicious money transfers between Kushner Companies and Russians.

Lawmakers have also been seeking to use the bank as a way to gain a window into Trump's personal finances, as it has acknowledged it holds private copies of his tax returns.

Kushner and Vrablic could not be reached for comment on this story.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Vrablic is under investigation. She is currently under review, and the company has not yet opened an investigation.

Microsoft confirms plans to buy TikTok after 'personal' talk with Donald Trump

The company said it was 'prepared to continue' talks to rescue the stricken Chinese app – though a deal is not certain
ByLaurence Dodds,
US TECHNOLOGY REPORTER,
SAN FRANCISCO
3 August 2020 •

The viral video app is in trouble due to its Chinese ownership CREDIT: Florence Lo/Reuters

Microsoft has confirmed that it will press forward with plans to buy the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok after receiving "personal" assurances from Donald Trump.

The software giant said on Sunday that it would "move quickly to pursue discussions" with TikTok's Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, aiming to complete them by no later than September 15.

Talks had been frozen following Mr Trump's declaration that he was opposed to any deal and that he had the "authority" to ban TikTok from the whole United States.

But on Sunday Mr Trump appeared to have given his blessing to Microsoft's chief executive, Satya Nadella, after a personal meeting between the two men.

A deal with Microsoft could rescue TikTok from what might have proved a mortal blow – as well as making its new owner a hero to teenagers across the Western World.

Microsoft said: "This new structure would build on the experience TikTok users currently love, while adding world-class security, privacy, and digital safety protections.

"Among other measures, Microsoft would ensure that all private data of TikTok’s American users is transferred to and remains in the United States.

"To the extent that any such data is currently stored or backed-up outside the United States, Microsoft would ensure that this data is deleted from servers outside the country after it is transferred.

"Microsoft appreciates the US Government’s and President Trump’s personal involvement as it continues to develop strong security protections for the country."

The company added that the discussions were preliminary and that there was no guarantee of a deal. Any agreement would be subject to a "complete security review" and could still be blocked by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Microsoft's announcement was the first time it has officially commented on widespread reports that it was hoping to buy the stricken viral video app, which was last valued at about $50bn (£38bn) in the private market.

Any deal would shake up the US tech market, dragging Microsoft into the vicious competition between TikTok and its rivals Facebook and YouTube.

It would also mark a new era for Chinese tech giants, who have long dreamed of global success but who will now be leery of attempting to crack the US at all.

What’s the right answer?

Have an American company like Microsoft take over TikTok.

Win-win.

Keeps competition alive and data out of the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 1, 2020


Since its launch in 2017, TikTok has rapidly captured the hearts of a reported 100 million people in the US, including much of Generation Z. But it has also provoked deep suspicion from some US politicians due to its Chinese ownership, which critics say make it a de facto spying tool for the People's Republic.

Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, said the Trump administration's belligerence towards TikTok had put ByteDance's "back against the wall".

He went on: "If they decided to play with fire and just walk away from the US market, it would take about 40-50pc of the valuation off ByteDance... that would be a body blow to TikTok.

"It could be a doomsday scenario, where they are wildly popular today but gone tomorrow. With competitors going after market share by the minute, right now time is not on their side, and their options are limited."

The app would almost certainly be Microsoft's biggest acquisition to date – the last one being LinkedIn, for which it paid $28bn in 2016.

Sunday 2 August 2020 4:44 pm

Microsoft shelves plans to buy US arm of Tiktok

Poppy Wood

(via Getty Images)

A potential sale of video platform Tiktok to Microsoft is reportedly on hold after US President Donald Trump vowed to ban the Chinese-owned app over national security concerns.

Tiktok owner Bytedance yesterday told the White House it was seeking a sale of its US operations to Microsoft, in a bid to curb restrictions on the video app.

Read more: Tiktok sets up $2bn fund to poach creators from rivals

The move came after Trump on Friday vowed to ban the Tiktok in the US, and said a sale to any party — including Microsoft — would not be permitted.

“As far as Tiktok is concerned we’re banning them from the United States,” Trump told reporters on Friday, adding that he would use presidential powers to enforce the decision. 

Trump’s comments come on the background of mounting fears that data collected by the social media platform could be handed to the Chinese Communist Party and used for state spying. Tiktok denies the claims.

In a statement yesterday, a White House spokesman said: “The administration has very serious national security concerns over Tiktok. We continue to evaluate future policy.” 

The Wall Street Journal today reported that Microsoft have now paused sale talks after Trump said he opposed the deal. 

It added that Tiktok made a last-ditch plea to win over the White House, which included a promise to create thousands of jobs over the next three years.

No prices were disclosed, but the shelved sales talks were believed to be in the range of between $15bn and $30bn.

However, the Financial Times reported that Trump’s intervention may have been a negotiating method intended to force the Chinese group to sell its US business at a lower price than it had earmarked for Microsoft.

Read more: Tiktok boss attacks Facebook as parent firm weighs $50bn takeover bid

It added that Microsoft president Brad Smith visited officials in Washington last month to assess whether a takeover of Tiktok by a US company would address the government’s concerns over the Chinese firm.

A Tiktok spokesperson said in a statement today: “While we do not comment on rumours or speculation, we are confident in the long-term success of Tiktok.”