middleeast
What is ammonium nitrate? Lebanon blames volatile chemical for Beirut blast
In this case, according to Lebanese officials, about 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate had been stockpiled at a Beirut port warehouse, just a few minutes’ walk from the city’s shopping and nightlife districts, since it was confiscated in 2014. Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the chemical had been stored for the past six years …
Ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse linked to catastrophic Beirut explosion
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate, which is typically used as an agricultural fertilizer, had been stored for six years at a port warehouse without safety measures, “endangering the safety of citizens,” according to a statement. Initial reports in state media blamed the blast on a major fire …
At least 50 killed in Beirut blast, health minister says
Valarie Fakhoury, a British grandmother with her Lebanese daughter and granddaughter, stand outside the emergency ward of a hospital in central Beirut. Janine Haidar/AFP/Getty Images Hundreds of people have been hospitalized across the Lebanese capital and many are feared dead in the aftermath of a massive blast that rocked Beirut, shattering glass and damaging buildings …
Beirut explosion: Large blast near port rocks Lebanese capital
The source of the explosion was initially believed to be a major fire at a warehouse for firecrackers near the port in Beirut, the state-run National News Agency reported. The blast sent up a huge mushroom cloud-like shockwave and damaged buildings miles from the port, including the headquarters of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and …
The UAE has successfully launched the Arab world’s first Mars mission
The Hope Probe took off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan, after a delay last week due to bad weather. The solid rocket booster successfully separated from the launch vehicle, and the probe has established two-way communication with the ground segment in Dubai. The Al Amal probe, as it is called in Arabic, is …
Libya: UN says at least eight mass graves have been reported found
In a tweet, the UNSMIL expressed “horror” over “reports on the discovery of at least eight mass graves in past days, the majority of them in Tarhuna.” Last week, Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) announced control over Tarhuna, a key city to the southeast of capital Tripoli, after pushing back eastern forces led …
Du Wei, the Chinese ambassador to Israel, is found dead in home
At this stage, the 57-year-old’s death is not being treated as suspicious. Police are outside the ambassador’s residence in Herzliya — to the north of Tel Aviv — as part of standard procedure, the spokeswoman said. His death comes less than a week after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Jerusalem, openly criticizing China’s …
At least 33 Turkish soldiers killed in an air attack by Syrian regime, Turkish governor says
Thirty-five soldiers injured in the attack have been evacuated to hospitals in Turkey, Dogan said. A security meeting is being held at the presidential palace after the “nefarious attack against heroic soldiers in Idlib who were there to ensure our national security,” according to a statement from Turkish director of communications Fahrettin Altun. Turkey has …
At least 29 Turkish soldiers killed in an air attack by Syrian regime, Turkish governor says
Thirty-six soldiers injured in the attack have been evacuated to hospitals in Turkey, Dogan said. A security meeting is being held at the presidential palace after the “nefarious attack against heroic soldiers in Idlib who were there to ensure our national security,” according to a statement from Turkish director of communications Fahrettin Altun. Turkey has …
The US operation in Iraq could come to an embarrassing end. Iran’s power will only grow
But a US withdrawal could bring even more trouble, experts say. ISIS continues its attacks in the country, and without US and other foreign troops, the group would have more room to resurge. At the same time, Iran will be able to expand its already far-reaching powers in Baghdad. Tehran and Washington have competed for …
