BEIRUT: Lebanon's army said on Thursday it had found 4.35 tonnes of ammonium nitrate near the entrance to Beirut port, the site of a huge blast last month caused by a large stockpile of the same highly explosive chemical.
Army engineers were "dealing with it," according to an army statement carried by the state news agency NNA. The statement said the chemicals were found outside entrance nine to the port.
The catastrophic explosion on Aug. 4 that ripped through the city killed about 190 people. The authorities said it was caused by about 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stacked in unsafe conditions in a port warehouse for years.
The blast smashed entire neighbourhoods, gutting buildings and injuring 6,000 people.
Lebanon's government quit amid public anger in a nation already brought to its knees by an economic crisis. The public remains anxious that more hazardous materials are being stored badly, putting them at risk.
Earlier on Thursday, President Michel Aoun ordered repairs to be made to old refuelling infrastructure at Beirut airport and called for an investigation into a report that thousands of litres of fuel had leaked from the system.
Beirut airport head Fadi El-Hassan told a news conference that a leak of 84,000 litres of fuel had occurred in March 2019 and repairs were completed in two months. He said international investigators had described the repairs as "satisfactory".
News of the leak added to concerns about public safety. "No explosion is awaiting us," Hassan told the news conference.
Lebanon’s army finds 4 tonnes of explosive material near Beirut port
https://arab.news/bw3gd
Lebanon’s army finds 4 tonnes of explosive material near Beirut port
- Army engineers were "dealing with it," according to an army statement
- The statement said the chemicals were found outside entrance nine to the port
Pope Francis urges Lebanon to elect a new president immediately
- Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri has called a presidential election for January 9 in a bid to end a two-year leadership vacuum
“I address an urgent invitation to all Lebanese politicians to elect the president of the republic immediately,” the pontiff said at Saint Peter’s Square at the end of Sunday Angelus prayer.
Lebanon’s institutions need to “start functioning normally again to undertake the necessary reforms and sustain the country’s role as an example of peaceful cohabitation between different religions,” Francis said.
Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri has called a presidential election for January 9 in a bid to end a two-year leadership vacuum.
Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun’s term ended in October 2022.
Neither of the two main blocs in parliament — the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its opponents — have the majority required to elect a head of state and they have been unable to agree on a consensus candidate.
Family speak of ‘desperation’ as UK couple still missing in Red Sea
- Jenny Cawson, Tariq Sinada disappeared after tourism boat sank on Monday
- Her parents say they have had to rely on Egyptians for info rather than UK Foreign Office
LONDON: A British family have spoken of their “desperation” after a young couple went missing almost a week ago when the tourist boat they were on sank off the Egyptian coast.
Seven people are still unaccounted for after the sinking of the Sea Story vessel on Monday in the Red Sea, including Jenny Cawson, 36, and her husband Tariq Sinada, 49.
Cawson’s family said they are not being given sufficient information on the ongoing search for the pair by the UK Foreign Office.
Her father Michael Williams told the BBC that they were informed by Sinada’s mother of what had happened. “We were just in disbelief, it’s one of those moments when the world stops,” he said.
Cawson’s mother Pamela said: “Your heart sinks. You ask yourself, have I misread the news? Let’s look again.”
The four-deck vessel was carrying 31 passengers and 13 crew when it sank in stormy weather. It reportedly capsized after being hit by a large wave.
Nationalities aboard included Belgian, Chinese, Finnish, German, Irish, Polish, Slovakian, Spanish, Swiss and American. So far 33 people have been recovered alive, along with four bodies.
The Sea Story set out on a five-day scuba tour. Cawson and Sinada were experienced divers and had traveled to Egypt several times before.
Pamela said: “Everything Jenny and her husband do is highly considered; they do proper research before traveling anywhere. They are not the type of people who take anything at face value.”
The family say they have been forced to reach out to local authorities and sources due to a lack of information from the Foreign Office.
A rescue diver told the BBC earlier this week that five of the 33 survivors had been found alive trapped inside the submerged vessel.
Pamela said: “One of the local sources was kind enough to try and look for (Cawson and Sinada) in local hospitals.”
Gulf leaders arrive in Kuwait for 45th GCC Summit
- Summit aims to underscore the importance of collective action among nations in the region
RIYADH: Gulf leaders have started arriving in Kuwait ahead of the 45th GCC summit, which aims to underscore the importance of collective action among nations in the region.
GCC Secretary General Jassem Al-Budaiwi, said the summit was yet another milestone in the chain of accomplishments for attaining the aspired pan-GCC merger, in a statement published by Kuwaiti state news agency KUNA.
#فيديو | سمو #ولي_العهد يصل دولة الكويت وفي مقدمة مستقبليه سمو أمير دولة الكويت، لترؤس وفد المملكة في الدورة الـ 45 للمجلس الأعلى لمجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية.#واس pic.twitter.com/NgYC6UTkJF
— واس الأخبار الملكية (@spagov) December 1, 2024
It is rather a platform for the leaders to coordinate their visions and stands toward regional and international issues, said Al-Budaiwi, revealing that leaders would look into strategic files designed to strengthen regional security and stability, in addition to backing up sustainable economic development in the six countries, members of the bloc.
“We recall with pride the developments and innovations that all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have reached, becoming an example to be followed in security, development, flourishing as well as a destination for regional excellence in overall progress,” according to Saudi Ambassador to Kuwait Prince Sultan bin Saad Al-Saud, in a separate KUNA report.
The Saudi envoy affirmed that the GCC had carried out its international duties within the frame of the international community, championing wisdom and balance in the regional and international arenas.
The GCC is a beacon of hope in the region and it has worked as a unifier of efforts by all GCC citizens, he added.
Among those who have arrived in Kuwait, which hosts the event, are Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatar’s Ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyed Fahad bin Mahmoud Al-Said.
The Saudi official delegation includes Minister of State and Member of the Council of Ministers Prince Turki bin Mohammad, Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers and National Security Advisor Dr. Musaid Al-Aiban, Minister of Finance Mohammad Al-Jadaan, Minister of Transport Saleh Al-Jasser and other senior officials, KUNA reported.
Iraq MPs to debate revised bill after outcry over underage marriage
- Proposed amendments would let people choose between religious or state regulations for family matters
- A revised version of the bill sets the minimum age at 15 with court approval and retains ‘current conditions’
The proposed amendments would let people choose between religious or state regulations for family matters, such as marriage, inheritance, divorce and child custody.
Critics fear the move could erode protections for Muslim women by lowering the legal age for marriage – currently set at 18, or 15 with the consent of legal guardians and a judge – and pave the way for the adoption of Islamic jurisprudence that could allow marriages as young as nine years old.
A revised version of the bill sets the minimum age at 15 with court approval and retains “current conditions,” according to MP Raed Al-Maliki, who backs the new proposals.
Couples could opt for Shiite Muslim or Sunni Muslim rules under the amendment.
If passed, clerics and lawyers would have four months to establish community-specific regulations. Parliament would then vote again to finalize the changes.
The draft law has already undergone two readings, with votes previously delayed.
An earlier version faced backlash from feminists and civil society groups.
In October, Amnesty International warned the amendments could legalize unregistered marriages – often used to bypass child marriage bans – and strip protections for divorced women.
The London-based rights group also voiced concerns that the amendments would strip women and girls of protections regarding divorce and inheritance.
Sunday’s parliament session will also include a vote on a general amnesty law.
Excluded from amnesty are convictions for terrorism and crimes like rape, incest, human trafficking and kidnapping.
The amnesty, covering 2016-2024, could apply to drug users but not traffickers, according to Maliki.
Cases based on evidence from “secret informants” may qualify for retrial.
The previous 2016 amnesty reportedly covered 150,000 people.
UNRWA chief says pausing aid delivery through key Gaza-Israel crossing
- Delivery through Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing has been paused due to unsafe route and looting by armed gangs inside Gaza
The UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees is pausing the delivery of aid through the key Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza because of security concerns, its chief said Sunday.
“We are pausing the delivery of aid through Kerem Shalom... The road out of this crossing has not been safe for months. On 16 November, a large convoy of aid trucks was stolen by armed gangs. Yesterday, we tried to bring in a few food trucks on the same route. They were all taken,” UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on X.
