Middle East Experience

Initial reports suggest Thursday's airstrike in Houthi-held northern Yemen killed up to nine children and injured seven others.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: UN condemns Yemen strike that killed as many as 9 children

Lebanon is likely to see a spike in COVID-19 cases following the deadly explosion in Beirut earlier this week, according to a doctor leading the fight against the virus.On Tuesday evening, a devastating blast ripped through the Lebanese capital, killing at least 154 people, wounding 5,000 and destroying tens of thousands of homes. At least 60 people are still missing.In the following hours, people rushed to hospitals, crowded round the injured and huddled together in the hope of finding some comfort amid an unprecedented catastrophe.“Unfortunately, this atmosphere is conducive to the transmission of the virus,” Firass Abiad, the head of Beirut’s Rafik Hariri Hospital, told Al Arabiya English. For more on coronavirus, visit our dedicated section.In the next two weeks or so, Lebanon is likely to see a rise in people testing positive for the virus, he said. Before the explosion blew the capital apart, Lebanon was already grappling with a second wave of coronavirus, with weekly numbers equivalent to what were previously monthly totals in the early stage of the pandemic. On Friday, three days after the deadly blast, Lebanon recorded 279 new coronavirus cases – the highest daily increase since the first case was confirmed in February.“We were clearly and consistently seeing rising numbers – it wasn’t a fluke,” Abiad said. Due to the coronavirus crisis, many public hospitals were nearing capacity, even before they were inundated with patients needing urgent, life-saving care following the explosion.Intensive care units suddenly had to divert their resources to treat casualties from the explosion. Many hospitals were themselves damaged by the immense force of the blast. Saint George University Hospital, a key center for Lebanon’s coronavirus response, district was one of the worst hit, and staff were forced to evacuate patients, including those already being treated for COVID-19, to other hospitals. Four nurses and at least 12 patients were killed. Read more:Lebanese get to work to clean up after Beirut explosion in face of government absenceDamaged Lebanon hospitals treating patients in parking lots after Beirut blastsThe country’s economic crisis had crippled the healthcare sector. Hospitals were owed billions of dollars by a government that is itself in debt, and a lack of dollars had jeopardized imports of vital medicine and medical equipment. Tuesday’s explosion destroyed Lebanon’s main source of foreign imports, the Beirut port, further limiting the country’s ability to bring in essential supplies. Many countries quickly responded to the disaster by sending medical supplies to help Lebanon cope with the aftermath and medical personnel to establish longer-term healthcare needs. Field hospitals have already been set up in the capital to ease pressure on the strained healthcare sector, which Abiad hopes will contribute to Lebanon’s fight against COVID-19. “We don’t expect to see more casualties from the explosion, so we need to direct aid to where it is needed most.” Another factor in a potential increase in coronavirus cases is the authorities’ reduced ability to implement measures to contain the spread of the virus, Health Minister Hamad Hasan said on Friday.The government had already been forced to weigh up containment measures with the impact on an already decimated economy. Now, immediate efforts are focused on dealing with the devastation of the explosion. Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi announced shortly after the explosion that a five-day lockdown set to begin Thursday, was canceled. Anger in Lebanon is palpable after it was revealed that Tuesday’s blast was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that was dangerously stored in a port warehouse since 2014, and that the country’s leaders and senior officials knew it was there.With trust in the authorities completely eroded, Abiad doubts any new measures will be adhered to. “People are in a rebellious mood,” he said. Protests plannedA large protest is set to be held Saturday afternoon to seek “revenge” against those who are believed to be responsible for the explosion or complicit in a political system in which corruption and negligence are deeply entrenched. While protesters are calling for huge crowds to join demonstrations in downtown Beirut, many are using social media to remind people to wear their masks and keep their distance. Read more:Beirut blast: Lebanon navigates food challenge with no grain silo and few stocksBeirut explosion: Destroyed port used as quarantine center long before coronavirusEvidence on spikes of COVID-19 following protests is not definitive, Abiad said, drawing on studies conducted after the Black Lives Matter protests in the US.The scale of a potential coronavirus spike after the explosion and subsequent protests remains to be seen. For the time being, the trauma, heartbreak and anger felt by the Lebanese people as a result of this avoidable tragedy takes precedence.“Right now,” Abiad said, “social cohesion is more important than social distancing.”
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lebanon braces for second coronavirus wave as protests planned after Beirut explosion

Forty-three Syrians were among those who were killed in the deadly Beirut explosion on August 4 that left at least 154 people dead, the Syrian embassy in Lebanon said on Saturday.More than 5,000 others were injured in the capital when a warehouse storing 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded after catching on fire.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The blast destroyed entire buildings and shattered windows, leaving around 300,000 people in Beirut homeless.Videos circulating online showed people rushing to take cover under tables in their homes and ducking into whatever shelter they could find on the streets.Lebanese activists, angered by the government’s response to the disaster, urged citizens and residents to join protests on Saturday to call for the resignation of those at fault. While Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun has said it’s possible the explosion was the result of an attack, initial investigations point to government negligence for the explosion.Tuesday’s blast has heightened the country’s economic crisis and ongoing political unrest, which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.Read more:Beirut explosion: Three-year-old succumbs to injuries after surviving port blastBeirut explosion: More than 60 people still missing after blast, says ministryBeirut explosion: Arab League ready to provide aid to Lebanon, says Secretary-General
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Beirut explosion: 43 Syrians among those killed in port blast, says Syria’s embassy 

The French excavation mission succeeded in uncovering a network of large water channels, a port, houses and a large temple, as well as clay tablets in the city of Larsa, a capital city in the Babylonian era.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: After 30-year hiatus, French archaeological mission returns to Iraq

Hundreds of Lebanese protesters flocked to the streets of Beirut on Saturday afternoon to demonstrate against the government's handling of the August 4 port explosion that killed at least 158 people.The demonstrators clashed with security forces, who fired tear gas at the crowd in an attempt to disperse them, an Al Arabiya correspondent said. Riot police had started firing the gas after a group of people tried to break through a barrier to get to the parliament building in central Beirut, an Al Arabiya correspondent confirmed.The Lebanese army issued a statement on Saturday urging the protesters to act peacefully and to refrain from closing roads or attacking public or private property.Several individuals were hurt during the ongoing clashes, Al Arabiya reporters at the scene said.Protesters forcibly removed one of the gates outside the parliament building, as dozens chanted against President Michel Aoun and the Iran-Backed Hezbollah group.“Hezbollah is a terrorist,” the protesters were heard chanting. Some carried cardboard cutouts of Lebanese politicians, while others held flags.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Protesters came prepared Protesters came prepared for a fight, equipped with helmets, gas masks and goggles to protect against tear gas.Many had come straight from the nearby Mar Mikhael, Gemmayze and Karantina neighborhoods, where they had been helping clear up the rubble from Tuesday’s explosion.One young man carried a home-made shield bearing the iconic Lebanese cedar tree.Twenty-year old Nisrine is leaving Lebanon in a few days’ time after spending her entire life in the country, having given up hope at securing a safe future there.“I love my country, but I’ve been forced to leave,” she said. “So today, I’ve come down here to smash everything.”As tear gas canisters rained down on crowds gathered at the steps of the Mohammed Amine Mosque, dozens of people turned and began to run to escape the clouds of gas.“Please, I beg you, don’t leave,” one woman implored. “We’ve got to do this together or we’ll never get justice.”Despite the ongoing confrontations between security forces and protesters, people continued to flock to downtown Beirut in their hundreds.The demonstration had begun with a funeral march for the victims of Tuesday’s blast.More than 6,000 others were injured in the capital on Tuesday when a warehouse storing 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded after catching on fire.The explosion had destroyed entire buildings and shattered windows, leaving around 300,000 people in Beirut homeless.Protesters carried pieces of paper with the names of the dead, and chanted curses at Lebanese leaders, calling them out one by one.“Thawra, thawra, thawra!” - familiar cries of revolution from the protest movement that began in October rang out from between buildings hollowed out by the blast.In Martyrs’ Square, which overlooks the ruins of Beirut port, protesters had erected a gallows - each noose tied around a cardboard cutout of a different Lebanese leader.“Since the civil war these people divided the state between them according to their interests,” a man who gave his name only as “Lebanon” told Al Arabiya English.“Today, they have two options: resignation or hanging.”Forty-two year old Caroline came down with her family from her town in Mount Lebanon to protest Saturday.“We’re here to tell them they need to go. From the president all the way down, enough.”Read more:Beirut explosion death toll rises to 158, over 6,000 injured: Health ministryLebanese get to work to clean up after Beirut explosion in face of government absence
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lebanese protesters clash with security forces in Beirut, some injuries reported

In a phone call with Donald Trump, Saudi King Salman proposed a ground invasion of Qatar..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Trump rejected Saudi proposal to invade Qatar: report

Three members of Lebanon's Kataeb bloc resigned in protest of the Beirut port disaster, bringing the number of MPs to quit since the explosion to five..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: String of MP resignations after Beirut blast

Shooting was heard at the scene ofdemonstrations in central Beirut against Lebanon's ruling eliteon Saturday and police confirmed to Reuters that bullets werefired. Live coverage on local television stations showed severalpeople who had were bloodied from rubber bullet shot as policeused teargas to disperse protesters trying to break into parliament square.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Shooting heard at scene of anti-government protests in central Beirut

The Bordeaux system of selling wine had been in place since 1855, but during COVID-19, more and more clients are using Vinsent to buy wine online.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israeli wine service Vinsent disrupts Bordeaux during COVID-19

“We are revising the names of all our institutions, not only schools,” Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for UNRWA in the Gaza Strip, told the 'Post.'
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Palestinians say UNRWA planning to rename schools named after ‘martyrs'