Covid has wrought havoc everywhere, but in the nominally regulated shipping industry it’s fueling a worrying practice: the abandonment of ships, cargo & seafarers.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire at the facility, which was decimated by an explosion on 4 August when nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrates detonated at the port.
Decades of governmental malfeasance and the explosion — the biggest peacetime catastrophe in the nation’s history — have resulted in the current outpouring of public anger.
In the aftermath of the blast that killed 154 people and wounded thousands, some Lebanese speculated that an undeclared arsenal could have played a role in the tragedy.
In episode 542 of #CutTheClutter, Shekhar Gupta talks about what led to catastrophic blast in Beirut and how this makes Lebanon's political and economic crisis more messy.
While ammonium nitrate does not combust on its own, it can explode if contaminated by a flammable substance like oil, or if it comes in contact with fire.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has nothing to fear from the state but it won't escape public opprobrium. Most will assume the chemicals belonged to it, for use in Syria and against Israel.
Fear of money falling into the hands of Hezbollah has kept the Gulf Arab states from bailing Lebanon out of its current economic crisis, as they have in the past.
Air India’s new policy, effective from 2 May, introduces new weight limits for tickets in each of the different 'fare families' — Comfort, Comfort Plus, and Flex.
A theme has not yet emerged for BJP & people see lack of a contest, which makes it unexciting. For all these reasons, 2024 is turning out to be an unexpectedly theme-less election.
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