Source: BBC
The official website of the Kataeb Party leader
Security & Justice
Southern Lebanon Endures Massive Damage: 40,000 Homes Leveled Across 37 Towns
Israeli forces have systematically destroyed entire neighborhoods in southern Lebanon, leveling more than 37 towns and wiping out over 40,000 residential units, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Gaps in Coastal Radar Enabled Israeli Raid in Batroun, Army Commander Says
Lebanon’s army chief, General Joseph Aoun, detailed to Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati how Israeli forces likely exploited gaps in the country's coastal radar system during the recent raid carried out in Batroun. The briefing comes as Lebanese officials seek answers on how Israel’s elite Shayetet 13 unit carried out the landing undetected.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Opinion
My Hope for Lebanon
A company of Lebanese soldiers assigned to maintain order in this anxious wartime capital is gathered at its headquarters 100 yards from the Mediterranean. I make the blunder of asking their commander how many of his men are Shiites, Sunnis, Christians and Druze.
Monday, November 4, 2024
The Emptying of Baalbek Is a Moment to Take Stock
“Large numbers of people continue to flee their homes every day, as Israel’s military operations in Lebanon have been going on unabated.” These disturbing words could be from almost any news report about Israel’s invasion of its northern neighbour over the past month. However, they can be found in a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre issued on July 27, 2006.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Sports
FC Barcelona Fears First Team Star Will Be Banned From Playing, Reports SPORT
FC Barcelona is concerned that one of its main first-team stars will be banned from playing at the turn of 2025 because of issues related to his registration and Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
Friday, November 1, 2024
Tottenham Forward Son Heung-min Crowned Asia’s International Player of the Year
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min was crowned as Asia’s International Player of the Year for the fourth time by the Asian Football Confederation at its annual awards ceremony Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Friday 2 February 2024 13:31:52
Kenya Gas Blast Kills Three and Injures Nearly 300
A huge gas blast in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has killed at least three people and injured nearly 300.
A lorry carrying gas exploded in Embakasi district at about 23:30 (20:30 GMT), "igniting a huge ball of fire", a government spokesperson said.
Housing, businesses and cars were damaged, with video showing a huge blaze raging close to blocks of flats.
The area has been cordoned off and an investigation is under way into the cause of the explosion.
The BBC understands that at least one person has been arrested over the incident.
The government initially said the blast happened at a gas plant where workers were refilling gas cylinders, but later clarified that a truck had exploded in its parking yard.
The fire that broke out as a result is reported to have been contained.
Embakasi police chief Wesley Kimeto said a child was among those who died, adding that the death toll could rise.
Some 271 people were taken to hospital, according to the authorities - including at least 25 children.
Nairobi's Mayor Sakaja Johnson said many of these people had been treated and sent home, but at least 39 have been sent to other facilities with serious or critical injuries.
A further 27 people were treated on site for non-life-threatening injuries.
Its head of disaster operations, Vanant Ndhingila, told the BBC's Newsday programme that a search and rescue operation was under way. They are trying to find out if people are missing or have simply taken shelter elsewhere.
"There is still a search going on of whether there are bodies which have been burnt in various houses," said Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) said in a statement that the gas plant was illegal and that it had rejected three applications for construction permits to build a storage and filling facility at the site.
The fireball from the blast had "spread widely", according to government spokesman Isaac Mwaura Mwaura, and a flying gas cylinder had hit a clothing and textiles warehouse, burning it down.
"The inferno further damaged several vehicles and commercial properties, including many small and medium sized businesses," he said in a statement.
"Sadly, residential houses in the neighbourhood also caught fire, with a good number of residents still inside, as it was late at night."
About 10 trucks were completely burned inside the compound where the explosion occurred.
One burned vehicle landed on top of a block of flats dozens of metres away, partially destroying the building's front.
Witnesses told the BBC that the explosion sent objects including gas cylinders and a shipping container, flying into the air.
Jackline Karimi said she ran out of the house and lay flat on the tarmac. She suffered burns on her right hand and arm up to the shoulder and to her right leg.
"I saw a woman on fire, but we couldn't help her. Everyone was running," Ms Karimi said.
Another woman who was in a flat near the scene of the blast told the BBC she was trying to trace her friend. "She was pregnant and had a child in the house, which is now completely burned."
Boniface Sifuna told the Reuters news agency he was burnt by an exploding gas canister.
"It exploded right in front of me and the impact knocked me down and the flames engulfed me. I am lucky that I was strong enough to get away."
James Ngoge, who lives across the street from where the blast happened, told the AFP news agency that he was in his house at the time and "heard a huge explosion".
"It felt like it was going to collapse. At first, we didn't even know what was happening, it was like an earthquake.
"I have a business on the road that was completely destroyed."
Government spokesman Mr Mwaura said a command centre had been set up to help co-ordinate rescue operations.
"Kenyans are hereby advised to keep off the cordoned area in order to allow the rescue mission to be carried out [with] minimal disruptions," he added.