news with the last try secret army of the cia 675 delivering the same way that their ancestors did living in the forest in the jungle and it seems like they're abandoned by everybody on al-jazeera. the lebanese capital wakes up to a scene of destruction after a devastating explosion at the old warehouse. least 100 people are dead and that number is expected to rise hospitals are overwhelmed. and this is al jazeera live from seoul coming up lankans are voting at the march to lady like it's the 1st poll to be held in south asia during the krona bias pandemic . breaking ground india's prime minister lays the foundation of

a hindu temple on the ruins of a 16th century. level and has woken up to a large parts of beirut in a racket just an explosion tore through the capital the red cross says at least $100.00 people have been killed and more deaths are expected thousands have been wounded rescue workers have been searching for missing people through the night the explosion happened at a port warehouse near a busy commercial district the government says about 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored there for years the blast was felt 160 kilometers away in cyprus countries around the world offering help then a quarter in beirut begins our coverage. a massive explosion in the heart of the lebanese capital 6. the

blast sent shock waves across beirut shattering windows destroying buildings. and injuring hundreds. the streets were filled with panic and confusion. so you are all. my call was down there it rolled over i think my injuries all because of the loss the loss cut me up my call was like this on about from the front i don't know what happened i was fishing i heard there was a fire so i began to hit home then i heard something explode and then this happened i got injured this is all i know. rescue work began quickly and emergency vehicles converged on the site of the blast. putting out fires. and getting the injured to safety lebanon's internal security chief confirmed the blast originated in the port district in a section housing highly explosive materials. lebanon's prime minister has

sandy have addressed the nation promising that the victims would get justice for what happened. it will not post without accountability those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price this is a promise to the martyrs an injured this is a national commitment while the cause is still unknown some are already blaming the government levanon is an accident waiting to happen and so many wait so many places whether it's. public services like just all kinds of government industries are not regulated well we don't have like inspectors that so many buildings could collapse so you know again all the problems that lebanon face because they don't really have a strong government that is able to ensure the safety of its citizens and that's been why people have been protesting that's why the currency has been bawling so you know there's so many possible accidents and i've been on so it's very hard to

speculate ambulances continue to arrive at this explosion there have been dozens of casualties many victims are still trapped in the rubble and rescue work looks set to continue long into the night the destruction of central beirut appear to come out of nowhere and there's the shock of what happened subsides the demands for answers will continue to grow louder. from one of my routes worst affected districts. just cost 6 pm on tuesday everyone in the city heard assad an explosion a massive explosion followed by another one and then shock waves across the city people were thrown to the ground it was so powerful the glass was everywhere chaos in the streets people trying to get home and ambulances rushing to the site of the blast the baby port there were many reports emerging on what exactly happened to maybe we can just walk down the street to try to show you the extent of the damage

ambulances rushed to beirut for not too long after the head of one of lebanon security agency said that it appeared the cause of the blast was highly explosive material that was stored in a warehouse for years and that's really cause a lot of anger because people are saying that this is not a disaster officials are calling this apostrophe a disaster but this is a manmade disaster i was out of either negligence incompetence or corruption so the lebanese people are asking what was ammonium nitrate doing at one of the warehouses at bayview courts why was it not stored safely who is responsible for placing this material of a report that has taken so many lives according to the red cross at least 100 people dead and the number could rise 4000 people injured so many questions that the cabinet is expected to meet officials are saying that they're going to get to the bottom of this those responsible will be held to account but the people in the

streets are saying how can we trust you when you have been in power for all these years and you have been responsible for the mismanagement and corruption that has run the economy into the ground. they are still pulling out. from underneath the rubble of the electricity companies not very far. hair. hundreds of them were in that building when the blast happened and a woman just told us her husband. died in the blast and they're only pulling their bodies from underneath the rubble now so that search operation is still continuing and even a favorite port that was the site of the explosion many many ports and police are missing but we also understand civil defense workers could be among the dead because of an issue there was a fire at the port and that's when the civil defense of writers to some reports are

suggesting that's exactly what happened before before the blast happened so people are still searching for loved ones people are as you can see these are shops these are people's livelihood there are people going to help us prepare this we don't have the money to repair. a member of lebanon's parliament has resigned in protest over the port explosion model on how my day demanded an international inquiry look into the blast in his resignation letter he served in various prominent positions as minister of trade health and telecommunications. i know it's bring in now mark though in beirut he's a former candidate for the lebanese parliament good to have you with us so let's start with the obvious elephant in the room who north was keeping this much money of nitrate in a white house at a port. basically someone was trying to import that material in 2014 which

is not that there was they impounded that material and there was a court case from him for the past 6 years which obviously only extend that this far and wasn't by the t.v. exported because of political pressure and interventions were but just the system on the other side of the corruption that dominates lebanon has led to the systematic breakdown of the state and the failure of so many functions including a comic including we already had the crisis with garbage tightening up and now with that explosion yesterday it's rained glass and everyone's home is damaged and that i just saw 4 to 5 kilometers deepens la i was are completely damaged but i mention the quote on the rise again that it took its damage in a moment but the thing that's perhaps interesting one of the many things sadly interesting here is why when you say because of corruption it was left in the everybody knows that the ports the airports are controlled by armed factions in

that country the must have been some level of decision making amongst the political and military factions to keep that amounts of ammonium nitrate very right this wasn't just like an administrative oversight. yes it's not a lot of smaller combust the booms that you can debate them for on the side that's 2700 tons of that stuff and the problem is that the defense knows the ministry of defense they know minister often today or they know demonstrable economy knows the prime minister knows the security agencies and if nobody knows them the justice system already knows and there's a court case and so everyone is aware of that but at the end there was a sense of pressure to keep them there 6 years and they. sported pressure from who feel pressure from the political entities and the people for covering those who try

to import ammonium nitrate into the country on the people who was trying to kill us that is is that a matter of public knowledge and call record. and of course records that is available i don't have the name of the company but the company about him or things should be investigated what was the purpose and why that big amount that you need it and then the 2nd question is why were they kept in one place why not in the safe position away from the port which is a critical element in the infrastructure of knowing the threat that they go to and why where they decided to be that he exported to why were they impounded for 60 years and no one was capable of taking action this can only happen with excessive political pressure on them to venture in the justice system which means people in the political establishment. be needing to this and that is why a lot of big and that is precisely my question here out of this capable is it known who are those people in the political setup that this side is going to sions to us

from the people responsible and prime minister president and this defends the board of directors those are the by the people who are responsible but it was exercising pressure on them that's what the investigation should do and the question is to the judges the senior judges handling this case they should have gotten to the bottom of this instead of letting that put the pressure continue and moving about things or the special idiots in the pork for 6 years who control which faction controls the polls from beirut. everyone knows and lebannon bad boards and the airport highly influenced by hezbollah activists and political pressure grows they are used and their god intervenes on the regular basis but there are other factions as well about that all online but in things like this no one has the left of stuff so most probably it's an exercise pressure. in this it's

a comports which imports 80 percent full fledged unknowns imports and bolton including most of its food more soffits medicines all of that has been damaged lebanon strategic again backed up has been destroyed getting reserves which includes weeks full of flour and all of that someone with massive power that can cripple an entire government and all of it ministries can do that and no one has the power to accept it that must be raising some question marks for. growth in function to answer for then. definitely and not only them but the fully government supported by the current government president of the republic those are people who should be held accountable for a crime against humanity the total destruction of a city because of negligence the deaths of more than 100 people and the hospitalization of more than 4000 today the hospitals have been calling for

distress because their morts are. places to put bodies in the hospitals of downtown beirut start the 2 more dead bodies to other hospitals around the country this is mass murder committed by the negligence and the political interests. who are creating the political power in this country and using its people. it's been great to get your thoughts and alice on that thank you so much for taking the time to come and talk with our small town with. still ahead on al-jazeera thousands rally in solidarity with the people of indian administered kashmir one years since the region was stripped of autonomy often called hong kong's pro-democracy leaders face a crucial test for the future of their movement.

and of their plans of cloud across much of indonesia but most of the rain with this track is that she further to the north the have an area of low pressure this is it in the south china sea and that's where the heavy rain will bake gradually work its way north and east pushes rain across into much of the philippines that at the same time some very heavy downpours across much of that now in the rains really tend to stay to the north as we go towards the end of the week so dry a generator born here sunday across into java and also. down across australia is fine you drive to the north not so across the south we've got never pressure here working its way. well south australia another one which is on its way across the tasman sea but it will stop before it brought plenty of snow up to a town's mania and quite welcome snow it seems is all people very happy to see a scene like this particular system actually is not care in the way not so across south australia very heavy amounts of rain pushing across into the southwest of queensland gradually work its way eastwards on friday some very heavy downpours and very widespread as you can see but some

a much better picture across into tasmania so caring skies in hobart as we go through friday and through the weekend meanwhile in sydney be prepared for plenty of scottish and then looking down into new zealand it's the south on and we can see the wind the rain and also some snow to the mountains. a $150000000.00 trees disappear every year into the clothing that we all wear from uk cycling to save the forests the famous yellow dress play from blue jeans. to conserving the world to winning wetlands 3 of the aids world's global bird migration quite right where we are the basic discovered a treasure trove it is one of the most special that lands in the for half price ecosystems in light analogy 0.

00. 00 come back you're watching out to see a time to recap our headlines now a large explosion in lebanon's capital has killed at least 100 people and injured thousands more the government says ammonium nitrate ignited at an industrial facility. lebanese president michel aoun has called for an emergency cabinet meeting hospitals strained by the crowd of virus being overwhelmed by the wounded countries around the world including iran israel and carter offering to help. a member of lebanon's parliament has resigned in protest over the port explosions one a mad days demanding an international inquiry look into the last. sri lankans

are electing a new parliament president got a budget packs and his party are seeking a 2 thirds majority to allow changes to the constitution the vote was postponed twice because of coronavirus poll is being held under strict safety guidelines with those who expected voters rather expected to maintain a one. meta distance and wear face masks. enough and there's joins us now live from colombo so last time we spoke was a bit lower than the new usual what does it look like now. essentially. that was released that as of noon 5 oz of to be pulling would opened is still between sort of 35 and 50 percent depending on which district you're talking about so by all estimates

a little on the low side but obviously we are in kind of uncharted waters a corona pandemic no one was sure about how the voters would react so there is still a couple of a couple of hours left of the voting to go so it's anybody's guess as to where that figure will top up at the end of voting. any indication of who's ahead at this point and if it is the be as expected any indication if they're going to get 2 thirds. still early times i mean in terms of obviously exit polls as they are known in other parts of the world aren't really something that you see carried out in sri lanka so pretty much open ended well official results the only indicators. the sort of popularity. of the p.p.

the party of the rajapakse is going into this election sort of a. number of people are tending to pull in that direction they key thing about having more confidence. particularly given the corrupt and they make the president go out of iraq fox's handling of the pandemic which is that contrasted with the kind of shambolic situation we had just over a year ago with the easter bombings where there was complete chaos national security people had lots of concerns as the biggest bombing hit this country claiming over 250 lives so no indications sort of officially yet i mean but just pointers as to which way people are leaning towards or i mean no for now and those . demonstrations are being held in the capsule of

pakistan administered kashmir miles off there in solidarity with people in the indian administered kashmir marking years since the region lost its special status prime minister mancala accuses india of turning the muslim majority region into an open air prison he's expected to address the local assembly. indian administered kashmir has been long down to prevent protesters from gathering curfew is being overseen by the military and the local public school leaders have been detained for months officials have also banned lunch gatherings because of the pandemic high that has most from islamabad the prime minister is going to be addressing the legislative assembly of pakistani controlled kashmir of course will be sending a message of their dad it be with the people of kashmir to mach one ear over and they mean all india revoked article 370 earlier the pakistani president

also came out in front of parliament addressing a large protest gathering in which that india had learned from israel on how to change their demography. and if the indians were so confident about the fact that dad support i do is sure did allow the international and local media into the rally the message from pakistan that they stand by with the people of kashmir yesterday an important decision was made by the cabinet and the decision that by your standard announcing a new political map of gaucherie and pakistan which of course included to push me. towards an international issue armed to the united nations that i live introduced and that budget on born to georgia to send the implementation 11 on implemented as far as bush meat is concerned of course brushed aside any notion of

a military solution thing that up political solution would need aid and that progress downward again and again remind the united nations of its promise it did made to the people of kashmir regarding. let's bring in the liz before on from new delhi elizabeth from kashmir to laying foundation stones plenty of things to keep tensions simmering there right. yes good afternoon sami so things that are absolutely quiet in india that minister to push made with there has been a lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus on monday night the indian government imposed a curfew on tuesday and wednesday citing the possibility of protests to mock the one year anniversary it went back on that curfew but journalists have spoken to him to say whether they call it a curfew or not they very much see the restrictions which and place as yet another effort by the indian government to stifle any opposition any dissent on the one

year anniversary political leaders had been gathering to mace and push me to political leaders to try to find a solution to what's been happening day there but they aren't being allowed to do so but meanwhile members of the country's governing bought at the edge on the party of b j p did meet to hoist an indian flag in the capital city we haven't heard from the government about this and fact is not on the agenda for the government or the mainstream media which is and highly focused today on the inauguration of the construction of a temple in india's most controversial contested religious site a place called which many hindus believe is the birthplace of their god and which is the size of the demolition of the 16th century mosque in 1902 both of revoking to shmooze autonomy and the building of this temple have been longstanding promises of the hindu nationalists big government ad and prominent in that in the more he is

with the a today he is joined by some of the most prominent hindu nationalists leaders in the country to mark this inauguration to inaugurate the building of this temple and he's doing it he is off to he joined the campaign for the building of the temple. all right thanks so much elizabeth for on them though. several high profile democracy campaigners a back in court in hong kong joshua one and miss challen ivan lamb are facing charges relating to protests last year against an extradition bill and other cases also taking place an application for a bail hearing that will test hong kong as existing laws and beijing's new national security legislation. clark is following developments in hong kong so where did the calls to the courts reach. well the moment that particular case with regard to the bail hearing it's still ongoing this involves

a 23 year old hong kong resident tonguing kit's and he was the man who's been accused of writing his motorbike into a group of police that was on july 1st the day of large protests in hong kong was also the 1st day of these national security laws being introduced there he's been charged with inciting secession and being involved in terrorist acts now he had his 1st appearance on those charges in july but his lawyers applied for these hearings in the high court and that the hearing it's undergoing undergoing now in in the high court in hong kong it's an unprecedented legal challenge and as you mentioned the 1st test of how hong kong's judges will by sea apply common rights law which is the practice in hong kong this is the new legislation introduced under the national security law and the common law lawyers here can apply for that this particular case won't go to trial until october hence why the lawyer is seeking he be released from custody but this right under the new law hasn't been spelled out and even his lawyer says there are still lots of question marks so those bell conditions are

being tested in hong kong in a high court on wednesday and the other high profile hearing we've had has now been adjourned but that's the case of the pro-democracy activists joshua one agnes child and ivan lana these are the 3 founders and members of the densest our political party that was disbanded on the eve of those national security laws being introduced in hong kong now one has pleaded not guilty as has led the child has pleaded guilty and as a result she says she's expecting preparing itself mentally to face jail time but a joshua long and ivan lamb who said they'll fight these charges on arrival at court they said it's not a time for us to surrender or live in fear of the national security law and they'll fight the charges which will go back to court later this year in october and november. all right thanks so much sarah clarke. colombia's supreme court has ordered the detention of former president. of witness tampering and.

despite the coronavirus lock down supporters of former president took to their cars waving the national flag of their political hero. after the country supreme court order his detention and charge him of witness tampering and fraud in an investigation linking him to paramilitary groups look. this is not right it's a political judgment where they want to put a president of the republican prison just because we demand a fair trial and we are grateful to our. tuesday's decision shocked promising to further polarize the country over. who remains a senator and the most powerful and divisive politician in the nation the court reached a decision after concluding there was potential for obstruction of justice. the measure restricting rebase freedom is based on

a large amount of evidentiary material collected and analyzed by the courts including testimonial evidence to destroy inspections film recordings and telephone interceptions who are yours from any. of the countries savior the president who fought marxist rebel fighters bringing the country back from the brink of collapse . critics his success came at a high human rights cost as right wing paramilitary groups and the army terrorized and killed thousands of civilians. people that came out to celebrate the court's decision. i think most of us have been waiting for this day for a long time we want justice we really feel we deserve justice and that this needed to happen. as a 1st former president to ever face detention in the country is allies including current president of the fended him questioning the court's independence.

he said i am and always will be a believer in the innocence and honor of someone who by example has a place in colombia's history. from a long running feud with a lefty senator who would he be accused of plotting to falsely link him to paramilitary groups but the judges believe it was relieving stead who was trying to temper the witnesses in his defense if found guilty we could face up to 12 years in prison and change the political landscape in the country where powerful. longer voided persecution despite years of investigations. and just. proves government ministers have been forced to resign after congress voted to reject the president's cabinet the no confidence vote was held on tuesday after representatives criticized the government's handling of the pandemic who is one of the worst hit countries in latin america with nearly 20000 deaths president martin

this car has 3 days to present a new cabinet. and let's take you through some of the headlines here now just 0 now a large explosion in lebanon's capital has killed at least 100 people and injured thousands more the government says ammonium nitrate ignited at an industrial facility a member of lebanon's parliament has resigned been while in protest over the explosion marwan demanded an international inquiry look into the blast in his resignation letter he served in various prominent positions such as minister of trade health and telecommunications our correspondent zain holder is in beirut. the head of one of lebanon security agency said that it appeared the cause of the blast

was highly explosive material that was stored in a warehouse for years and that really caused a lot of anger because people are saying that this is not a disaster officials are calling this a pastor a disaster that this is a manmade disaster a result of either negligence competence or corruption so the lebanese people are asking what was ammonium nitrate doing at one of the warehouses at the port. trying can czar electing a new parliament president got to buy our jet packs as party is seeking a 2 thirds majority to change the constitution the vote was postponed twice because of coronavirus demonstrations are being held in the capital of pakistan administered kashmir was offered a bond there in solidarity with the people of indian administered kashmir a marquee years since the region lost its special status. india's prime minister

narendra modi has laid the foundation stone for a hindu temple on the side to be destroyed mosque after years of legal wrangling last year the supreme court ruled the site in the northern town of io dia belongs to a hindu groups several hong kong pro-democracy leaders are back in court joshua wang agnes challen ivan lamb all facing charges relating to protest last year against an extradition bill child previously pleaded guilty in faces up to 5 years in prison produce government ministers have been forced to resign after congress voted to reject the president's cabinet a no confidence vote was held on tuesday after representatives criticised the government's handling of. its earthrise now. the whole d.n.a. about there are still even use of people who are subject to the fishings played by the powerful simply no way to put all these people they're all individuals to

children the lloyd's public backstory this place has become a complete crap you have to hear all of them and to treat them with something within respects. to cope with our growing population we've tripled our exploitation of natural resources in just 40 years as a result of the vast expansion of mining industrial scale farming fishing and other human activities natural ecosystems have lost nearly half the area and $1000000.00 plant and animal species a facing extinction without the ecological networks which regulate our planet.