on the bottom line your weekly take on u.s. politics and society on al-jazeera. lebanon's cabinets agrees to place a number of course officials on the house arrest after tuesday's explosion that killed at least 135 people. the blast has left almost 300000 people homeless and schools nearly $3000000000.00 worth of damage. hello i'm adrian for them this is al jazeera live from also coming up breaking ground and still in control to see india's prime minister lays the foundation of a hindu temple on the ruins of an 16th century mosque. and flash floods course more

hardship and devastation for people in parts of central yemen. lebanon's cabinet has declared a 2 week state of emergency in beirut following tuesday is devastating explosion the death toll continues to rise 135 people are now confirmed dead and more than 80 others are still missing around 5000 people were injured several pools officials are being put under house arrest beirut's governor says that up to 300000 people have been left homeless from beirut. begins our coverage. the people of this disaster stricken city are starting to assess and comprehend the extent of the damage of a blast that was far more destructive than any explosion lebanon has ever seen.

just before sunset on tuesday highly explosive material stored at a warehouse at beirut port caused the blast sending shock waves across the city now in ruins. almost every building has been damaged many are dead thousands are injured and hundreds are missing rescue workers worked through the night and into the morning as people and bodies were feared trapped underneath the rubble telling them what. my husband is an employee at the electricity company he survived but his colleagues didn't the only nonmoving dead bodies from under the rubble this is a country already reeling from a dire economic crisis where 50 percent of the population live below the poverty line the state is close to bankruptcy and the cost of damage is estimated at $3000000000.00 the damage spread several kilometers more than 300000 people are now displaced its people are not in a position to cope with this disaster. of the. material losses are sad but it's

nothing compared to those who lost their lives this is my taxi it's my livelihood and i'm still paying for it. everyone has a story of survival or tragedy the damage spread several kilometers many are blaming those in power for the catastrophe. this was lebanon's hiroshima we trusted them with our money our souls our lives and they betrayed us why are they still in power they should all resign we only have gotten their day will come. close to what authorities are appealing for help from the international community the state is close to bankruptcy. it's like a big earthquake hit lebanon in beirut this will cost billions of dollars to restore the economy will get even worse because businesses have been hit entirely in order for it to relaunch and nice new investments we will not despair some countries have started to send much needed medical supplies the health care system

was already close to collapse hospitals have been laying off staff in recent months because of the financial crisis and i love mr mankell we are an afflicted hospital there is no hospital as you can see hospital is closed and now we wait for our directors in order to receive instructions because we want to start the recovery workers cannot get in also as you can see because it's unsafe the ceiling is falling down it is a critical situation. lebanon's leaders are promising an investigation to determine who was responsible for storing ammonium nitrate without safety measures at the port for years and. we are determined to investigate and reveal what happened as soon as possible and bring those responsible to justice and punish them accordingly we will transparently announce the results of these investigations but those who hold power are being blamed for negligence incompetence and corruption people are in shock but anger is also growing at a political class many blame for mismanagement and being responsible for running

the economy into the ground months of protests calling for a new leadership have been met by a militarized state and demands by the international community to fight corruption . especially after a report in order to be eligible for financial aid have gone and hurt what many call a manmade disaster is the latest crisis to hit a country already on its knees so much has been lost when there was already so little. beirut help is coming from abroad germany russia casaya iran and the european union are among those sending aid france says that 2 planes are being sent with aid and resources that include fire fighters medical staff france's president emanuel mccall is due to travel to beirut on thursday germany says that it's ready to send a team of search and rescue effort experts don't it came reports now from berlin. here in berlin the german government has made very clear its dismay at what

happened in beirut the disaster that took place that is was in a statement that angle americal put out soon after yesterday's events but the government has also said that it is prepared to send search and rescue teams up to 47 different staff in those search and rescue teams to beirut to help the authorities there in their search for survivors of the disaster that took place that's among several different other e.u. countries who have unilaterally offered assistance of some shape or form to the lebanese government the point also at the pan european level the e.u. has activated its civil protection mechanism which allows it almost instantaneously to dispatch more than 100 specialist rescue workers trained dog teams that sort of thing to beirut to help in in the operation that's taking place there the e.u.

has also made available to the lebanese government its copernicus satellite program specifically as it regards satellite photography of this site to help as i say the logistical operation the mammoth task that the lebanese authorities have in the search for survivors and then trying to work out what exactly happened and how that can take their investigations further well there are questions about why such large amounts of explosive material was stored in the heart of the city ahead of beirut supporters told the lebanese media that the material was stored in a warehouse based on an earlier court order he says that letters were sent in their removal for 6 years but those went unanswered not 100 or is a lebanese from a politician who resigned from parliament in protest soon after the explosion he says the country's political system is broken. now we have. the dative she

goes to to to the fact of 2 parties husband on one side and the party of the president down on the others and we start providing christian government or christian ready and then husband is doing whatever it wants and extend the policies of clementon sport that he's really to from the whole world whether western or eastern or out up now there is a there is a fight for democracy we had a 4th glory democracy but it's still it's still a. function that one time we had to from the french meant date and we were the 1st parliament to be out of breath. and the figure press ever more area but i think we have to regain our right to democracy i'm a veteran be along with the previous system of which i was part of but.

i'm not that an age where i'm looking for you might get a year but certainly i will fight for typically. the mediators and just to ensure to our children and grandchildren a better future than the bankruptcy of faith state that was reached by the present president and government. as we told you lebanon's government says that thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate which were stored in the pores was the cause of the explosion it's a fertilizer and is often used by armed groups it was a primary ingredient in the 1995 oklahoma city bombing that killed 168 people the deadliest industrial accident in the u.s. was also due to ammonium nitrate it exploded at texas city's ports in 1947581 people were killed 5 years ago

a chemical warehouse caught fire in china the blaze spread to other facilities where ammonium nitrate was being stored that explosion killed 173 people not just as a professor of atmospheric chemistry or the director of the center for nature conservation at the american university of beirut she joins us now live via skype from beirut good to have you with us professor what was your reaction when you heard that such a vast quantity of ammonium nitrate was being stored so close to the city. first it's close to the 2nd it's in the midst of a high relative humidity. and it's also next to many chemicals that are usually and frequently importuned in the harbor so they're need in the lids those ammonium nitrate toward.

by itself is a hunter a very dangerous environment so how should a modem nitrates have been being stored. usually a morning when i take it hygroscopic material that means it absorbs water tight and to be humidity and shouldn't be stored at low would have to be humidity it is an explosive material so it should be stored in containers that usually are tested for a blast proof and frequently checked through or for compliance with with those safety safety measures but is it a material that degrades over time becomes more unstable or was this just an accident waiting to happen it was a part of explosive material and something at any moment could have set it off

ammonium nitrate even if it is in a smaller quantity much smaller quantity would hazard if not stored properly so no matter how much ammonia nitrate would you have then it is the house that this and it should be taking care you know with duct compliance to the safety to the safety measures that are defined and well defined by many environmental and hazardous engines i don't believe that nitrate bill gates over time or that it might turn into a liquid because of its city it has been for a long time and obviously the explosion happened yesterday what would it take to set it off would have would perhaps of a fire have been of been the cause of this. so usually they say even

though i'm one of my it is an explosive material it just doesn't take actually it on its own it needs a detonation path and i've got to nation instigator and why isn't watching the videos there was a fire before the bigger the big explosion so if find out it must have instigated this big explosion and this is this is the maximum. of all of the hands of behavior it's at your leisure there is like it's labor it's lame and that was stored next to a morning. this is extremely extremely dangerous really good still to professor many thanks indeed for being with us thank you. we get a weather update next year and i was 010 votes in palm and 3 elections which could give power to the islands most powerful political family in. a push for more

diversity in the global fashion industry after months long empty racism protests in the u.s. . hello there mostly how to drive cause across much of the middle east but not every way can see where the cloud is the far west of saudi and down across in the southwest of yemen this rain has been coming in with this has been fairly consistent over the last several days and quite heavy at times so not surprisingly this is to the east of sana'a the capital and if you just see how wise for these folks waters of they have been some deadly flash floods at least 17 people have actually died now that is the more rain in the forecast on thursday not quite as heavy but even so it is props are not needed at all at this stage to the north of there the winds are fairly brisk coming from the north coming through iraq the temperatures

a high the wind of course picking up the sound and as we go through thursday and also on into friday if anything the winds a little stronger and that sand and dust could be a little bit thicker to pushing further to the south 42 is the high in doha and you nations have got this massive rain here this could well push towards northern i'm on in the next few days it's moving away gradually from southern sections of pakistan says something we'll keep a very close eye on me well down into africa central regions the usual thunderstorms and fairly unsettled longer coastal areas of south africa have showers in the forecast now for several days particularly into port elizabeth by find it begins to clear the shot was working their way further up towards the north of south africa so finally sunday and sunday sunny skies importer lizabeth. frank assessments what are you seeing in yemen. and. why the links with these informed opinions is ethiopia on the verge of breakdown in

many parts of the order me a region are actually under a de facto state of emergency and critical debate of that is a proxy because not everything big interest of the libyan people in-depth analysis of the day's global headlines inside story on al-jazeera. the. hello again this is all seriousness for much of the main news this hour lebanon's capital has declared a 2 week state of emergency in beirut following tuesday's devastating explosion which killed at least 135 people and wounded $5000.00 it's also agreed to place several court officials on the house arrest in connection with the blast. beirut's

governor says the disaster has left $300000.00 people homeless and caused $3000000000.00 worth of damage an estimated 85 percent of the country's green stalks have been destroyed. and nations around the world have been sending offers of help france russia and germany have pledge stayed medical teams and search and rescue experts. flash floods of hit several provinces in yemen killing at least 20 people including children the regions of maria and her job east and west of the capital sanaa are some of the worst affected 2 weeks of heavy rains have left thousands homeless al-jazeera hiller mohammed reports. to eventual rains fill up this dam in the yemeni region of moderate forcing it to overflow. since it was rebuilt in the 1980 there are growing fears it could collapse nearby refugee camps have been damaged the rains have also downed power lines and destroyed crops

. there is a lot of damage many farms and properties were hit by the floods many displaced people were directly affected. the floods have killed or injured dozens the u.n. estimates more than 10000 people who were displaced have been operated once again i am as an acknowledgement of my family is under siege from the water the floods are separating me from them and my homes that in danger because the surface is being eroded around them. around 200 kilometers away in a province the floods damaged more than 5000 tents is trying to salvage what he can but i don't. i was in chiffon district when i came back and saw my home destroyed i looked for my children they went to another tent i've been collecting some belongings like food flour household appliances but it's covered in water.

heavy rain started 2 weeks ago battering several provinces. in the capital sana'a floodwaters swept through parts of the city dost week damaging shops and markets residents watched on as cars drifted away throughout the market. some trying to rescue those caught up in the current. around 24000000 yemenis are in need of assistance many live without basic necessities food water sanitation or safe shelter well i don't know. how i came from her i'm sick an import condition with a broken leg i've been hunting cats here for a year no one can help. us. medicine is in short supply and

aid groups overstretched nearly 6 years of fighting between the who internationally recognized government has left the country in ruins it's also battling the world's largest cholera outbreak and now coronavirus the government has called for international support but with more rain expected yemenis can only wait until help arrives while trying to rebuild whatever they can hold. the u.n. experts are calling on the international community to step in if india doesn't urgently address the deteriorating human rights situation in indian administered kashmir it's been a year now since new delhi stripped the region of its autonomy a coronavirus lockdown is being enforced more strictly by the military it's thought to stop protesters from gathering on the anniversary several local politicians journalists and activists have been detained for months now at high speed 4 g. internet services remain banned since last year. protests were held in the capital

of pakistan administered kashmir was up for a bad they were in solidarity with the people of indian administered kashmir and while the people of indian administered kashmir on the lock down india's prime minister narendra modi was laying the foundation of a controversial hindu temple as al-jazeera is elizabeth brought in reports from new delhi. it's quiet because there has been a lot done in place to stop the spread. and on monday the indian government said that there would be a curfew on tuesday and wednesday the possibility of protests to mock the one year anniversary of. tommy being they went back on the case you. have spoken to and. regardless of whether it's cold. people day very much feel like the restrictions the. opposition to what happened a year ago. who had been planning to meet today to find a political solution. bob while on the road that in fact the only

activity in kashmir is members of the b j p government have foisted an indian flag. now the government hasn't said anything about it but promised and that is the. construction of the hindu temple things whether it's the revoking of. a building this temple at india's most controversial contested when i just saw it had been longstanding promises of the hindu nationalist government despite the fact that political and religious gatherings on to allow the prime minister was joined by the country's most prominent and the best in this leaders in 175 people who were invited and attended the event and here is why the building of this temple is so important not just of the b j p to its supporters but many all of the 1000000000 of india's hindus.

promised in that in the morty praise before an idea of the hindu god ahead of construction starting on a temple and the day. it's a moment many of india's nearly 1000000000 hindus have waited decades for. this temple will be the symbol. it will be symbolic of the united strength of hundreds of millions. but division of the science has led to some of the worst religious violence and india's history and security has been heightened. in 1902 thousands of hindus from around the country came to the town and destroyed the 16th century babi mosque and 22 others 18 of the muslims living in the town were killed including relatives of. and mohamed. we lost everything in the violence here we have thousands of dollars worth of wood they set everything on fire they killed my husband and brother in law. up the koran in our mosque and started

stomping on the pages we tried collecting the pages. getting. started attacking people. the religious violence spread beyond mohammad child's father and uncle had to move more than 2000 people who were killed around the country leading members of the hindu nationalist bought at the edge on the party are on trial for conspiring to destroy the mosque the b j p had long promised to build a temple it was 1st elected to govern the country in the general election following the destruction. then. that is where the destruction really created a new. creative. force. that force. in the country. after the legal battles of the sides on

a ship the supreme court ruled last year that it belongs to him now 30 years after he joined the campaign for a temple prime minister met him for morty is inaugurating its construction and is about the al-jazeera you daddy. voting has ended in sri lanka's twice delayed parliamentary poll since the 1st country in south asia to hold a general election during the pandemic in march president got to buy rajapaksa dissolved the $225.00 member parliament 6 months ahead of and called a snap election but the counting process will be different this time as well fernando this explains from colombo the polling has ended and now it's for the ballot boxes carried in vehicles like this to come into counting centers around the country outside one of those largest counting. the royal college and over the next couple of hours basically back ballot boxes from throughout the district will be

being brought here into the counting centers now for the 1st time the election authorities in this country given the coronavirus challengers have decided not to start counting on election day everything will get locked in overnight and the counting proper will start on thursday morning now by far and large from what we're hearing from observers the election officials themselves things went pretty smoothly on election day overall assessment these election day proceedings are fine but. they have a 1000000 resoled problems with the prediction and these include basically the regulation of campaign financing regulation on social media the use of social media in campaigning according to observers these are some of the key issues that need work obviously. candidate parties will be waiting to hear the results but they will have to wait overnight until. numbers are tabulated before they see the

future direction of sri lanka. afghanistan's health minister says that as many as 10000000 people may have been infected with the corona virus in the us from comes after a nationwide blood testing for the virus half of the cases were found among adults nearly 50 percent of the children who tested positive did not show symptoms will the 1200 afghans have died since the pandemic began. palestine's president is extending the state of emergency as the virus continues to spread across the occupied territories the government has eased some restrictions but social gatherings are still banned and lockdowns will be imposed on weekends only. there's a growing push for more diversity in the fashion industry after this year's wave of anti racism in black lives massive protests some of the industry say that now is the time to make a change on service also in jordan reports. the reality is sometimes you have to.

garson is a fashion house based in new york and miami the word of 2 college classmates who want to offer men more than the usual black tuxedo use their business plan don't wait for the end history to welcome them with open arms you know want to be you know to step in and without a doubt you've got to make sure you do it. well and with your excellence. is responding to a very real problem in fashion it's lack of diversity beyond the runway black models designers and business professionals have long complained they're under represented in the business survey say they make up less than 10 percent of the workforce. it doesn't matter what they say i'm i don't you know madam a. i don't know that. it was a precedent it has no. bridges little's people this isn't the 1st time

brands have been accused of being myopic companies such as prada and gucci faced backlash for selling clothes with offensive imagery in 2019 the council of fashion designers of america unveiled an initiative to address the industry's problems with hiring and promoting black designers see f.t.'s goals improved mentoring business networking education and leadership training. some brands like dior have embraced diversity but others have yet to move beyond a social media. day and in the wake of the killing of george ford and of global power. task against racism industry veteran say the time is now for action everyone is bad. and only. in your peers who look like you can find value in your next and. deliberate sanchez is optimistic but he's not waiting

around who want to make sure that the same goals are applied every quarter want to make sure that he's done this is not getting filled and these options so schooling available to us pushing fashion to make good on its promises to change with the times roslyn jordan al-jazeera. it's good to have you with us hello adrian from going to here in doha the headlines from al-jazeera lebanon's cabinet has declared us to a 2 week state of emergency in beirut following tuesday's devastating explosion in which at least 135 people were killed and 5000 were wounded it's also agreed to place several ports officials on the house arrest in connection with the blast beirut's governor says the disaster has left 300000 people homeless and of course

$3000000000.00 worth of damage and estimated 85 percent of the country's grain stocks have been destroyed as 0 said to hold out as an update for us from beirut. many in the opposition are calling for the need for independent international investigators to look into the cause of the blast because the many state institutions are run by political parties and they have appointed their men their loyalists to positions and these people are loyal to parties and not the state so many feel that there will be some sort of a cover up many are not you know you tell them this accident and they say no no no this was not an accident this is a criminal act against the people of lebanon many nations around the world have been sending offers of help france russia and germany and the e.u. are among those who've pledged aid and support the u.n. experts are calling on the international community to step in if india doesn't

urgently address the deteriorating human rights situation in india the minister of kashmir it's been a year now since new delhi strips the disputed region of its autonomy voting is now closed because delayed parliamentary elections it was the 1st country in south asia to hold a general election during the pandemic the policy of president go to buy a rajapaksa is seeking a 2 thirds majority in order to allow it to make changes to the constitution afghanistan's health minister says that as many as 10000000 people have been infected with the coronavirus it comes after a nationwide blood survey testing for the illness namely 50 percent of the children who tested positive didn't show symptoms and those are the headlines the news continues here on a 0 after inside story thanks to. lebanon

is wailing from on i'm. just stating the explosion happened in the portal bay with the country is already in a series of long running crises so how would it deal with the fallout from the blast this is inside story. please please.