lebanon is in mourning after at least 78 people were killed and thousands of others were injured in a massive explosion that rocked the country's capital on tuesday huge shockwave ripped through beirut destroying buildings in the port district leaving many residents without electricity the exact cause of the disaster isn't clear though it's believed to be linked to the improper storage of explosive materials in aware . of the sudden we found to be everything turned over our hands was moving so quickly we solve all the songs and. everything else we thought it was. in the news millions of furloughed 'd workers have been returning to their jobs in

the u.k. but the economic impact of the pandemic has seen major cities including love that become ghost towns. good morning welcome this is r.t. international. condolences are being sent from all around the world to lebanon where a devastating explosion ripped through the capital on tuesday the nation is in mourning as the catastrophe has already claimed lives of at least 78 people and left another 4000 injured. now we can show you live pitches this is the same right now by routes and you can see the devastation a plane just smoke had been seen still billowing into the skies above the city the damage done to the infrastructure to buildings to vehicles to people's homes to businesses it's evident that the port area of the city has been absolutely

devastated the nearby buildings city raced to the ground many of them and this has caused chaos right across the lebanese capital.

given the large number of people injured hospitals are under immense strength facilities already dealing with the coronavirus crisis of quickly filled beyond capacity issue plays for blood donations and the generators to keep the lights going have some 1st hand accounts from people who experience the shockwave from the blast. the sun we felt everything turned over our hands i was the common my watch the t.v. from over me the wardrobe also from my daughter. and she needs a surgery. look i was. because it. was. me what policies heard the song to the airplanes about our house losing the op of

florida don't you know the distro ways from a playing shop and suddenly someone finds the next season for the skills and everything else. i was moving and itself like an earthquake looked around and resold last shot to everybody. there i spoke with journalist as him by rates and he went to the site of the blast force. well since the early morning hours and throughout last night the lebanese army and fire fighters have been still trying to put off the fire which is still until today burning through the remains of the warehouses at the ports of the city of beirut the lebanese president michel own has announced 2 weeks emergency state of emergency in beirut today we're expecting an emergency session to be held

at the lebanese cabinet we're expecting a lot of decisions and sacking of poor officials who are accused of negligence and that's had a lot to do with cummings had a lot to do with why this entire situation took the turn it did yesterday rescue workers are still trying to dig through the rubble to find the remainder or the missing individuals as well as if they can find more bodies unfortunately really are expected that will is going to continue to rise because of how massive the blast was and because at the top of the ports were the ports at the time of the loss or in the time of the explosion. and the explosion happened in the densely populated port area of the city the blast level buildings in the surrounding area the shock waves reportedly were folks as far afield as cyprus france russia the united states or among countries sending aid to the country the hopeful goes ations also said medical supplies including surgical kits to beirut with more on the story

his own his middle east expert pull the slip. the country's prime minister has said that the cause of the explosion was 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate that was stored in a way house he said he would reveal facts soon about the way house but he wouldn't do so now because he did not want to preempt an official investigation that's underway to the hospitals continue to report being in the state of chaos we know that they've been turning people away they've simply been unable to cope with the huge number of wounded and injured they are calling for blood donations and also for generators to keep the lights going all of this comes as they move any supreme defense council recommended to clearing a disaster stricken city they're also calling for 2 weeks of national emergency the military have now taken control of the security on the streets we're also hearing that the lebanese government has made available 100000000000 lebanese pounds in

emergency funding to assist those who has been affected the prime minister says that they will find that those all those responsible and bring them to book so that i will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened so we can hold them to account and impose the most severe punishment it's unacceptable the shipment of 2700 people ammonium nitrate has been present for 6 years in a warehouse without any preventative measures now the lebanese government has asked for assistance there's a host of countries who have responded saying that they sending both humanitarian and or medical aid amongst them. the united states the united kingdom qatar iran and france we are hearing from the american president donald trump who says that this looks like a terrible attack which is a statement that contradicts contradicts the official words that we hear coming from lebanese officials let me begin by sending america's deepest sympathies to the people of lebanon where reports indicate that many many people were killed and i've

met with some of our great generals and they just. seem to feel that it was this was not a some kind of a manufacturing. explosion type of event this was a seems to be according to them they would know better than i would but they seem to think it was a attack it was a bomb of some kind years now and none of those countries who have been offering assistance are as well this is despite the fact that the 2 countries are technically at war we have heard from really country's foreign minister been against saying that 3rd party mediators have been approached and israel has offered humanitarian assistance no word as of yet what has been of a sponsor from lebanon all of this comes as an emergency security cabinet meeting is due to be held in the lebanese capital this morning it comes as both israel and his blood deny any kind of involvement there has been speculation as to what caused the blast at this stage the official word from lebanon is let's wait until the

investigation is concluded. with the country already going through tough economic times is fear the tragedy will aggravate the dire financial situation we spoke to experts about the possible impact. with the ground shaking turned into all the windows kind of blowing at the same time some sort of pressure and explosion and it's like nothing i've ever experienced and since then you know i've been around the city and everything i mean no building is left untouched the level of devastation is shocking and the best i can come up with that shocking can't even describe to you like everybody's homes are damaged right now the rich and the poor 11 and spend experiencing some of their worst economic crisis in a year or so and this is their major port this is their connection to the world and it's been largely destroyed apparently there was food shipments also destroyed i mean this is an incredible tragedy.

lot of economic assistance they will need assistance we built that port quickly i don't see how. you know folks in the government itself. how they will be held accountable. just. unfathomable. to think that. there's a lot of conflicting information right now some from the interior ministry have said that it was stored there on the africa others including the prime ministers that it was stored there for 6 years in any case whatever the case may be. the responsible party of course should be held to account what you're likely to see here unfortunately is the game of sort of passing the buck from one official to the next with nobody really wanting to step up and take responsibility for this before this explosion took place logan was in need. of assistance of aid of a proper reform program there are multiple issues built on top of one another and

this explosion and the devastation that is wrought in terms of shimon lives and destruction infrastructure etc is sort of the cherry on top so to speak so ultimately though. what's lebannon need is a proper reform program that needs a cash injection. from the outside in order to to release funds to people so that they can actually get the economy moving again so as you can see there's compound issues here which make dressing this particular issue very challenging. the economic impact of the corona virus is becoming increasingly apparent in the u.k. with london taking a hefty hit from the pandemic near empty streets and workplaces as predicted the capital could lose almost 180000000 pounds a month in 2021 and it's feared london will remain a ghost town for some time yet shouting at was dashed the reports. so the lockdown in london is easing it certainly doesn't feel like it the financial and business

district the heart of the city is usually overcrowded and bustling but now it looks like a ghost town even though the government's plea to get people back into the office. to go back to work. should be. right after saying that boris johnson left downing street and set off a checker's his country retreat so much for leading by example and while the government gave employees the right to order stuff back into the office many companies are not rushing into that decision but can you blame them when the u.k. is the worst hit by the coronavirus in europe and considering the government's mantra for months was strictly to stay at home stay at home folks stay at home stayed home and sorry for being the country's economic engine pulling in commuters by the 1000000 london is also the capital of entertainment with plenty of things to do and places to eat but this 24 hour city now seems to be. feels like

a bit of a ghost town. has been previously a lot of people i knew very comfortable working at home so they all want to go back to work in offices of engineering to get back to normal it's going to take a while with london stood in a partial shutdown that's expected to have a devastating impact on the entire economy its business is scared off by this if the potential labor force either doesn't come or goes home if people don't think london is where they want to live and hence fail to attract new businesses the effect on london's g.d.p. could be a huge multiple of this a huge chunk of the workforce at lloyds h.s.b.c. and barclays are expected to work from home until at least september and google are not west group also allowing employees to work for mostly until 2021 with many of the tech companies also following suit is now predicted that in 2021. the new normal will be about 30 percent of london based employees still working from home

on any one day that would equate to around 178000000 pounds lost on other things like after work drinks cups of tea stationery and other officer equipment each month it's pretty staggering stats even despite the government's latest eat out to help out initiative offering discounts on meals to kickstart the hospitality sector . is unique we to be creative so to get customers back into restaurants cafes and parks and protect the 1800000 people who work in them i could announce today that for the month of august we will give everyone in the country. to help out discount it offers diners 50 percent off meals up to a maximum of 10 pounds per head courtesy of the taxpayer and it's the latest of a series of government efforts to tackle soaring unemployment but it's unclear whether or not popular schemes like this one will be enough to rescue the economy

especially when the expected 2nd wave of the coronavirus hits shuttered study arts in the london. well employers in the u.k. now require to contribute towards covering the 3rd load workers' salaries so staff are entitled to up to 80 percent of their normal salary but that doesn't sit well with some employers who are footing the bill for example the owner of the u.k.'s largest plumbing firm pimlico plumbers says that some of the staff have been let go for a few using to return to work charlie mullins has hit out at the government's furlough scheme timing some workers are taking advantage of it to collect pay without having to work more than half of workers furloughed during the log down have been returning to work but millions more have stayed behind charlie millen still has his side of the story. you can look at it as you want to look at bob just being all nice people need to get back to work and. you know the people that are no longer with us all very much the people that don't want to come back and you know they're the same. spend it so i'm on the beach not. their

excuse to come up we eat you know they're not ready to go back to work but if we could just stop the 2 percent for loads of morag all in the if you got genuine belly nazi cults well then what would start with well for them all and of course they need help you know and we need to look after them. well i'm talking about younger people people who just. don't want to come to work given night she sent their whitefish just to simply say you know i'm all not just question that these are all subsets and unfortunately the system is not just for mom but in general what their experience. with current virus infections on the rise in france many of blaming young people for the search we'll have more on that and other stories after this break.

all across the board trump is down in the polls and not just by a full interview traditionally incumbency alone is enough to win reelection but this time around it is a very strong need and let's be clear this is little to do with joe biden how we. seem wrong well we just don't all. get to shape out these days. and engagement equals betrayal. when so many find themselves worlds apart we choose to look for common ground.

join me every 1st week on the alex salmond shill and i'll be speaking to us from the world of politics sports business i'm show business i'll see you then. welcome back france's top scientific body is warning a 2nd wave of corona virus will likely hit the country after the summer restrictions were recently tightened was musk's now obligatory outdoors in the worst hit areas young people though are among those who've been flouting the measure and a wide to being blamed for the surge in cases but the correspondent explains elsewhere. the greek philosopher aristotle once said that young people aha it mind it because they have not yet been humbled by life thousands of years later and little seems to have changed when there is

a problem the finger is often pointed at the perceived source the youth as front sees an increase in the number of covert cases and a rise in hospital admissions this age old blame game continues. the boy. instead of being huddled at home in socially isolated bubbles since lockdown ended in france many young people have decided to party that's shocked some and that the world health organization to issue a warning young people you are not invincible young people can be infected young people can die. only young people can transmit the virus to others so

when one french infectious disease expert suggested this i believe more and more that they should be allowed to infect each other provided they don't visit parents and grandparents otherwise young people will be a reservoir of contamination and we will end up with an unimaginable epidemic by letting them contaminate themselves they will participate in collective immunity you could almost hear the gospel of horror. young people go to the bakery the baker's not necessarily they go to the pharmacy they meet people of all kinds so this is really a totally wrong idea but hold your horses after investigating france's clusters of covert that national health agency has made a rather startling discovery apparently it's not the youth and them ask 3 socially packed parties that are the biggest source of contamination here would you believe

it it's actually the office of the 100 and $47.00 cost is currently under investigation more than a quarter of them can be traced back to the workplace social gatherings and that's all social gatherings and not just parties only account for 13 percent of clusters well just seeing your extended family accounts for almost the same number of clusters with the facts clearly on display what the people in paris make of them so it's very easy to point your finger at the youth. but i think it's it's kind of both ways because now that i'm hearing this it's are easy for me to put my finger at the elderly so i don't think it does matter who does it just like that it's happening and we have to be very careful and for me it's really her like if it's us or if it's them i don't know. fact i think they're right it's also

a factor all the people who are working despite some of them are going to be carrying the virus and so it is going to spread faster even if we young people decide to stay at home and not go to work. so unless you intend to stay in bubble best not to point the finger or the bubble might burst pretty quickly so it's even ski aussie paris. a misty international reports that there were $125.00 cases of police violence against demonstrators through the 1st 10 days of the black lives might of protest in america include beatings the misuse of pepper spray tear gas and projectiles during the protests have been growing calls to defund and even dismantle police departments growing number of america's largest companies have expressed solidarity with the b.l.m. movement but they're now facing a backlash because of the support of the police at morgan explained. statements and

social media campaigns companies all over the world getting on board with black lives matter but critical observers have smelled hypocrisy from day one. these companies which rely on extraction exploitation to secure their profits have an incentive to form tight bonds with police forces which function to up hold and protect their interests in the face of community opposition in many states these companies go so far as to back laws to criminalize protests of dirty energy projects such as pipelines openly weaponized in the police and criminal justice system to protect the profits of the fossil fuel industry and the banks to fund them the chief of j.p. morgan took a knee to support the protesters marathon petroleum was unequivocal in their words marathon petroleum corporation stands firmly against racism intolerance and hate of any kind commemorating the ending of slavery in the us is one way we're encouraging

learning and then prophetic dialogue among our employees as we work together to identify meaningful ways we can make progress chevron has spoken up to racism and brutality have no place in america yet these incidents still occur inequality in treatment for no reason other than the color of skin is a stain american society has not yet a raised we reject systemic racism with support diversity equity and inclusion but one of the key demands of the protesters is defund the police boom boom. boom boom boom you see a bear move. was good to see a new give me a report from the public accountability initiative reveals that fossil fuel and cilla the companies as well as financial institutions have been contributing to law enforcement for years j.p. morgan chase is an official corporate partner of the police the bank has given

$4600000.00 to the new york city police foundation. was. the owner of the. thank god police foundations across the country in places like chicago philadelphia and new york city have been showered with corporate money money from the same corporations such as marathon wells fargo and j.p. morgan that now claim suddenly they are woke. the mole these companies sponsor events in dollars that celebrate the police and remind the public that police power is backed up by corporate power it looks very good to shell out money in the name of equality but will money speak louder than words when companies claim to support black lives matter but then fund the police i think that they're

placing wagers and bets on all sons lives to save them i'm sure these petroleum companies they feel that police departments their products and they believe that black lives matter. buy their products as well. i think that those of us in the movement see this is hypocritical we see this as inconsistent and i think ultimately it could backfire against these corporations i think it's certainly a p.r. moment and none of us are fooled by it that is just silly it takes more than 6 months of sympathetic statements and postings on facebook to reverse an ugly history and i think you've got it today thanks staying with i'll say i will return with more on top stories enough no.

no no crowd. no shots. actually felt. well and strong no 1st small. point should your thirst for action. how can you explain. how can you explain love i've been too easy to crunch. i didn't 12 but i came here and on those 3 days i just filled with hope. and he kept pretty isn't it sick show. i made my decision to come here because i felt and you i could build a new life suited to. companies and. i was

a free man. god decided that this money is no good to be free. my one dream is that all my children 'd find the same kind of happiness i do. i love my home i love cold weather i like the culture like the history i like everything about it. so i know if i know that. i am. a russian fama. is you'll be a reflection of reality. in a world transformed. what will make you feel safe. isolation full community. are you going the right way or are you being

that. direct. what is true wants is faith. in the world corrupted you need to descend. to join us in the depths. maybe in the shallowness. this is google bus the one business show you can't afford to miss bridgeboro in washington coming up beijing has responded to the united states efforts to force a sale of social media have picked up what is reported from china look like and we have expert analysis on the controversial issue and

a lockdown order are going back into effect in some countries as the world attempts to limit the spread of cope with 19 we'll take a global look at these new orders along with the spread of the virus the oil industry continues to struggle due to a lack of demand caused by the pandemic will break down the situation and what it will take for oil to make a comeback impact show today so let's dive right in. and we'll leave the program with more pushback over chinese social media app tick-tock and whether or not u.s. tech giant microsoft will actually be able to take over as we have reported president donald trump has said that he will take back in the u.s. by september 15th unless a deal can be reached for microsoft to buy the company's u.s. operations but now china is saying not so fast in fact beijing is now saying that it will not accept microsoft's acquisition and editorial in beijing backed china daily states china will by no means accept the theft of a chinese technology company and it has plenty of ways to respond if they

ministration carries out its plan to smash and grab no specifics were given on what were tele ation might look like.