#adela suliman

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Queen Elizabeth II: A visual timeline of her 70 years on the throne  | The Washington Post | May 31, 2022

The Washington Post put together a wonderful interactive pictural timeline to celebrate the 7 decades that Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. The above photos/gifs are just a sampling of what is in the article. It is well worth your time to take a look if you are interested in Elizabeth II and the British royal family. 

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Gifs were made from the interactive graphics in the article, which combined the photographic portrait of Elizabeth II by John Hedgecoe {1966) and the illustrations by Marianna Tomaselli for The Washington Post. The design/production/graphics for the interactive article were by Frank Hulley-Jones and Sarah Hashemi. Ruby Mellen and Adela Suliman provided the reporting. Note that all photos and illustrations were modified from their original sources.

[reportwire]

Ancient Roman Trading Settlement Unearthed 80 Miles From London | Smart News

Ancient Roman Trading Settlement Unearthed 80 Miles From London | Smart News

Some of the ancient Roman decorative pottery pieces uncovered at the archaeological site in England. HS2 Archaeologists have unearthed a large Roman trading settlement while working on a railway project in Northamptonshire, England, reports Adela Suliman of the Washington Post. The site contains more than 30 roundhouses, other stone buildings, wells, a 30-foot-wide road, coins, and jewelry, per…

[parcival2]

[The Washington Post] Liz Cheney appointed vice chair of select committee investigating Jan. 6 Capitol attack

Liz Cheney appointed vice chair of select committee investigating Jan. 6 Capitol attack

By Adela Suliman

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/09/02/liz-cheney-vice-chair-capitol-attack/

[stuartbramhall]

Most unvaccinated Americans believe coronavirus vaccine poses greater health risk than the disease, poll finds

Most unvaccinated Americans believe coronavirus vaccine poses greater health risk than the disease, poll finds

  © Melissa Melvin/AP By Adela Suliman Washington Post The Kaiser Family Foundation released a survey Wednesday that found there was a big split between unvaccinated and vaccinated adults in what they perceived as the bigger threat during the pandemic. Just over half of unvaccinated adults (53 percent) said they believed getting vaccinated posed a bigger risk to their health than getting…

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/former-israeli-space-security-chief-says-extraterrestrials-exist-and-trump-knows-about-it/

Former Israeli space security chief says extraterrestrials exist, and Trump knows about it

A former Israeli space security chief has sent eyebrows shooting heavenward by saying that earthlings have been in contact with extraterrestrials from a “galactic federation.”

“The Unidentified Flying Objects have asked not to publish that they are here, humanity is not ready yet,” Haim Eshed, former head of Israel’s Defense Ministry’s space directorate, told Israel’s Yediot Aharonot newspaper. The interview in Hebrew ran on Friday, and gained traction after parts were published in English by the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

A respected professor and retired general, Eshed said the aliens were equally curious about humanity and were seeking to understand “the fabric of the universe.”

Eshed said cooperation agreements had been signed between species, including an “underground base in the depths of Mars” where there are American astronauts and alien representatives.

“There is an agreement between the U.S. government and the aliens. They signed a contract with us to do experiments here,” he said.

Eshed added that President Donald Trump was aware of the extraterrestrials’ existence and had been “on the verge of revealing” information but was asked not to in order to prevent “mass hysteria.”

“They have been waiting until today for humanity to develop and reach a stage where we will understand, in general, what space and spaceships are,” Eshed said, referring to the galactic federation.

The White House and Israeli officials did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment. Sue Gough, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, declined to comment.

A spokesperson for NASA said one of the agency’s key goals was the search for life in the universe but that it had yet to find signs of extraterrestrial life.

“Although we have yet to find signs of extraterrestrial life, NASA is exploring the solar system and beyond to help us answer fundamental questions, including whether we are alone in the universe,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Eshed’s ideas are spelled out in more detail in “The Universe Beyond the Horizon — conversations with Professor Haim Eshed” by Hagar Yanai published in November.

Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics

Eshed, who oversaw the launch of numerous Israeli satellites into space, said he was only speaking out now because attitudes were changing and people seemed more receptive.

“If I had come up with what I’m saying today five years ago, I would have been hospitalized,” he told Yediot. “Today, they’re already talking differently. I have nothing to lose. I’ve received my degrees and awards, I am respected in universities abroad.”

In May, Trump said, “Space is going to be the future, both in terms of defense and offense … we’re now the leader on space,” as he was presented with the official flag of a newly created military branch, Space Force.

Its focus, along with a Space Command, is on space as a military domain for the U.S., preserving satellites and communications and a focus on geo-politics in new terrain.

Eshed’s comments immediately spawned jokes and theories online. At least half-a-dozen accounts have been created on Twitter claiming to be representatives to earth from the “Galactic Federation.” Other users have asked for preferential treatment and meetings with the other-worldly group.

Nick Pope, who used to investigate UFOs for the British Ministry of Defense, described Eshed’s remarks as “extraordinary.”

“Either this is some sort of practical joke or publicity stunt to help sell his book, perhaps with something having been lost in translation, or someone in the know is breaking ranks,” he said.

Pope said the UFO and conspiracy theory community was excited but that questions remained including whether or not Eshed was speaking from direct personal knowledge and experience or whether he is repeating something he has been told.

“There are still some missing pieces of the puzzle here,” he said.

Adela Suliman

Adela Suliman is a London-based reporter for NBC News Digital. 

Paul Goldman is a Tel Aviv-based producer and video editor for NBC News.

[virginiaprelawland]

Meghan Markle And Invasion Of The Right To Privacy

By Kayla Blevins, Liberty University, Class of 2020

May 11, 2020

According to Yahoo! News, Meghan Markle is suing Associated Newspapers because she believes they violated her privacy when they published a letter she wrote to her father. David Sherborne, Markle’s attorney argues that Associated Newspapers attempted to manipulate its readers and participated in an “intrusive” campaign against Markle. (1) Sherborne claimed that Associated Newspapers also “deliberately misled the public by presenting a false picture of the letter.” (2)Markle’s lawyers claim that it is the tabloid’s fault that Markle and her father have had a falling out because they received so much harassment and humiliation from the tabloids. As a result, Markle is seeking damages.

Prince Harry released a statement where he stressed that he and Meghan passionately believe in “media freedom and objective, truthful reporting” as a “cornerstone of democracy…. [however,] There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious….”(3)

Associated Newspapers denies all allegations, saying that the claims of dishonesty and malicious intent do not form part of any cause of action advanced against it. (4)          

History of Invasion of the Right to Privacy

The right to privacy is also known as “the right to be let alone.” (5)In 1890, Samuel Warren and Lewis Brandeis wrote an article in theHarvard Law Review where they suggested creating a new tort called “Invasion of the Right to Privacy.” (6) Brandeis had a “deep-seated abhorrence of the invasions of social privacy” because the media would pry into theprivate lives of people in the society columns of newspapers. (7) An example of this is when a woman was denied recovery from the New York Court of Appeals because her picture was used to advertise flour.(8) The woman did not give the flour company permission to publish her picture;but nonetheless,the New York Court of Appeals denied her recovery. Afterward, the public became truly angry at the court – causing the New York legislature to pass a statute that permitted plaintiffs, like the woman, to recover.

Hence, Warren and Brandis strongly believed American citizens needed legal protection from the media. Neither American courts nor the English courts had anything to offer. Therefore, Warren and Brandis proposed “Invasion of the Right to Privacy” tort. It was greatly contested, but it was eventually accepted as a legitimate form of recovery.

Invasion of the Right to Privacy Defined

Invasion of the right to privacy is a tort that legally establishes that a person has the right to conduct his or her life devoid of any unwarranted and undesired publicity, such as wiretapping and/or reading someone else’s mail. (9) Invasion of privacy consists of four distinct torts: appropriation, unreasonable intrusion, public disclosure of private facts, and false light. (10)The only aspect they have in common with each other is that they all offer protection from unreasonable interference.

False light lawsuits are brought only if the plaintiff can show the defendant deliberately portrayed the plaintiff in a false light or that she acted recklessly. (11) An interesting example of a false light case is when the National Enquirer described Clint Eastwood’s relationship with country music singer Tanya Tucker. The National Enquirer did not deny the false-light claim and the court held that the Enquirer did exploit Eastwood's name so it could “generate maximum curiosity and the necessary motivation to purchase the newspaper.” (12)In contrast, Markle is suing Associated Newspapers because they revealed her private letter to her father, so she is, therefore, suing a claim of public disclosure of private facts.

On May 1, 2020, the judge for Markle’s case threw out part of the privacy lawsuit. (13)The judge partially ruled against Markle’s arguments that Associated Newspapers endeavored to generate tension between Meghan and her father and reported dishonestly. However, Markle’s attorneys said they believe the judge will find a valid claim for breach of privacy and copyright, “[W]e respect the Judge's decision as the strong case against Associated will continue to focus on the issue of a private, intimate and hand-written letter from a daughter to her father…. This gross violation of any person's right to privacy is obvious and unlawful.”(14)

Unreasonable Intrusion

According to the Restatement of Torts § 652B, a defendant who inadvertently infringes upon the privacy of someone else is legally responsible for the invasion of privacy if his actions are deemed as “highly offensive to a reasonable person.” (15)An example is when Ralph Nader prepared to publish “Unsafe at Any Speed,” a book about General Motors (GM). Nader’s book claimed that GM was hesitant to spend extra money updating the safety features of their automobiles. Afterward, GM harassed Nader by making threatening phone calls, interviewing his acquaintances, tapping his phones, eavesdropping on him using electronic equipment, using women to make illicit proposals to him, and conducting surveillance on him in public places.(16) Nader sued GM for an invasion of privacy and the court ruled in Nader’s favor because of the wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping. Amazingly, the court did not consider the other activities as an invasion of privacy because they were not deemed as unreasonably intrusive.

Public Disclosure of Private Facts

Publishing aspects of someone else’s personal life can also be tantamount to invasion of privacy. Similar to unreasonable intrusion doctrine, the publicized issue must be considered as highly offensive to any reasonable person and must not "be of a legitimate concern for the public." (16)However, if the details were already availableon the public record, then an invasion of privacy does not exist.

In Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, Cox Broadcasting reported the name of a rape and murder victim, without the knowledge of her family. The victim’s father brought a lawsuit for invasion of privacy. The Georgia court ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban releasing the name of a rape victim or to allow a private right of action against the press for doing so because of the First Amendment. The information was already made public; therefore, the father of the victim could not reasonably argue that her name should be deemed as private. The court ruled, “Since the state already had evinced its belief that the information was of public interest by including it in the indictments, the press had the right to disclose the victim's identity.” (17)

The Supreme Court defined a public figure as someone who has achieved universal fame or notoriety. (18) The Court also stated that “someone who voluntarily injects himself or is drawn into a particular public controversy” is also considered a public figure. (19) Therefore, both Markle and her father are considered as public figures. Unreasonable intrusion arises when a defendant deliberately encroaches upon another person’s privacy. Such as Markle claiming that the Associated Newspapers intentionally intruded upon her private relationship with her father. But unreasonable intrusion also requires the defendant to interfere in a manner that a reasonable person considers highly offensive. That seems to be a difficult task for Markle to prove because (a reasonable person considers) both Markle and her father as public figures, plus, the newspapers willlook for anything and everything they can use in their articles. What constitutes public disclosure is when a publisher exposes the details of the plaintiff's private life in a way that reasonable people would find highly intrusive and would not be of concern for the public. (20) That too seems hard for Markle's attorneys to prove because her relationship with her father is of no concern for the public, other than juicy gossip.

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(1)    Suliman, Adela. “Meghan Markle says father 'exploited' by press as privacy lawsuit gets underway.” Yahoo! News. 24 April 2020. 3 May 2020. https://news.yahoo.com/meghan-markle-privacy-lawsuit-gets-100509770.html.

(2)    Ibid.

(3)    Waterson, Jim. “Meghan sues Mail on Sunday as Prince Harry launches attack on tabloid press.” The Guardian. 2 Oct. 2019. 3 May 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/01/meghan-sues-mail-on-sunday-for-publishing-letter-to-her-father.

(4)    ByLine Investigates. “ROYAL LAWSUIT: Meghan vs The Mail – What to Expect Today as Tabloid Moves to Strike Out Dishonesty and Malice Claims Brought by Duchess of Sussex.” ByLine Investigates: Not Afraid to Tell You the Truth.24 April 2020. 3 May 2020. https://www.bylineinvestigates.com/mail/2020/4/24/royal-lawsuit-meghan-vs-the-mail-what-to-expect-today-in-court-as-tabloid-moves-over-dishonesty-and-malice-claims-brought-by-duchess-of-sussex.

(5)    Edwards, Stanley, J. (2016). Tort Law. Cengage Learning, p. 369.

(6)    Ibid.

(7)    See Glancy, 1979, p. 6, referencing A. Mason, Brandeis: A Free Man's Life, p. 70 (1956).

(8)    Edwards, Stanley, J. (2016). Tort Law. Cengage Learning, p. 369.

(9)    Ibid.

(10)  Ibid.

(11) Time, Inc. v. Hill, 385 U.S. 374 [1967].

(12) Eastwood v. National Enquirer, 198 Cal. Rptr. 342 (Ct. App. 1983).

(13)  Roberto, Melissa. “Meghan Markle's lawyers 'surprised' judge struck arguments from privacy lawsuit, says case ‘to move forward.’” Fox News. 1 May 2020. 3 May 2020. https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/meghan-markle-lawyers-surprised-judge-strikes-arguments-privacy-lawsuit.

(14)  Ibid.

(15) Edwards, Stanley, J. (2016). Tort Law. Cengage Learning, p. 377.

(16)  Ibid.

(17) Restatement of Torts § 652D.

(18) Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U.S. 469 [1975].

(19) Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., 418 U.S. 323 [1974].

(20)  Ibid.

(21) Edwards, Stanley, J. (2016). Tort Law. Cengage Learning, p. 381.

Photo Credit: Mark Jones

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As the week of Ramadan just began on Friday, I came across this article on how Muslims are having to celebrate it within the walls of their home during the pandemic. 

As we have learned, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S. today and many have held these traditions close to them here and around the world. Ramadan is the month where they “forgo food, water, and sexual relations from dawn to dusk and is an annual anchor in the Islamic calendar — a time when worshipers increase their prayers and acts of charity”. (Suliman, 2020) This is a more difficult year than most, since all gatherings of 10 or more people are not allowed and that’s including church and prayer groups of any religion. As a Catholic believer with Easter just passing us by, it was a much more difficult task for my family and I to strengthen our prayers and come together with our community during the celebration, but the Muslim community says it’s not that hard for them because they’ve “been there, done that” with quarantine. The article speaks on how the Bubonic plague was brought onto the Muslim world for awhile so they have been through quarantine before and know many of the protocols, but still many are saddened from not being able to come together as a community during Ramadan. Still wishing to keep traditions somewhat the same, millions of Muslims go virtual to watch the imam lead a prayer on TV and get onto Zoom classes and create a digital Ramadan together. With some people still working as an essential in the health fields, religious authorities in the United Arab Emirates decided that the medical workers that are treating COVID-19 patients during this time are exempt from fasting and they urge to not congregate. 

In a time so full of negative news, hardships, and loneliness many are actually staying upbeat and still trying their best to keep strong faith in their religion. Luckily with the day and age we are living in, we can all still come together virtually and spread the faith through our community and our world in that way. I relate this article to class because of the section we learned about the Muslim community and how strongly they believe in their religion and how tradition to them is very important, and holding Ramadan dear to their hearts they are holding light to the month as best they can through this dark time. I relate this article to my personal life because as Easter just passed, the people in my community and family did what they could to keep tradition going by getting online Sunday morning and praying together and sitting through a service with friendly faces. My family personally has a lot of younger kids in it, so we got up at 5 am and brought Easter baskets to all of my nieces and nephews front porches to show them there is still light on our holiday during this time. It seems as if no matter what your religion is and no matter what you’re celebrating, keeping tradition and faith during this pandemic is important and prayer is emphasized even more in times of distress.  The closing of this article was something I liked the most about it, it says “The mosque’s doors are closed, but heaven's doors are not." and I think we all need to have this mindset whether in a religious way, or if not religious, in an optimistic way of life. 

Word count: 587

Work cited: Suliman, Adela. “Muslims Begin Unusual Ramadan amid Coronavirus Pandemic.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 24 Apr. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/world/muslims-being-unusual-ramadan-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-n1190266. 

[newsnomadblog]

Interview: Ai Weiwei on refugees and why he is leaving Germany for UK

Interview: Ai Weiwei on refugees and why he is leaving Germany for UK

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei gestures during a news conference for his exhibition “Restablecer Memorias” displayed at the University Museum of Contemporary Art (MUAC) in Mexico City, Mexico, April 11, 2019. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

22 August 2019 | Adela Suliman | Thomson Reuters Foundation

LONDON, Aug 22 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei is swapping his adopted home…

[judchuks1]

China attempts to shape coronavirus narrative online

China attempts to shape coronavirus narrative online

By Adela Suliman

As the blame game about the coronavirus pandemic heats up between the United States and China, senior Chinese officials have taken to English language social media platforms to both fend off and make accusations about its spread.

Although Twitter is blocked in his homeland, Hu Zhaoming, spokesman of the International Department of the ruling Communist Party, joined it last month.…

[fullspectrum-cbd-oil]

Extinction Rebellion Climate Group Seeps Into Oil-Rich Middle East

Extinction Rebellion, the grassroots green movement that has blocked city roads, nursed babies outside corporate headquarters and put climate change firmly on the political map in capitals from London to Madrid, is now gaining ground in the Middle East.

Off-shoots of the group that advocates peaceful protest as a way to pile on pressure to curb global warming are sprouting from Beirut to Doha, as activists in the oil-rich region want governments to ditch fossil fuels for renewable energy sources.

“Governments are not going to do anything unless they see that people themselves want that change – that’s how any movement starts,” said Iman, a member of the newly formed Extinction Rebellion (XR) group in Qatar who declined to give her full name for security reasons.

“There’s a very large number of Qataris who are very passionate about sustainability and who want to see change implemented but they also acknowledge the challenges to it – whether that be political or simply cultural,” she said.

The gas-rich Gulf State, with a population of about 2.7 million, emits more carbon dioxide per person than any other nation globally, according to World Bank data, while across the region, countries suffer blistering heat and water shortages.

As host of the 2022 football World Cup, Qatar is looking at ways to reduce carbon emissions linked to the event and execute a 2030 national plan to curb its carbon footprint.

Extinction Rebellion launched in London in 2018, inspiring waves of disruptive action around the world pushing for rapid cuts in carbon emissions, with the protests leading to thousands of arrests.

In Qatar – a country where protests are illegal – the nascent group acknowledges it will not be able to carry out large-scale civil disobedience like other XR groups.

But Iman said the plan is to change hearts and minds through public advertising campaigns and lobbying decision-makers.

“It’s a little harder to be more vocal about issues such as sustainability, especially when you’re in an oil-rich region,” said the 19-year-old student. “There are constraints.”

Despite a social emphasis on consumer culture, she said, there is growing public awareness in Qatar around waste – and a willingness by young people especially to shoulder more responsibility for the global climate crisis.

CLIMATE PEACE?

Water scarcity and desertification are major climate issues in the Middle East and North Africa, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned earlier this year.

In Israel and the Palestinian territories, green activists said a 2018 report by the U.N. climate science panel – which said heat-trapping emissions must be slashed 45% by 2030 to keep warming to a lower agreed limit – had spurred them to join XR.

“We see ourselves as the noise-makers – the ones who are saying no more business as usual,” Michael Raphael, a member of XR Israel, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Globally, XR tactics centre on civil disobedience such as blocking planes at a London airport and disrupting traffic outside Belgium’s Royal Palace, while in New York activists glued themselves to a green sailboat parked in Broadway.

In politically tense places like Jerusalem, survival is an everyday concern, said Raphael, but a warming climate may inadvertently unite factions and help bring peace.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re Palestinian or Jewish – you’re going to face the same difficulties under climate change,” he said. “If we don’t take this on together, we’re going to die together.”

Raphael and his group are most concerned about the development of off-shore gas rigs, water shortages, pesticides and over-fishing in the region, he added.

“There needs to be a big push for more systematic change.”

So far, local XR members have glued themselves to the windows of the Israeli stock exchange, blockaded petrochemical factories and protested outside government buildings.

CREATIVE TACTICS

In recent weeks, Lebanon has been paralysed by an unprecedented wave of protests against what is seen as rampant corruption among its ruling elite, which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.

“The mass protests erupted and are kind of doing our job… so we’re participating in them,” said Rami Suleiman, co-founder of XR Lebanon.

A rise in temperatures exacerbated forest fires in the country, a contributing factor to voter frustration over wider government inaction, he added.

“Climate change actually played a huge role in starting these protests,” he said by telephone. “In the Middle East, we’re suffering a lot from rising sea levels and changing weather patterns – so I got drawn in.”

The university student set up a Lebanese XR branch in May, after watching the movement grow abroad and feeling “astonished” the region had nothing similar.

The group, now around 40-strong, has translated climate documents into Arabic, disrupted traffic flows and lately participated in the broader political protests in Beirut.

In Turkey too, the climate movement is growing, with an XR group in Istanbul and others planned in Ankara, Bodrum and Izmir, said Elif Unal, an XR coordinator in the country.

“I was very anxious about the climate crisis and I was feeling very hopeless,” said 25-year-old Unal, who first got involved by translating XR tweets into Turkish.

The group has since put on art shows and performances in central Istanbul to grab public attention.

They are seeking to use more cautious and creative methods than in other European cities, she said, not least because “getting arrested is not something new in Turkey” and would be a less effective tactic.

Governments across the Middle East are grappling with how to slow down climate change and cope with its impacts.

Officials are eager to demonstrate their countries can be effective stewards of the environment, despite their heavy reliance on fossil fuels.

Dubai, Muscat and Doha, for example, are developing low-carbon residential areas that aim to reduce emissions and serve as green living models.

Yet while all countries in the region are signatories to the 2015 Paris Agreement to tackle global warming, six states – Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Turkey and Yemen – have yet to ratify the international accord, meaning they are not legally bound by it.

Unal said there was a tendency in the region to blame other parts of the world, such as Europe and the United States, for causing climate change.

But, she added, “the climate crisis is a global problem and the solution should be global too”.

(Reporting by Adela Suliman @Adela_Suliman)

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[christinamac1]

UN warns on need for global action - treaty - as the world's oceans are in dire trouble

UN warns on need for global action – treaty – as the world’s oceans are in dire trouble

INTERVIEW-Ocean treaty needed to tackle ‘deep trouble’, says UN envoy,  http://news.trust.org/item/20190831063635-oygwk/, by Adela Suliman | @adela_suliman | Thomson Reuters Foundation, Saturday, 31 August 2019 The oceans are increasingly threatened by global warming, acidification and pollution, and the impacts will affect us all, warned the U.N. oceans envoy. By Adela Suliman

STOCKHOLM, Aug 31…

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/beirut-in-state-of-emergency-after-blast-as-death-toll-risesand-rescues-continue-nbc-news/

Beirut in state of emergency after blast as death toll rises and rescues continue - NBC News

A huge rescue operation and an international aid effort got underway Wednesday, less than 24 hours after much of Beirut was buried by rubble and choked by smoke in a colossal explosion Tuesday afternoon.

Lebanese health minister Hamad Hasan said 135 people have been killed and 5,000 injured in the explosion. Dozens of people are still missing.

Those figures look set to rise with hospitals overwhelmed and victims still trapped underneath debris.

“There is no word to describe the horror of the catastrophe that occurred in Beirut yesterday,” Lebanese President Michel Aoun said during an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Lebanese News Agency reported.

“I extend my heart and feelings to the families…and I ask God to heal the wounded, heal the broken hearts, and provide us with all the energy and determination to stand together to confront the painful burns that have scarred the face of Beirut.”

Aoun thanked emergency workers and officials and vowed to conduct a full investigation into the cause of the deadly blast, which is still not clear.

Debris litters the floor of the Lebanese Parliament in the central district of the capital Beirut on Wednesday in the aftermath of the explosion. ANWAR AMRO / AFP – Getty Images

The governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud, also said on Wednesday the cost of the damage to the capital, already under economic pressure, could be between $3 billion and $5 billion. The United Nations Children’s Fund said that more than 300,000 people had been displaced by the disaster.

The explosion occurred at a port warehouse near the city center where an estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate were being stored, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said. The blast had the same explosive power as 1,100 tons of TNT and registered a 3.3 magnitude earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Local broadcaster LBCI reported that the Lebanese cabinet announced a two-week state of emergency in Beirut and put all port officials under house arrest until they determine who was responsible.

“Those responsible will be held accountable whomever and wherever he is,” interior minister Mohammed Fahmi told reporters Wednesday, adding that the investigation will take a maximum of five days.

Many in Lebanon’s capital saw their apartments destroyed and family members injured as the city was brought to its knees, with daylight revealing scenes of destruction not witnessed in the country since its devastating civil war, which ended in 1990.

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Rescue workers were digging in the rubble, as plumes of smoke still rose above the city.

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“This is a catastrophe for Beirut and Lebanon,” Beirut Mayor Jamal Itani told Reuters while inspecting damage.

Lebanese army command asked city residents to evacuate areas surrounding the site of the explosion, where rescue operations were continuing.

Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics

Hasan, the health minister, said they are looking into putting field hospitals in place to treat the wounded quickly.

The deadly blast came as the Middle Eastern country was dealing with an unprecedented economic crisis that has seen its currency lose 80 percent of its value and unemployment spiral, with fed-up citizens frequently taking to the streets in protests this year. The country is also grappling with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Members of Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) help local medics carry a casualty in Beirut on Wednesday. IHH / via Reuters

Messages of support poured in from world leaders, heads of state and religious leaders, including the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II and the Pope.

Reflecting both the gravity of the disaster and France’s special relationship with its former protectorate, French President Emmanuel Macron said he will travel to Beirut on Thursday to offer a message of “fraternity and solidarity from the French.” He also said France was sending emergency assistance.

At least 21 French nationals were wounded in the explosion, the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

Egypt, Iran, Greece, Germany and Russia were among dozens of countries that have offered humanitarian and medical aid.

“We are witnessing a real catastrophe,” Prime Minister Diab told reporters, appealing for international aid and promising full accountability.

“This is the time for work,” he added on Wednesday, urging government ministers to strive for the country.

Diab said it was “unacceptable” that the ammonium nitrate had been in a warehouse for six years without “preventive measures” to protect it. The chemical compound, which is commercially available, is often used in fertilizers and explosives.

It is still not clear what exactly ignited the shipment, but the blast could be felt and heard throughout much of the city and as far as the nearby island of Cyprus — about 145 miles away.

An aerial view shows the massive damage done to Beirut port’s grain silos on Wednesday after a mega-blast tore through the harbor in the heart of the Lebanese capital.– / AFP – Getty Images

Images and videos were being feverishly circulated on social media with #PrayforLebanon trending on Wednesday, while the front pages of Lebanese newspapers depicted striking scenes of chaos and destruction.

At a White House briefing on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the explosion looked “like a terrible attack,” although he offered no evidence and said later that the conclusion was based on the presumptions of U.S. generals.

Speaking to the Aspen Security Forum about the blast, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Wednesday that “most believe it was an accident as reported, and beyond that [I] have nothing to report on that. It’s obviously a tragedy.”

Esper’s remarks, made via Zoom, were the Pentagon’s first official comments on the incident.

Asked about Esper’s comments during a coronavirus task force briefing Wednesday, Trump said he’d heard about the explosion “both ways.”

“It could have been an accident and it could have also been something that was very offensive and I wouldn’t be very happy with that,” he said.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Wednesday it was aware of at least one U.S. citizen killed, and several more injured, in the explosion.

“We offer our sincerest condolences to their loved ones and are working to provide the affected U.S. citizens and their families all possible consular assistance,” the spokesperson said. “We are working closely with local authorities to determine if any additional U.S. citizens were affected.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also spoke with Prime Minister Diab on Wednesday, expressing his condolences and offering assistance with the aftermath.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks.

Mustafa Kassem reported from Beirut, Charlene Gubash from Cairo, Adela Suliman and Yuliya Talmazan from London, and Tim Stelloh from California. Reuters contributed to this report.