Explosion in South Lebanon injures French UNIFIL soldiers

Six French soldiers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were wounded in a blast targeting two vehicles belonging to the French Battalion in the southern coastal city of Sidon. According to a witness, the bomb was planted on the side of the road and detonated by remote control. (more…)

Cyprus Navy chief killed by Iranian munitions blast

The head of Cyprus’ navy, Andreas Ioannides, was among 12 people killed when seized containers of gunpowder exploded its main base.

The commander of the Evangelos Florakis base, Lambros Lambrou, also died. (more…)

7 killed in an explosion at a gas station in Beirut

An explosion of the diesel storage tank at a gas station near Fiat Bridge in Beirut’s Corniche an-Nahr neighborhood resulted in the killing of 7 people and in the injuring of several people, according to local reports (more…)

Gibraltar explosion injures 12 cruise passengers

Twelve cruise ship passengers have been injured in an explosion and fire at the port of the British territory of Gibraltar, its government says.

The guests, who received minor injuries, were treated on board the Independence of the Seas, the cruise company Royal Caribbean said. (more…)

Iranian refinery explosion kills 2 , injures 22

At least two people were killed Tuesday in a refinery explosion caused by gas leak in the southern Iranian port city of Abadan during a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the local satellite Press TV reported.

An earlier report by local Mehr news agency said 22 staff of the refinery were also injured. (more…)

Morocco counts cost of bombing at tourist hotspot

Morocco was counting the cost to its vital tourism industry on Friday from an explosion at a busy Marrakesh cafe that killed 15 people in an attack described by the government as a terrorist act. (more…)

Japan nuclear plant rocked by another explosion

A hydrogen explosion Tuesday morning destroyed the outer building of a quake-damaged Unit 2 nuclear reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant. Engineers had been struggling overnight to cool the nuclear core and stave off a meltdown that could release radioactivity over a wide area. It was the third reactor at the site whose external structure had been damaged by such an explosion. (more…)

Strong tremor felt in Tokyo, report

A STRONG offshore earthquake has struck 150 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, shaking tall buildings in Japan’s capital, but authorities did not issue a tsunami alert. (more…)

Tokyo Shares Fall 5.2 % in first Opening Since Earthquake

Tokyo shares fell 5.2 percent on Monday in their first opening since Friday, when Japan was struck by the biggest earthquake in its history and a devastating tsunami. (more…)

Japan will face extraordinary health challenges after tsunami

After the surging ocean waters spawned by Japan’s magnitude 8.9 earthquake receded, the drowned were only the first victims to be counted. (more…)