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The Daily Edition

What Matters Most On Wednesday, August 5, 2020

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A picture shows destruction at Beirut port on August 5, 2020 in the aftermath of a massive explosion in the Lebanese capital. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)

Lebanese confront devastation after huge blast kills 100+, damages half Beirut

By Zeina Karam and Bassam Mroue

Anger grows at government mismanagement and fears mount over food supply and medical care, as residents search for scores of people still missing; over 4,000 injured

An injured man walks at the explosion scene that hit the seaport in Beirut, Lebanon, August 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Lebanese PM: 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate caused ‘disaster in every sense’

By Bachir El Khoury and Rouba El Husseini

A man stands in a damaged apartment as he looks out at the scene of a massive explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, August 5, 2020. (Hussein Malla/AP)

Israel media reviewAfter Beirut blast, Israel feels ripples: What the press is saying on August 5

By Joshua Davidovich

A drone picture shows the scene of an explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. (AP/Hussein Malla)

Mystery swirls around what caused ammonium nitrate to explode in Beirut

A Lebanese army helicopter drops water at the scene where an explosion hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, August 5, 2020. (Hussein Malla/AP)

Expert says ‘cheap pyrotechnics’ likely lit up ammonium nitrate in Beirut

By Jon Gambrell and Josef Federman

Illustrative: A man holds ammonium nitrate as he stands by a pile of the product, December 12, 2013, in Clifton, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)

Ammonium nitrate has caused many industrial accidents, but is hard to ignite

By AFP

Israelis wear protective face masks as they shop for food at the Carmel market in Tel Aviv on August 5, 2020. (Miriam Alster/FLASh90)

Live updates (closed)

Ministers said to ease weekend virus rules, back resumption of air travel

Coronavirus cabinet meeting reportedly sees Netanyahu clash with virus czar over lockdowns

7:49 pm

Lockdown averted for now, will be considered again in 2 weeks if virus spreads
7:14 pm

Ministers lift weekend virus rules, said to back more air travel by mid-August
6:22 pm

Thousands said to attend Hasidic wedding in Jerusalem in violation of virus rules

View of a fire that broke out at an oil refinery complex in Haifa, northern Israel, December 25, 2016. (Meir Vaaknin/Flash90)

Mayor of Haifa, home to oil, chemical facilities, warns of Beirut-style disaster

Officials in northern port city see blasts in Lebanese capital as ‘wake-up call,’ urge government to speed up efforts to move dangerous oil, petrochemical industries away from bay

An injured man waits for help at the scene of a massive explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, August 4, 2020. (Hussein Malla/AP)

As Beirut death toll rises, Lebanese PM vows to punish those behind huge blast

By Agencies and ToI Staff

A general view of the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut, on August 4, 2020 . (STR / AFP)

Dozens killed as massive blast rocks Beirut, causing widespread carnage

By Aaron Boxerman, ToI Staff and Agencies

A picture shows the scene of an explosion near the the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020. (by STR / AFP)

Analysis

‘Like Hiroshima or Nagasaki’: Pictures, videos show devastation across Beirut

Footage shows a huge mushroom cloud over Lebanon’s capital after explosions at port; photos record immense damage, injured being pulled from the wreckage

A destroyed silo at the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut, on August 4, 2020 (STR / AFP)

Israeli involvement in massive Beirut port blast ruled out by both sides

By Aaron Boxerman, ToI Staff and Agencies

US President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, August 4, 2020, in Washington.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump says US generals tell him Beirut blast was an ‘attack’

By AFP

People inspect their car, damaged in the previous day's massive explosion in the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, August 5, 2020. (AP/Bilal Hussein)

Israel’s offer of aid to Lebanon is normal, minister says, as some question help

Ex-Swedish PM gets an earful after appearing to express surprise at proposal, while some on right say Jerusalem shouldn’t be assisting enemy state; Lebanon doesn’t respond to offer

A medic tends to the injuries of a woman outside a hospital following an explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020. - Two huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, wounding thousands of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)

Israeli hospitals offer to take in injured from Beirut explosions

By ToI Staff and Agencies

Firefighter douse a blaze at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut, on August 4, 2020. (STR / AFP)

Israel offers humanitarian aid to Lebanon after Beirut explosions kill dozens

By ToI Staff and Agencies

Thousands of protesters chant slogans and hold signs during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu near his official residence in Jerusalem, August 1, 2020. (Oded Balilty/AP)

Majority of Israelis despondent about future of democracy here, survey shows

By Shoshanna Solomon

The danger to democracy looms larger than security threat, poll says; majority see Netanyahu’s handling of the coronavirus as ‘poor’ and most oppose new elections

As Netanyahu visits steak joint, supporter cries out ‘Death to leftists!’

Gantz said looking at pushing bill to ban Netanyahu from running in election

Police: Israeli woman who lives abroad behind Facebook threat against PM

Netflix series review

Renee Ghert-Zand

Netflix’s ‘Immigration Nation’ casts critical eye on US immigration enforcement

In 6-part series, Israeli-American filmmaker Shaul Schwarz gains unprecedented access to ICE and CBP operations, drawing ire of Trump administration

Al Pacino, left, and Logan Lerman are Jews out for revenge in Amazon Studios' 'Hunters.' (Christopher Saunders via JTA)

Amazon renews ‘Hunters,’ Al Pacino’s Nazi-hunting drama, for second season

To hug Grandma or not to hug Grandma?

If loving your grandparent these days means keeping a distance, it’s a valuable lesson to teach your kids

Martin Engelberg

How Europe can become a player in the Middle East

From an Austrian Member of Parliament: The EU could play a supporting role – recognizing Israeli concerns, and encouraging Palestinian compromise

Rachael Wurtman

Chasing a pink balloon

No one chooses to become resilient. You never want to hear ’I don’t know how you managed.’ But I did. I learned how from my daughter

She had a greater impact on women’s heart health than any doctor

Philanthropist Irene Pollin transformed her personal anguish into a lifelong dedication to disease prevention, wellness and well-being

Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat of California, talks to reporters in a basement corridor at the Capitol in Washington, January 4, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Exclusive

Liberal Jewish groups warn against hawkish pick for House Foreign Affairs post

By Eric Cortellessa

Five organizations, including J Street and Americans for Peace Now, send letter to House panel laying out criteria for who should replace Eliot Engel as chair

Illustrative: An activist with Tag Meir, an Israeli group funded by the New Israel Fund, hands out flowers on a day to counter racism in Jerusalem on June 1, 2019. (NIF/Yossi Zamir via JTA)

Activist targets New Israel Fund for ‘electioneering’ via anti-racism groups

From left: Sen. Jacky Rosen, "Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander and Rep. Adam Schiff. (Getty Images via JTA)

At Biden fundraiser, top Dems and Jason Alexander bash Trump, and get personal

A woman has her temperature checked in Tel Aviv on August 4, 2020. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Ministers to meet on removing weekend virus restrictions as death toll climbs

Coronavirus cabinet also expected to discuss plan by new coronavirus czar to give some cities more freedom to set their own pandemic regulations

Israel said preparing to block Rosh Hashanah travel to Ukraine pilgrimage site

By ToI Staff and JTA

Netanyahu said offering NIS 400m for ultra-Orthodox yeshivas amid election talk

Knesset rejects bill to probe PM’s role in submarine case; Blue and White absent

Jokes about Jewish life keep Joel Chasnoff’s audiences laughing. (courtesy)

ToI Podcast Interview

LISTEN: For pandemic, a stand-up comedian Zooms in to inject the best medicine

More Headlines

Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi speaks at a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, June 10, 2020. (Foreign Ministry/courtesy)

Foreign minister: Annexation ‘right now not on the agenda, everyone’s busy’

By Raphael Ahren

Yamina leader Naftali Bennett during a visit in downtown Jerusalem on August 5, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

High Court override bill swatted down in Knesset as Likud skips vote

Illustrative: Two women sit in a bar in Manchester, Britain, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

44% of UK Muslims back anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, poll finds

By Robert Philpot

A puppy mill in the northern city of Haifa run by a resident of the northern Druze village of Usafiya. (Ministry of Agriculture, as presented to the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, August 3, 2020)

Puppy mills selling ‘tens of thousands’ of dogs each year, Knesset hears

Illustrative: Donald Trump points at World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder after meeting at Mar-a_Lago, on December 28, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Yo, CaucasianIs Trump greeting Jews or trying to say Yosemite?

New immigrants from France at Ben Gurion Airport on August 3, 2020. (Olivier Fitoussi/International Fellowship of Christians and Jews)

140 new immigrants from France touch down in Israel

US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on August 3, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP)

Trump downplays virus deaths, says US doing well ‘in numerous categories’

By ToI Staff and AFP

A volunteer wearing protective gear to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus checks temperature of a worshiper as she enters the mosque of Tehran University to pray during Arafat Day, Iran, July 30, 2020. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Iran records most single-day COVID-19 cases in nearly two months

By AFP

University students attend a protest inside Tehran University while a smoke grenade is thrown by anti-riot Iranian police, in Tehran, Iran, December 30, 2017. (AP Photo)

Iran executes man who killed Revolutionary Guard member in 2017-18 unrest

By AFP

Stephan Ernst, who is accused of murdering politician Walter Luebcke, takes off his face mask at his trial at the Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt courthouse, in Frankfurt, Germany August 5, 2020. (KAI PFAFFENBACH / POOL / AFP)

German neo-Nazi on trial admits to murdering politician

By Annalena DÖRNER

Kansas Chiefs running back Larry Johnson carries the ball during the game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, October 4, 2009. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images via JTA)

Larry Johnson, former NFL running back, tweets Jews involved in cabal of evil

By JTA and ToI Staff

A man with a syringe used to inject heroin (iStock)

Israeli prof blazes trail to help heroin overdosers, says anyone can save a life

By Nathan Jeffay

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July	August 2020					September
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10	11	12	13	14	15	16
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