A hilltop runway at least 18 people are killed as it splits into pieces. Fears for close knit communities the challenges facing Papua New Guinea as it starts to feel the affects of coronavirus. And. Becomes the 1st player from china to lead a golf major at the halfway stage of the p. G. A. Championship. Clean up of lebanons damaged capital could soon give way to a new show of anger a mass protest against the government and the ruling political classes is due to begin in the center of beirut in just a few hours time search teams are still looking for 60 people reportedly missing after tuesdays port blast which killed 157. 00 people and injured now we know 6000. 00 its thought there are still people buried under tons of. Rubble the blast was so powerful it damaged buildings kilometers away leaving 300000 people homeless the residents of beirut are still working to clean up the area and there is anger at the governments response aid is coming in from around the world and france will host a Donor Conference on sunday with World Leaders including the u. S. President donald trump he will attend via video link joining us now is Bernard Smith correspondent so bernard whats the latest on the recovery and the cleanup operation. Or peter there are still hopes that there are some people possibly alive under the rubble over my shoulder there is the silo the grain silo the explosions on the other side of that its possible rescuers say that there might be some people trapped in a pocket underneath so we know theres a search operation going on over there im actually speaking to you from the Naval Dockyard and this side of beirut was essentially protected from the worst of the blast by that silo but if you look at the beirut skyline it might but every building you see along there every skyscraper you see along there youd be lucky to find warm intact pane of glass the destruction is total along there when or 3 kilometers inside inside lebanon inside beirut so there is a search operation still ongoing and a massive cleanup operation and of course that is going to take a very long time not weeks not one months but years peter and as far as the investigation is concerned thats going on in beirut over your shoulder but its also going on under the water line literally in the sea there. Yes because they have to one of the boats that was involved was. Float was knocked over by the force of the blast so there is a search going on all around not just on land but around in the water as well and as part of that investigation of course 19 people have been arrested and that includes the head of customs in beirut but the challenge for investigators is this when you get to that level of war foresty everyone who has a job like that has got the job because of who they know and this is going to be the problem of the investigation in beirut there will be attempts to pass on blame and people are trying to use their contacts to make sure that the blame doesnt fall on them its why emanuel macron and others have called for an International Investigation but its why people in beirut certainly suggest that the lebanese president has resisted the idea of an International Investigation he wants the lebanese to do it but many people weve been speaking to in beirut do not trust the government to investigate itself stay close will come back to you in the next hour or so im sure in the meantime thank you very much ben smith our correspondent there in beirut well its estimated the blast caused 10. 00 to 15000000000. 00 worth of damage in an already bankrupt country with rising unemployment and poverty many are worried about their survival human agencies are warning the explosion could cause a humanitarian crisis save the children says half a 1000000 young people were already going hungry in the area of beirut and around beirut the World Food Program is increasing its efforts to alleviate concerns by half the population about not having enough to eat the pandemics cause prices a staple products to double on top of that lebanon is looking after one and a half 1000000 Syrian Refugees plus another 300000 from palestine most of them struggle to make ends meet long before the latest disaster hit beirut. So he is executive manager of the Lebanese Food Bank she joins us on skype from beirut so how is a to what is the key priority when it comes to making sure the people are ok from this state forward. Today will have a lot of problems were facing other than the explosion that happened here in the oven and we have the covered 19 and the day the big problem for the volunteers on the ground working we we know that everyone is want to help but there is the there is the Economic Situation that is facing us that the covered 19 plus this miserable explosion that happened here in lebanon were trying as much as we can to help. In this so many ways deeper that they lost their homes they lost even people that lost their lives were trying our best. To have them with food to make sure that this basic need is supported by for everyone how much aid has the city received and how much aid do you actually need. As you know with a lot of the nations from all around the world. Lebanese people inside levanon outside never known abroad. Only old country is offensive with lebanon and send. I am receiving corps protocols from all a countries that are sending a plane for the do with food a food items diaper is meant for babies everything that the any family needs to survive but the thing is we need support to tea but. We need to mentor we need glasses we need an opinion we need everything good things that to me that should be provided for everyone to go back to their houses safely with their doors with their wooden those. Xcept as i mentioned before there is a lot of donations food donations would trying to do our best to make to cover these. These needs are working on short term projects and long term. We are in august and i know i would be in winter season and all this people should go back to their houses safely so i think they can live a proper conditions so they can continue their life be rationed so. Is it happening because of the gulf or is it happening despite the government. Unfortunately not. Receiving. Today. Always and you always are defeating health from everyone from all around the world as i mentioned. Because. Everyone doesnt trust the government not. Its not since its nothing to problem that acute today is the problem but very few years ago its not its not the future have been with us since they see is and we are still. Living in this problem that the government has caused so the saying is over the nations that if by the lebanese population are because of the people because of the and you working on the ground in the absence of the government ok we must leave it there so hes a true thank you very much for joining us from beirut thank you. Lots more still to come for you here on the news hour including the u. S. Speaks out in support of a former saudi intelligence agent at the center of an alleged assassination plot by the crown prince. Help but last but kenyans have lost their livelihoods because of coronavirus question of why its taken so long. Manchester city advance to the Champions League quarterfinals peter well tell you how they did it in the sports bulletin in about 30 minutes. The Chinese Government is vowing it wont be intimidated by the u. S. Imposing new sanctions on the leadership of Hong Kong Chinas top representatives says the sanctions are ridiculous quotes cloning actions chief executive carol lam and the current and former Police Chiefs are among 11 officials whose u. S. Assets are being frozen that follows President Donald Trump stripping hong kong of its special status last month the territories government says the sanctions are shameless and despicable representing blatant and barbaric interference in chinas internal affairs now the rhetoric follows International Condemnation of china for imposing a new National Security law in hong kong which critics say ends democracy there. From hong kong secretary for commerce and Economic Development saying the measures will put a strain on u. S. Hong kong relations. On the hong kong is the reasonable up area and i think the long run it will inflict ruin to us u. S. Interest income to as you have seen well i dont fight any sort of reason for this blatant if youre in. A fast 5 own country i dont think this is necessary or a civilized manner to do so and looking at the wide interest between hong kong and us such imposition of a reasonable set of measures would send a very wrong signal to u. S. Investment in hong kong and i think ultimately i think that the toll will get back to us and of course it will definitely hurt us relations. Said oclock our correspondent says live for us here on the news hour in hong kong so sara whats been the response from the government there. Well looking into the 1st to respond it was actually beijings top official in hong kong he was the 1st to condemn these sanctions you mentioned some of the quotes mentioned by him in a statement earlier he also said it reveals the unscrupulous intentions of the american politicians to support anti chinese coyotes and the likes of hong kong as you mention he declared it ridiculous and said that he has no assets in the United States and therefore it was a waste of time and effort on behalf of President Trump and with regards to the governments i carried am released a statement long after this she said its shameless and despicable unreasonable and savage a blatant interference in hong kongs domestic and Political Affairs and she also noted on her Facebook Page that she still has a valid u. S. Visa but she said she will voluntarily give up that these are now we talked to you heard it would yeah heres the commerce and Economic Development secretary he looked at the financial implications that the senate this sanctions will send the wrong signal for u. S. Investors in hong kong so the National Security law it was introduced in july 1st in spain as you mentioned International Condemnation from another number of countries including the United States u. K. And australia and clearly the United States is following up on this and of course its ongoing condemnation of these laws saying its gagging the critics gagging political dissidents and of course its undermining the one country 2 systems policy but curry lamb is ongoing her defense has been constant saying their constitutional law full and reasonable and its crucial to restore order in a city thats been rocked by months of protests over the last year or so in theory how damaging of these sanctions. Well looking at the implications of the city the financial repercussions the whole can government hasnt ruled out reciprocating no sanctions on American Companies or individuals operating here this could still happen and has happened with this tit for tat kind of scenario with regards to hong kong was that china and the us in the American Chamber of commerce is noted that there are about 1200 u. S. Companies operating here in hong kong and about a 100 of them they regional or the the my headquarters of the head offices based here the American Chamber of commerce has in the past expressed concern about a number of Companies Already packing up for fear of working with or working under these new National Security laws some companies my ceased to exist as a result but clearly these sections of the be introduced by the u. S. Of the last 24 hours its a study of dramatic escalation in the tensions between not just china and the United States but now hong kong and the United States as well ok sara thanks for that sarah clarke our correspondent there reporting live for us this out of hong kong with us to share some of the latest live coming to us out of kabul the Afghan Capital the loya jirgah into its 2nd day of meeting with showing those pictures because the loya jirga which is the countrys highest consultative body has now recommended we understand that the government do release 400. 00 taliban prisoners but it says they should only be freed if they promise not to return to fighting we understand its not technically up to the president ashraf ghani to make the final decision we think that could come as early as sunday an agreement between the United States and taliban negotiators in february here in trance are in the Country Capital doha called for 5000 taliban prisoners to be released as a precondition for talks direct talks between the armed group the taliban and the government in kabul that story still developing as soon as we get you more details well bring it to you live here on to on the news hour lets go back to that. Laurie that we were just discussing with sarah clarke sanctions being imposed on 11 people who work for the government the legislature in hong kong lets bring in professor steve young hes director of the China Institute at so us in the university of london he joins us from nottingham in the u. K. Steve thanks for talking to us welcome back to the news are these sanctions how much impact coming have not so much on the individuals but on the political process of hong kong itself. Probably not very much in the immediate term each Chinese Government would be very deterministic sure that even half of the u. S. Sanctions would be minimal minimized or indeed to be presented as minimal in terms of its impact so i dont even think would be changing their policy anytime soon so is this all about symbolism. It is mainly about symbolism but this symbolisms dust matter and he still is true no country spalling the us example now carry a lamp example is a u. K. Citizen and her husband i think lives in london a long term so we have United Kingdom should be in polish similar sanctions on her then you will really hurt her case i dont mean that much in terms of the us meester ok when we talk about the imposition of these sanctions by the trumpet ministration is this the trumpet ministration implicitly accepting what some countries around the world have never really got to grips with and its the chinese its the beijing attitude towards hong kong which even pretty 97. 00 their attitude kind of off the radar almost but their attitude always was look hong kong is china it is part of china and it has always been and it will always be part of china. I think we have to separate 2 things one is that assume say the Chinese Government even before shipping have always taken the route that hong kong is part of china and ultimately they will do whatever they want in hong kong but having said that the Chinese Government before she jim bring me a commitment and they largely all know that commitment is to allow hong kong to enjoy a high degree of autonomy now that has changed with the passing of the National Security law in hong kong so we are genuinely seeing a major change in hong kong. The practice of hong kong i suspect will minister give region for over 20 minutes are you anticipating a tit for tat reaction and if you are what do you think it might be i think the chinese response will be. Worse in the backing dent in the fighting because ultimately if they sanctions the u. S. Companies or us if we choose although hong kong they are not they will end up being. Hong kongs economy we need to be able to continue to engage with the outside world including the United States so i dont think theyre likely to inflict stepped level damage on themselves but they might try to include specific us politicians and say that they would not now be welcomed in ok well leave it there steve in nottingham in the u. K. Many thanks. The u. S. State department has spoken in support of a former top saudi intelligence agent who was reportedly targeted in the foil attempted assassination it describes saad our job as a valued partner filed a lawsuit in washington on thursday accusing the Saudi Crown Prince mohammed bin solomon of sending a hit squad to canada to try to kill him mike hanna has more on Patrick Leahy was one of 4 senators who sent a letter to the white house last month in the letter the senators express their concern about what they call the abduction in saudi arabia of sardar jobbery son and daughter. In his court filing our job re said his children now aged 20 and 21 were being held as what he called human bait to lure him out of hiding the state department has now responded to the senators concerns in a letter to senator leahy it describes jobbery as a valued partner to the u. S. Government working closely with the u. S. To ensure the safety of americans and saudis it also states that any persecution of family members is unacceptable adding that it has made repeated requests to the saudi government about the status of his son and daughter. He was an adviser to the previous crown Prince Mohammed bin nayef here but in his court filing he says he left saudi arabia because he feared what would happen if and when muhammad been summoned took over the state Department Says its concerned about the alleged activities that resulted in exile