A thick plume of smoke billows as motorists drive their vehicles along a highway near the source of an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port. AFP
A thick plume of smoke billows as motorists drive their vehicles along a highway near the source of an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port. AFP
A thick plume of smoke billows as motorists drive their vehicles along a highway near the source of an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port. AFP
A thick plume of smoke billows as motorists drive their vehicles along a highway near the source of an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port. AFP

Iran’s five worst tragedies in the past decade


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Hundreds of people are feared to have been killed or injured by an explosion in a port city in southern Iran on Saturday.

The incident at Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas happened when several containers blew up for reasons that are unclear.

Over the past decade, Iran has been shaken by a series of deadly disasters, attacks, and industrial accidents.

Here are five events that left hundreds of civilians dead or injured and reshaped Iran's approach to security:

Kermanshah earthquake

In one of the deadliest earthquakes in Iran's modern history, a magnitude 7.3 shock struck close to the Iran-Iraq border in November 2017, killing at least 402 people and injuring thousands.

An Iranian girl looks through a salvaged mirror from a damaged building in the western Kermanshah province. AFP
An Iranian girl looks through a salvaged mirror from a damaged building in the western Kermanshah province. AFP

Entire villages in Kermanshah province were flattened. Authorities declared three days of national mourning. The disaster revealed the country's vulnerability to seismic risks despite improved building codes after past earthquakes.

“It was as if the earth itself had attacked us,” a survivor in Sarpol-e Zahab told Iranian state TV.

Kerman twin suicide bombings

A pair of suicide bombers targeted a memorial ceremony for Gen Qassem Suleimani in Kerman in January last year, killing at least 84 and injuring 284 more

ISIS claimed responsibility. It was Iran’s deadliest terrorist attack in years.

“We never expected such horror at a place of mourning,” an official said, according to state media.

Nationwide floods

In 2019, unusually heavy rainfall across March and April led to heavy flooding in 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces.

Official figures stated at least 76 deaths, but the humanitarian impact was far wider, with thousands displaced and entire towns cut off.

Floodwaters hit the city of Khorramabad in the western province of Lorestan. AP
Floodwaters hit the city of Khorramabad in the western province of Lorestan. AP

Emergency services were overwhelmed, and the damage was estimated at several billion dollars.

“Iran faced one of its most serious natural disasters in decades,” the interior minister said at the time.

Ahvaz military parade attack

Gunmen disguised as soldiers opened fire during a military parade in Ahvaz in September 2018, killing 25 people, including women and children.

The attack targeted civilians and military personnel alike. Iranian officials blamed Arab separatists, while ISIS also claimed the attack.

The event deeply shocked Iran, particularly given the symbolic significance of the parade commemorating the Iran-Iraq War.

“This was not just an attack on soldiers, it was an attack on the Iranian people,” a senior commander told state media.

Bandar Abbas port explosion

A major explosion rocked Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, injuring hundreds of people. Many others are feared dead.

The blast, believed to have originated in hazardous goods stored at the port, raised concerns about industrial safety standards in one of Iran’s economic hubs.

The blast shattered windows within a radius of several kilometres, Iranian media said, with footage shared online showing a large cloud of smoke rising into the air following the explosion.

“We must investigate fully to ensure such an incident never happens again,” an Iranian maritime official stated, according to state media.

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Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

MATCH INFO

Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)

Manchester United 0

Arctic Monkeys

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RESULTS
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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The specs
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  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
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Without Remorse

Directed by: Stefano Sollima

Starring: Michael B Jordan

4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

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Gorillaz 
The Now Now 

Champions League Last 16

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Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA) 

Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG) 

Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)  

What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

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Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

The Transfiguration

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Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine

Three stars

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Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

 

 

Sri Lanka v England

First Test, at Galle
England won by 211

Second Test, at Kandy
England won by 57 runs

Third Test, at Colombo
From Nov 23-27

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (All UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (11.30pm)

Saturday

Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (6.30pm)

SC Paderborn v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Monchengladbach (9.30pm)

Sunday

Cologne v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

Mainz v FC Schalke (9pm)

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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Rating: 1/5

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Director:Jason Orley

Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day

Rating:4/5

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Rating: 3/5

Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro

Writers: Walter Mosley

Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.

HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.

Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

MATCH RESULT

Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira:
Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')

Company profile

Company: Rent Your Wardrobe 

Date started: May 2021 

Founder: Mamta Arora 

Based: Dubai 

Sector: Clothes rental subscription 

Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded 

RESULTS

1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner AF Almomayaz, Hugo Lebouc (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)

2pm Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner Karaginsky, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Sadeedd, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.

3pm Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,950m

Winner Blue Sovereign, Clement Lecoeuvre, Erwan Charpy.

3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m

Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

4pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Bladesmith, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m

Winner Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.

Updated: April 26, 2025, 12:18 PM`