This is all just hear these the top stories are you and way, but allowing Afghan Taliban officials to travel abroad has expired because the Security Council couldnt agree on what to do with it. Fell upon leaders who been subject to a travel band since 2011, but an exception had been granted to 13 of them. So they could attend piece talks. A rush as president has agreed to allow inspectors from the yearns Nuclear Watchdog into a plan to zap alicia and ukraine. Thats according to the office of the french president manual. My call is said to raise the issue with president putin during a phone call and friday. There are fears the could be a Nuclear Catastrophe as moscow and keep trade blame over shelling nearby. What is true is that the feed demilitarize, as we propose the plant, the problem will be solved. And obviously, the electricity from the 40s here is ukrainian electricity. And its necessary, especially during the winter ford of ukrainian people. And these principle must be fully respected. Health officials in somalia say at least 10 people have been killed and an attack on a cartel and the capital. Mogadishu. Witnesses say there would at least 3 explosions before the attackers stormed the building. At least a dozen people have been injured. The hotels used by Somali Government officials, mexicos former attorney general, has been arrested in connection with the investigation into 43 students who went missing in 2014. Hey seuss murray, or led the highly criticized inquiry. Hes now accused of being involved in the torture and forced disappearances of suspects and obstruction of justice. Ages longest over the young c is shrinking in the face of a record breaking hed wave in southern china. The high temperatures have lasted more than 2 months and forecast to say the drive could continue into september. Followers of iraqi shiite leader mocked out al sadi, have been protesting in baghdad. Green zone may been demonstrating outside parliament for 3 weeks, refusing to allow politicians into the building. Knows the headlines. The use continues here on al jazeera in about 25 minutes time after war hotels, goodbye. Ah, 2 years held captive by i saw a life altering experience for any victim more so when 2 years is half of your life time, a 4 year old, your cd boys struggles to recover from the trauma of abuse and the witnessing of unspeakable atrocities. I met childhood a witness documentary on a just either. Ready ah, the Commodore Hotel was safe and then you went out into a very grave civil war. Another commodore. Theres a marvellous javier with, if a commodore hadnt been there, li israeli invasion would not have been so well report. I it was a great new center and overall, was this godfather of the journalist is of no sound. The next room i was in was underground in a tiny, filthy, dirty prison cell, basically, as a hostage. Ah to ah, she welcome to 19 sixtys bay route for several decades. This cosmopolitan city attracted International Jets centers who could get from the ski slopes to the beach in no time. The Hotel District was at the hall to bit to luxury tourism economy. And in its heyday, hotels light the st. George, the funny. Sure. On the holiday inn were full of wealthy tourists, business men, journalists, diplomats, and the occasional spy. Travelers on a tight budget stayed at hotels like the commodore. And in the mid 19 seventys, it became a host to the worlds media when the lebanese civil war erupted. In 1970, a young arab millionaire, yusef nozzle took the Commodore Hotel on a 20 year lease from the co. 80 royal family nozzle was a leading investor in the Hotel Industry in the region and responsible for attracting thousands of tourists to lebanon. Mohammed sha borrow, worked with in his al, in ticketing, and still runs a travel agency near the commodore with the same name. But that by law say joseph lazar refundable commodore lamb. What are those of ane ballot can at my bacon lithia and my thought of saint joseph, missouri lay, stature, a thunder mel, capital funding, atlantic that decalogue or can now affect the telephone either for, for happens that europe. But the luxury bay route lifestyle of skill, the gap between rich and poor, that was white and all the time. The International Press used by root as a barometer of what was happening in the middle east. And one of the foreign correspondents who predicted the violence in lebanon was i t, v. s, jonathan demme, bobby, i 1st went to lebanon in 1972, as a young reporter. And i wanted to see whether something was happening there or not. I stayed in what was then relatively modest hotel called the Commodore Hotel. The overall impression was some, some, some society which was held together by a rather loose series of ropes. I didnt take much for that to chatham. Ah, the 13th of april, 1975, mount to the official start of the civil war. It was a proxy conflict full during the cold war. On one side, Lebanese Christian right wing parties backed by the u. S. Wanted to end the armed palestinian presence in lebanon on the other one muslim left wing parties allied with the p aloe and backed by the soviet union. They saw the right wing christians, a simply an extension of israeli and american influence in the country. When the war broke out, an army of foreign journalists headed to bay route, including the former bbc, middle east correspondent, tim lewellen. All of whom wanted a safe place to stay. In november 1975, i was taking what turned out to be one of the last m. E. A flights into bay route from london, which was virtually empty except for a few journalists and use of nas owl, who i didnt know. But of course, wisdom, it was to turn out that he was the manager of the commodore her toe. So he drew me, he took out a piece of paper and a pen. And he drew from me various sections of beirut who controlled what were you could go safely. I said the use of what we needed was a bass the next time i went to be rude. Years of had created this fantastic hotel in the space of a few weeks. The commodore had become that journalistic centre. Ah 1975 and 76, with the fiercest, 2 years of the civil war. With sectarian killings, massive destruction, and the division of bay root into the christian east. And muslim west the former times correspondent robert fisk decided to base himself permanently in beirut in 1976. So when i came to barrett, i already knew the city, but i knew it before. When i went down town here, i could not believe they the extraordinary destruction. I mean it takes it, you can destroy a city very quickly. Its an awful long time to rebuild it. Mm. I occasionally went to the commodore with a piece draft just to have lunch, sometimes of me, other journalists, but i didnt stay there. I didnt like it very much when i i thought it was another city hotel with extraordinary high prices. The Commodore Hotel was safe. And so you could be there. And it was quite bizarre, really. You could be in this little safe enclave. And then you went out into a very grave civil war. Ah, under ye sickness, owls management, the bay route commodore became a Global Center for news and information or uses. And as i was a young man then, and he seemed to have an extraordinary, uncanny ability to know what journalists wanted. And he realized quickly and brilliantly, that the journalist would need 1st of all, above all, good communications, what the commodore had and what nowhere else had was communications. And you know, if a journalist has a story and he cant send it, he might as well go home. And you had 3 working to alex machines and they could get to call to london. Use his bazaar started by using lines and telex machines from his private business in bay routes london, a man in cyprus. But his reported demands grew. He had to get hold of extra lines at any cost, as to select kenneth by the only villa villa. Saint joseph. Not the amount of the salon lamar. A moderate. Ill buried all a minute or 2. Bobby, about myself was russellville, matilda, his eloquence, a half again. You are fool before had they a mother or a 3rd one. Ah, sharika i am. As the rule spread, the malicious to control of different neighborhoods. The challenge for the commodore was to keep the hotel safe for its media guests. I was there on one occasion when we were down in the bah. And suddenly there was a fantastic noise of gunfire from inside the hotel, every one ducked dot america. Everyone was on the floor and the, the burr like that stopped silence. The only sound was of the parrot, which had a peculiar position on the edge of the bar. And the parrot, i talked quite freely while everyone else sang which made you half in when youre in. When youre frightened, if you wanted to laugh it awakes. This funny squawking parrot was going on talking the african pirates name was cocoa and his party tricks became legendary. This pirate used to do various things. It could do the opening notes of beethovens 5th symphony and various other things. But it, sir, is p as to resist sauce was to imitate an incoming show. Ah, on the 6th of june, 1982, israel invaded lebanon. Israel claimed they wanted to take out the pillows, Rocket Launcher positions. But there was more than that to the israeli action. These railey siege of bay root was one of the bloodiest episodes of the whole, sorry conflict. The destruction was enormous. And 20000 lebanese and palestinians were killed and nearly 50000 doing did. Amid the may him, the Commodore Hotel became the de facto ministry of information. Lebanese photojournalist ramsey, hyder was that the commodore during the israeli invasion, Going Forward on the road the lead to man. But. Busy busy but the miss, im to pass on about im to pass on sooner, but not to do. But initially i didnt with well as a city iowa, but its about 11 get there, but we should be, well have in the early days of the is really invasion of lebanon uselessness. Our stop power, large amounts of fuel, food and cash. Millions of dollars. He said enough for the Hotel Residence and stuff for the months to come out. Also lent journalists money can visual, allowing me my name and casual my of the you know for the, for the in the muscle for chaffey you thought of the say do system as it humble in my 31. We are few on cash money not annoyed. Flows better than life for the commodore base journalists during the invasion was tough. West bay root was under siege with constant israeli air raids and reportedly indiscriminate. Shelly, but they told the real story i think the barret cj, as i said, was a big eye opener for many correspondence to only eaten the israeli story. But until then. And they were able, at 1st hand, when they went out to see the suffering of lebanese and palestinians. And they really went off to a story very, very hot, very hard and harshly. And well, i think at that stage though, if, if a commodore hadnt been there, the israeli invasion would not have been so well reported. And you can thank the commodore and away for this and the people in it under use of net. So i think the are these readies had at that stage in the early eightys, the worst press theyve ever had before or since the 70 day israeli c. Jervey root was lifted on the 21st of august, 1982, and the p alo pulled out of lebanon. There were immediate president ial elections, and the leader of the right wing christian felon jests. But she had yamil, who had supported the israeli incursion, became the president elect of lebanese. But j mile never took office. He was assassinated 23 days later. For the following 3 days, the 16th 17th and 18th of september, 1982 christian malicious supported by israel took part in a massacre that the Palestinian Refugee camps of sabra and shatila when news of the massacre reached the Commodore Hotel on the 18th, dozens of local and foreign journalists headed straight to the southern bay route suburb. Robert fisk was one of the 1st to enter the palestinian camps. Ive never before had to walk and carpets of dead bodies in my life. And the smell was appalling. And we went on the sunday morning when the co times of finance was still there. Murderous was still still in the camp. The 2nd near amana a messenger who must have published a few them did come a boat. Well, do you dub . I can be neighbor commodore in who i live on the modem. Is that what that one . I kind of thought i saw it as long. Gwendolen bode a snit was the sub rush at dba. Mutton, we will marcus the gym on a soft e again. You said that. Busy the national hubbub ah, the sabra unsure to la messages. So the 2000 palestinian and lebanese civilians killed. I started writing and writing writing. I. Unfortunately the times didnt come out on sunday, so i had to wait for the next days paper. But i got all the story, i got it. All news of the 18th of september massacres shocked the world and the International Coverage angered the israelis and the story that there was organizations the same day. They arrested usa from the zone and took into their bass at the saint george hotel. The journalist became extremely angry. The french timidly french organized a petition, a signed petition, and took it down to the israeli commander, demanding that theres of miss, i will be released. Yes, i was so surprised he was arrested because they realized this was a Communication Center and they didnt want it to operate. I think the purpose of arresting yoseph while to close down the comment of 8 years into the fighting. On the night of the 13th of august, 1983. The commodore took a direct hit, chattering its eastern side. Cafe awesome. When the month ill shut a. I la barrel men dont little us a fan on refundable a lot that thou water film with a lot of his a feels about a thing of the some a how fina gera or thought lemon law. You wrote of 2 neil and inexperienced reporters were sometimes unable to handle the route and use if nozzles Office Sometimes doubled as a psychiatric unit. As the israeli withdrawal continued into 1983 lebanese militias immediately filled that vacuum and fight for control region by region. The commodore had continued as an international news. Hum. Phillipe below worked as a cameraman for c, b. C. And took these photos of life inside the hotel at that time. But in 1984, a new development in the conflict upset that life even mo kidnapping. The commodore and so i think was beginning to lose at subtraction as a journalistic enterprise. Around the time of the mid 19 eighties. Around the time and the kid mapping. I think the fear of kidnapping started around 84. 00. I was maternity kidnapping on me in my them curious street very close to accommodate i still remember that was the 1st time i started getting really frightened. And then of course not them afterwards. Terry anderson was kidnapped, longest held hostage was 7 years. And then we all realize we were in trouble me. Terry edison was the Senior Associated press correspondent on the 16th of january, 1985. He was kidnapped on his way to the Commodore Hotel. 3 years into his detention. His kidnappers released the photo of him wearing a Commodore Hotel t shirt designed by yusef and his owl for his journalist guests. Anderson was the 1st journalist to be kidnapped in beirut. Would be the last to be released in 1991. Several different groups carried out the hostage taking but the most prominent was islamic jihad. So i wouldnt advise any foreigners to stay here the moment while the situation so dangerous. In november, 1985, such the special envoy to the british archbishop of Canterbury Terry weight arrived in lebanon and it goes ca hostage releases. He stayed at the riviera hotel, but often went to the commodore to meet journalists. On the 21st of november, fighting known as the battle of the flag between different left wing allied lebanese militia controlling west bay root reach. The Commodore Hotel cherry weight was trapped inside with dozens of local and foreign journalists, including ramsey hyde, can. Will you wait for half . Oh, we caught ma sofie ballasa market. Consider i heard who would allow over lava will i shed up in oklahoma . I lemme company. Go back to white glove or you can set it up with id regarding the sierra mirror. No, it would be a good a cost was in the oh, the gen names when you saw the reserves and polar ballasa play ramsey hide of photograph these images of journalists pulling the mans body out of sniper range. Then moving it into the back of a call. That image encapsulates the horror of events outside the Commodore Hotel that night. Terry wait, stayed at the commodore and these rare pictures show him making fun. Colds in the hotel lobby, negotiations for the release of hostages had so far failed, and the kidnapping continued. On the 16th of march 1986, like the british journalist John Mccarthy arrived in beirut as w t. N bureau chief. It was his 1st assignment to a war zone. He checked in to the commodore opposite w t. N. s office is excited to be staying at the now legendary hotel. I think i had a rather romantic view of what the commodore would be like. Um, i had heard from other colleagues whod been there and stayed there and was very aware that it was a famous hotel or all the great journalists stayed. And so when i got there, i was surprised because it was nearly empty. The street fighting and fear of kidnap drove many foreigners out of west bay route to the christian east side or out of lebanon to neighboring cyprus. So i was told you must be careful if you know that youll be a target possibly for one of these kidnapped groups. So stay close to the office or in the hammer district and stay close to the hotel. The commodore by april 1986, 30 foreign nationals had been kidnapped in lebanon. A didnt occur to John Mccarthy that he might be next. It seemed like a nearer for this hotel for lebanon, for the foreign journalists working there where it was coming to an end. It was closing in around, around me or, but also it felt as if the hotel was sort of closing down to mccarthy was then ordered by his w t. N. Bosses in london to leave a routine mediately. On the 17th of april, 1986, he checked out of the commodore and headed for the airport. But within minutes armed men intercepted his com, grabbed him and took him away. John mccarthy would be the last foreign journalists to stay at the commodore. So its extraordinary, i started off what that morning in april actually as you 6 leaving this grow, the grand if dilapidated street or the Commodore Hotel and the next room i was in, was underground in a tiny, filthy, dirty prison cell, basically as a hostage. And i was to remain a hostage for the next 5 and a quarter years. 9 months after mccarthys abduction, on the 17th of january, 1987 Hostage Negotiator terri weight was also kidnapped. He was last seen on the bay rude cornish surrounded by gunman from the drews, progressive socialist party, who were acting as his body guards in my last year captivity. I was held with the 2 americans, terry anson, and Tom Sutherland and also with the are englishman, terry . Weight whod gone out to lebanon to try and negotiate our release a few years earlier, but himself been kidnapped. So its very strange that there we were in a cell at with the guy who tried to rescue us and he ended up being a hostage to within hours of terry waits. Abduction. A fierce battle ensued in west bay route. 200 people died in the 5 days fighting and the commodore was almost completely destroyed by fire. And there was another kid num, the victim this time, cocoa, the pirate Hotel Manager ok met. She borrow, checked on the stuff and damage the next day. He contacted the owner, yusef nasal, who was abroad to reassure him. The stuff for okay, but that the hotel was so damaged, it was now uninhabitable. I let out some then he on the other thing that i did with it, i literally had the one day window it la la, la ida, beverly did mobile up with of live bog. How ali funny allan, a funny in 2002, a new investor, both the commodore it was completely refurbished and revived is a 5 Star Luxury Hotel in the haunt of bay roots american journalists, nicholas touch road, perhaps best summed it up when he wrote, during the israeli siege of bay root in a city of survivors. The Commodore Hotel has proven itself to be a survivor. With a touch of class, there is no contract which is simple goodies versus baddies. Its always more complicated than that. And id add one more thing. Find a good safe hotel. Mm. When the shuts came from the holiday and we heard cracks, we heard some noise. This was known, a sniper alley was on in the most dangerous intersections and sought able he didnt come in through the front entrance. That was what happened to the people who were shot they came in through the wrong entrance. The nightly pyrotechnics of the fight turned to the camera man said its good. Theyll out of you sorry, a voe holiday in war hotels on al jazeera. Ah, holding the powerful to account. As we examined, the u. S. Is role in the world on al jazeera. Ah, im a madison and oh, how the top stories on al jazeera and you and way of allowing Afghan Taliban officials to travel abroad