Shortly after midnight, more than 500 police officers descended on Bab Alshams to carry out the evacuation order.

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The raid on the Bab al-Mua'dam exchange also killed the small son of one of the workers there, who lived next door.

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The 30-year venture to treat the potentially deadly gases in Bab also puts Europe's largest energy company in a strong position to renew its role in the UAE's largest onshore oil concession, on which the Bab field stands, when that contract comes up for renewal early next year.

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Shareholders of BAB, on either side of the Atlantic, haven't seen a dividend since July 2001.

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The activists had said they wanted to build a village on the site, calling it Bab al-Shams (Gateway to the Sun), after a famous novel about Palestinian history.

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Libyan rebel fighters opposed to the regime of Colonel Muammar al-Gadhafi moved one step closer to victory on Tuesday after having breached the Bab Al-Aziziya compound where the elusive leader has his residence and was thought to be located.

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But among the archeological attractions it would be a shame to miss out on a platter of fresh local Sultan Ibrahim fish at Bab El Mina restaurant.

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