What’s gone wrong in Lebanon?

River systems around the world are under stress from various factors ranging from pollution, to agriculture, to extractive industries. In some parts of the world there are regulations to help protect rivers, but in a lot of cases these are just preventative measures for a system ...  Show more

In July 2026, tens of thousands of students took to the streets in India’s capital, demanding reforms to education. The protests followed the leak of medical entrance exam papers but quickly grew to reflect wider concerns about job opportunities for graduates.The movement became ...  Show more

The explosion near Beirut’s port on Tuesday killed 135 people and injured thousands more, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Officials say 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate was the cause. According to public records, the chemicals were held at the port for six years, despite ...  Show more

I spoke with Lebanese writer and translator Lina Mounzer about witnessing and experiencing the Beirut explosion on August 4th, 2020. So far there are 157 deaths, 5,000 injuries, US$10–15 billion in property damage and an estimated 300,000 people left homeless.The blast was linked ...  Show more

Elias Tarabay remembers Aug. 4, 2020, clearly. He arrived home after having a late lunch with a friend. He was living in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. His house had a balcony that looked out at the city’s ports. Just as he settled in, he heard a loud explosion. Tarabay was ...  Show more

A mangled yellow door. Shattered glass. Blood.

A devastating explosion of ammonium nitrate stored at the port in Beirut killed at least 135 people and razed entire neighborhoods on Tuesday. This is what our correspondent in the Lebanese capital saw when the blast turned ...