World Aug 05 Beirut blast means more suffering for a country on the brink of collapse Lebanon’s capital city is suffering the aftermath of a cataclysmic explosion that killed at least 135 people and injured 5,000. On Tuesday, a fire started at Beirut’s port -- followed by a detonation so powerful it sent a shockwave through…
World Aug 04 How authoritarianism has spread since the coronavirus pandemic began According to pro-democracy institutions, authoritarianism was on the rise globally even before the coronavirus pandemic hit. But experts say the distraction of the crisis has allowed some leaders to indulge their dictatorial impulses without attracting much attention from the people…
World Jun 30 What's at stake with Israel's plan to annex parts of the West Bank U.S. and Israeli officials met in Jerusalem Tuesday to discuss what could be one of the most dramatic changes to the Middle East map in decades. Israel says that as of Wednesday, it might unilaterally declare significant parts of the…
World Jun 15 Paul Whelan and Maria Ressa, Americans held abroad, convicted in controversial trials Two Americans held overseas have been convicted in controversial court cases. In Russia, former Marine Paul Whelan was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a trial the U.S. ambassador to Russia called “a mockery of justice.” In the Philippines,…
World Jun 11 Outrage over George Floyd catalyzes movements for racial justice abroad The killing of George Floyd has led to racial reckonings far beyond the U.S. In France, protesters point to incidents of police violence against black people and complain the government hasn’t done enough to address systemic racism. Activists in the…
World Jun 10 Syrian civilians prepare for a new battle with invisible foe: coronavirus The brutal war in Syria is now in its 10th year, and amid renewed bombing by the air corps of Bashar al-Assad and his Russian backers, a new worry looms: coronavirus. The country’s health care system has been destroyed in…
World May 20 Millions in India and Bangladesh flee strongest cyclone in a decade A tropical cyclone is blasting India and Bangladesh, killing at least 14 people and destroying homes by the hundred. The storm surged out of the Bay of Bengal Wednesday into a densely populated area that has been beset by the…
World May 11 The health risks that remain as countries take tentative steps to reopen Across the globe, lockdowns imposed to try to slow the spread of COVID-19 are being lifted, businesses are reopening and people are returning to work. But even in countries that had successfully controlled their coronavirus outbreaks, like South Korea and…
World Apr 28 Why have Australia and New Zealand been so successful at managing COVID-19? New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced this week that the country has eliminated the novel coronavirus, but warned that residents must stay vigilant. Neighboring Australia has also experienced relatively high success in battling COVID-19. Nick Schifrin reports on how…
World Apr 14 The pandemic threatens the people of East Africa -- and now locusts threaten their food As COVID-19 threatens the people of East Africa, locusts threaten their livestock and their food. The region suffered an initial swarm of the destructive insects in February but is now ravaged by a second wave 20 times larger. Pesticides can…