Ruth Sherlock

A coronavirus surge is overwhelming hospitals, leading doctors to tell families to care for sick loved ones at home instead. Health workers fear New Year's parties could have led to further spikes.

People were still disembarking from the plane carrying members of the new government when the explosion hit, causing a large crowd to scatter. There has been no claim of responsibility for the blast.

Hopes from the Arab Spring have mostly been dashed. But the era led to "a radical change in the way people think about the authorities, the state, and about their rights," says an Egyptian journalist.

That's the situation in Syria, where bread shortages are now widespread — and the queues for daily rations stretch on and on. The same goes for gasoline.

A symbol of Lebanon's resilience through its long, turbulent history, the country's towering cedars now face increasing threats from wildfire and parasites, both fueled by global warming.

Syria reports about 3,100 coronavirus infections and 130 deaths. But health workers say the situation is worse and that the regime has been telling people not to discuss it.

As Lebanon reels from multiple tragedies, conservationists are pointing to one bright spot. They say a record number of endangered green sea turtles have come to nest on the country's shores.

The effort was launched after a sniffer dog named Flash signaled to his Chilean search and rescue team that someone might be alive under a pile of concrete and debris.

Since the Aug. 4 blast, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased by some 220%, according to the International Rescue Committee. The country is also coping with damage to medical facilities.

Last week's explosion has prompted new hopes for political change. But enormous challenges remain. Here's what's at stake and how things may play out.