Rebecca Collard

As the Taliban take control of Afghanistan, Kurdish allies in northern Iraq — where the US is also planning to draw down its combat forces — are watching with concern.

A Lebanese general recently warned that the crisis could "lead to the collapse of all state institutions," including the army.

Amid the pandemic and economic meltdown, doctors in Lebanon are lured away by the hope of better salaries — and a future. An estimated 1,000 medical professionals have left since the August blast.

A decade after protesters took to the streets to oppose the Assad family’s rule, President Bashar al-Assad has retaken control of most of the country. But that doesn’t make it any easier to return.

Of the many buildings destroyed by the blast at Beirut’s port, thousands are heritage structures now at risk of extreme disrepair. The city could lose its unique architectural richness.

Human rights advocates say the migrants have little to no recourse, and that the situation is bound to deteriorate further as more people in the country cannot afford to pay domestic workers. The coronavirus restrictions also complicate matters.

Lebanese protesters are back in the streets with increasing desperation as the country sinks. 

Months of anti-government protests have eroded the popularity and legitimacy of Lebanon's traditional political parties. But the novel coronavirus has given them a chance to get it back by launching their own health and sanitation campaigns.