Emerging research supports the current understanding that infant exposure to air pollution has long-lasting effects on their lungs. Not only does lung capacity decrease for teenagers who were exposed to air pollution as infants, but they are also at much greater risk of developing asthma (The Guardian, August 24, 2020).

The Times of Israel reports, “The impending peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates [UAE] is more than just a stunning diplomatic breakthrough. It represents a fundamental shift in the paradigm of peace-making” (August 14, 2020). In a region where Middle East peace has long been thought to hinge on the Israeli-Palestinian relationship, this new deal—called the Abraham Accords—is unique and unexpected.

On August 4, 2020, Lebanon suffered one of the worst man-made disasters in its history when a dockside warehouse containing almost 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate caught fire from a nearby welding accident. The resulting explosion, occurring around 6:00 in the afternoon, leveled the port and devastated surrounding structures. It shattered glass and caused destruction, death, and injury within over a kilometer radius. Noise from the blast was heard as far away as Cyprus, with only a smoking, flooded crater remaining in the middle of Beirut’s port district.