Ruba Aleryani, Contributor

In early 2015, Amira Abase and Shamima Begum, both 15-year-old girls, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, boarded a plane from England to Turkey. From there the teens crossed over to Syria to join the Islamic State (otherwise referred to as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh).

The story of these London schoolgirls captured widespread media attention, driving headlines and leaving the world haunted by Shamima Begum’s last words to Umm Layth, a female ISIS member, on Twitter: “follow me so I can dm [direct message] you back.”

By Alexandra Talty

Recently called "the Silicon Valley of the Middle East" by CNN, and "the Middle East’s Tech Hub" by TechCrunch, Beirut’s tech scene is the darling of international media of late. (Though Techonomy first wrote about it over two years ago.) The tech scene here has turned a corner, going from fledgling to now officially on the map. Among the reasons: the launch of various funds that will bring over $100 million in investments to Lebanon’s startup economy over the next five years, and the ongoing efforts of Lebanon’s Central Bank to decrease the risk of investing in startups.

• Natasha Bertrand

A former Islamic State militant recently spoke with NBC news about his experience fighting with the group in Syria — and why he surrendered after just three days on the frontlines.

NPR

The Syrian refugee crisis is getting worse by the day.

Not only are more refugees fleeing into Lebanon, but aid to those who have already arrived is being cut dramatically.

The United Nations World Food Program earlier this month slashed the monthly food subsidy for Syrian refugees in Lebanon to just $13.50 per person. Less than a year ago the figure was $30 per person per month. The reason for the decision was reportedly a budget shortfall.

Simona Sikimic

Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Beirut on Tuesday to demand the authorities take urgent action to remove the growing mounds of rubbish left to rot in the city streets amid high summer temperatures.

Some called on parliament to resign due to the crisis, while others demanded a wider “revolution” to take place. Police and armoured vehicles were called in to deal with the protesters but the march appears to have remained largely peaceful.

Belen Fernandez

“Either the contracts are extended or you will drown in garbage.”

According to Lebanon’s Al Akhbar newspaper, these were the words of former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in October of 2010, when he warned a cabinet session of the repercussions of failing to renew the contract of private waste management company Sukleen, run by Hariri family friends.

Since the 1990s, Sukleen has been responsible for waste disposal in Beirut and the Mount Lebanon governorate.

AP – Beirut – Hundreds of protesters showed up in the sweltering summer heat on Saturday evening in downtown Beirut to demonstrate against the sea of garbage taking over the capital’s streets, as Lebanon’s politicians have failed to find a solution.

Using the slogan "You Stink!", and amid a significant security presence, the protesters called for the government to fall. They chanted about moving the garbage – uncollected for a week now – from the streets to the homes of Lebanon’s parliament members. 

Piles of garbage in some areas of the city have risen to several metres in height, as political bickering has stymied any resolution.

Aleppo, Syria, Jul 24, 2015 / 06:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- With half of Syria’s population displaced due to its ongoing civil war, Church leaders in the country are seeking to send a message of hope and support for the persecuted Christian minority who have chosen to stay.

“At the time of this writing, Aleppo is undergoing a massive assault by jihadists, and bombs have been falling for hours. It is as if everything is being done to scare people and push them to leave,” Melkite Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart of Aleppo wrote in a July 17 letter.

Summer in the city can be rough. But we’ve never seen anything like Beirut, where a malodorous mix of political paralysis and festering garbage has residents in a rage.