Relatives of people killed by the explosion in Beirut protested outside the home of a minister who is blocking the investigation of why the explosive chemicals were stored in a dangerous way inside the city.

Some officials seem to have known where the chemicals were, long before the explosion.

India's system that distributes food to the poor has broken down due to Covid-19, and millions have trouble finding food.

Covid-19 was the trigger, but the underlying cause is population growth. It is possible to reform systems so as to waste less food — but that is easier said than done. Also, if population continues to grow, it will require repeated increases in efficiency, which tend to become ever more of a challenge.

As for putting more land into production, India has already done too much of that.

Tories aim to privatize parts of the NHS without accountability. The lack of accountability will enable the businesses to squeeze staff and patients for the sake of their profits.

That tends generally to be the real motive behind privatization of government services. This is why privatization of government services is usually harmful and usually must be reversed.

The arguments offered in favor of privatization tend to be based on trickle-down ideology, but often that premise is not explicitly stated. Hunt for it and you'll usually find the flaw.

*Deadly heat: how rising temperatures threaten workers from Nicaragua to Nepal.*

Even if the weather isn't hot and humid enough to be universally fatal, it will still tend to hurt people that work hard for any length of time.

Citizen's commissions in the UK call for strong action for climate defense. Politicians don't seem enthusiastic.

Why not? I don't know the details, but I suspect it comes down to being in thrall to corporations. Corporations tend to be psychopaths; they care only about their own gain, even if it kills thousands or billions. And they tend to think short-term.