High, cement blast walls surrounding the United Nations offices in central Beirut are covered with anti-government graffiti. “Down with the rule of the mafia,” is spray-painted next to the word “revolution.” The names of every member of the Lebanese parliament are on the blast wall. The word “thief” is written below each name. Nearby, a crowd chants the same, “ thieves, thieves.”

Lebanese protesters say their politicians have stolen tens, or even hundreds, of billions of dollars from them, aided by laws that allow bank secrecy. Hundreds of thousands of them have taken to the streets over the last six days, in the biggest protests to sweep the country in over a decade. Here’s what to know.

Myriam BoulosPeople from all backgrounds protesting in Beirut on Oct. 18, 2019.How did the protests start?
The demonstrations began Thursday after the government announced new taxes, including a $6 monthly fee on calls on free messaging apps like WhatsApp, unleashing anger against decades of corrupt..

An American Airlines flight from London, U.K., to Philadelphia, U.S., had to make an unscheduled stop in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday because of an odor caused by a spilled cleaning fluid that led three people to go to the hospital, American Airlines confirmed to TIME.

Flight 729 landed safely in Dublin at 1:15 p.m. “Two crew members and one customer were taken to the hospital for evaluation. All were released yesterday,” a spokesperson for the airline told TIME in a statement.

The airport webcam streaming site AirportWebcams.net published audio that American Airlines confirmed to TIME is a recording of the air traffic control communication from Saturday.

In the audio, someone who appears to the pilot can be heard saying the chemical that spilled was a cleaning product used at London Heathrow that had seeped into the carpet. “I am told it is not a toxic substance,” the voice is heard saying.

The voice is also heard saying they require paramedics to board the plane and “render immed..

(ANKARA, Turkey) — As the leaders of Russia and Turkey sought to work out the fate of the Syrian border region, the United States ran into a new hitch in getting its troops out of Syria, with neighboring Iraq’s military saying Tuesday that the American forces did not have permission to stay on its territory.

The Iraqi announcement seemed to contradict U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who a day earlier said the forces leaving Syria would deploy in Iraq to fight the Islamic State group.

The conflicting signals underscored how the United States has stumbled from one problem to another in getting its troops out of Syria after President Donald Trump abruptly ordered their withdrawal. Amid fears the Americans’ departure will revive IS, Esper is considering keeping some troops in Syria to protect oil fields held by Kurdish-led fighters, backing away from the full withdrawal first touted by Trump.

After the Iraqi statement, Esper said he would speak to the Iraqi defense minister on Wednes..