World

BY ANDREW KATZ

It was the kind of incident that Lebanon has feared most. A bomb targeting Hizballah, itself implicated in terrorist bombings, exploded near the Islamic Cooperation Center, the organization’s stronghold in the Bir al-Abed neighborhood outside Beirut. The blast, which took place in a parking lot as Ramadan began, reportedly didn’t kill anyone but injured 53 people and left a crater 6 ft. (2 m) deep.

The attack marks the first direct hit on the Shi’ite party since it formally acknowledged aiding forces loyal to Syrian leader Bashar Assad in his civil war with Sunni revolutionaries. And it raises the chances that Lebanon will descend into sectarian strife.

Thousands of Iran-backed Hizballah fighters have poured into Syria in recent months, and the added manpower has helped the regime make significant gains against the opposition, including the retaking of Qusayr, on a main supply route.

A variety of actors tried to keep a lid on the events. A Free Syrian Army spokesman condemned the attack. Predictably, Hizballah blamed the U.S. and Israel. Maura Connelly, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, asked for “calm, constraint and respect.” But for 4 million people who are divided under a caretaker government, who have taken in about 600,000 refugees and who fear a new wave of internal carnage, that’s no easy feat.

Katz is an international reporter for TIME in New York City

CHINA

‘We must take a clear-cut stand and deepen the struggle against the Dalai clique.’

YU ZHENGSHENG, the official in charge of ethnic minorities, reaffirming China’s campaign against the Dalai Lama, who continues to fight for Tibet’s autonomy

POLL

WHERE A FOREIGN EDUCATION PAYS OFF

The Economist Intelligence Unit weighed the perks of earning an undergrad degree abroad (job prospects, culture) against the quality and cost. With a top score of 100, here is where money is best spent:

72.4

Montreal

70.2

London

69.2

Hong Kong

69.1

Toronto

68.5

Cambridge, England

Four Ways

The Pope Is Cleaning House

Since his investiture in March, Pope Francis has aimed to reverse any notion that the Catholic Church harbors corrupt officials who mismanage its assets and interests. His new brooms are:

REJECTING POMP

His “Prada Pope” predecessor, Benedict XVI, had a lavish apartment and custom red shoes, but Francis opted for a modest hotel suite and simple vestments and prefers bishop to loftier titles.

PRIORITIZING FRUGALITY

A staunch advocate for the poor, he cautioned priests and nuns on July 6 to spend humbly and not to be swayed by new cars and smartphones.

REVIVING THE LEGACY

He recently fast-tracked sainthood for Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII, undercutting traditional bureaucracy and sidestepping the complex requirement of postmortem proof that the Popes performed miracles.

PUSHING FINANCIAL REFORM

The Vatican bank, long suspected of underworld ties and money laundering, got religion after Francis issued a chirografo, or personal decree, to establish an independent panel to review its activities and boost transparency. Two officials left.

A Small-Town Nightmare

CANADA

Downtown Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, smolders on July 7 as firefighters soak rubble from the explosion of runaway railcars that killed at least 20 people. The unmanned train carrying crude oil traveled seven miles (11 km) and derailed before igniting. Its brakes were set improperly, according to the railroad’s CEO. Dozens more are missing, many of whom may have been at a popular bar.

SIERRA LEONE

84%

Percentage of citizens of Sierra Leone who admitted to paying a bribe in the past year, according to a survey of 95 nations by Transparency International; the worldwide average stands at 27%

Explainer

Pakistan’s Bin Laden Problem

A report leaked to al-Jazeera about the U.S. raid in May 2011 that killed Osama bin Laden excoriates Pakistan’s government and military for failing to detect the 9/11 mastermind and allowing the U.S. to breach Pakistan’s sovereignty. Four takeaways:

Government shortcomings

“Culpable negligence and incompetence” pre- and post-raid were cited. The government was portrayed as too weak to resist the U.S.

Porous border

The SEAL team slipped into Pakistan using stealth technology and 3-D maps, but defense radars weren’t even on. The SEALs spent three hours undetected.

Hide and don’t seek

The al-Qaeda leader arrived in 2002, but officials stopped the hunt for him in 2005. He wore a cowboy hat to avoid aerial ID.

Internal support

The report couldn’t rule out the possibility that bin Laden received direct or indirect aid from sources within the government.

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Seventy retailers agreed to a safety-inspection program for factories in Bangladesh

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POLITICS

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked for donations on Facebook to ease his cash-strapped UMP party’s $64.2 million election debt

TERRORISM

Secondary schools in Nigeria’s northeastern Yobe state were ordered closed after suspected Islamist extremists torched a dormitory and killed 42 people

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