French President Emmanuel Macron has taken center stage for his political and diplomatic intervention in Lebanon this past month, sending a bold message to the country’s leaders: Deliver on reforms by the end of October or face sanctions.

An already-overwhelmed Lebanon fell to its knees after a massive explosion that ripped through neighborhoods across the capital and flattened much of the country’s main port on Tuesday, killing at least 100 people and leaving thousands wounded.

As Europe eases coronavirus-caused restrictions on movement across the continent, obstacles to migrants and asylum seekers trying to reach southern Europe remain in place.

At about 2:30 am on Sunday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte decreed a partial quarantine over a swathe of Italy’s north region. Just over 24 hours later, he extended the measure to the entire country of 60 million people. These decisions were the most aggressive countermeasures against coronavirus taken since the outbreak in January. Italy is suffering the second worst outbreak in the world, with more deaths than in any other country outside China.

The U.S. airstrike that killed senior Iranian General Qassem Soleimani early Friday marked not only a major escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran, but may also destabilize Lebanon, which is already suffering from severe political and economic problems, analysts say.

Lebanese protesters took to the streets in Beirut and other cities across the country Thursday night to reject the appointment of Hassan Diab as prime minister.