10 things you need to know today: October 20, 2012

Obama coins the term "Romnesia," a deadly blast rocks Beirut, and more in our roundup of stories that are making the news and driving opinion

After one of Beirut's worst bombings in years, Lebanese soldiers inspect leftover debris from the blast that killed eight and wounded dozens.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

1. BOMB BLAST KILLS EIGHT IN BEIRUT

A bomb tore through a Christian neighborhood in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday, killing eight and raising fears that the ongoing conflict in Syria is reigniting sectarian tensions in Lebanon. Eighty people were also wounded in the blast, which is thought to be the deadliest to strike the country in four years. Lebanese authorities have yet to identify a culprit, but suspicion immediately fell on factions allied with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has links to Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group that wields considerable influence in Lebanon's parliament. [New York Times]

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up