Libya

Matar won a Pulitzer Prize for his memoir, “The Return,” mourning his homeland and his father. In his new novel, he turns to the untranslatability of exile — and friendship.

The vessel set off with 86 people on board, the International Organization for Migration in Libya said, and women and children were among those who died in the shipwreck.

In “We Are Your Soldiers,” Alex Rowell shows how the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser inspired and fostered autocracy among his Arab neighbors in the 20th century and beyond.

The prime minister heralded a deal with Italy’s Adriatic neighbor as a model for Europe. Politicians question if it is legal, ethical or practical.

Repair work was agreed but never finished and Derna paid the price. Experts say infrastructure projects have long been neglected, with officials focusing instead on lining their own pockets.

Derna, which lost entire neighborhoods and thousands of residents in the deluge, has a history as a cultural and intellectual hub as well as a rebellious streak.

Several people have been arrested and some journalists and aid workers have been shut out of the eastern city of Derna after dams burst, killing thousands. Communications have also been disrupted.

Khalifa Hifter, who oversees a military dictatorship that leads the eastern half of the divided, oil-rich nation, is dominating the response to the disaster and could use it to entrench his power further.

Libyan portrait photographer Muhammad Elalwany set out to document the aftermath of the devastating floods in his hometown of Derna, only to realize many of the faces he knew are now gone. He spoke with The New York Times, sharing his personal story along with images and video captured with his camera.

The cries of protesters were part of a rising chorus of calls for answers from leaders across a divided Libya, specifically for an international investigation.