Israel says kills three Hezbollah commanders, some 70 fighters in 48 hours
Tel Aviv, Israel/Jerusalem/Cairo, Egypt Reuters Israel’s military said it had killed three Hezbollah commanders and some 70 fighters in southern Lebanon in the past 48 hours, a day after confirming it had killed Hashem Safieddine, the militant group’s heir apparent leader. “In southern Lebanon, IDF troops continue conducting limited, localised, targeted raids against Hezbollah terrorist […]
Azores create largest marine protected area in North Atlantic
Lisbon, Portugal Reuters The regional assembly of Portugal’s Azores Islands approved the creation of the largest protected marine area in the North Atlantic to reach international conservation goals well ahead of time. The approval late on Thursday places the archipelago at the forefront of global ocean conservation that aims to achieve the goals set by […]
Three decades later, first brown dwarf ever found offers a surprise
Washington DC, US Reuters In 1995, astronomers confirmed the discovery for the first time of a brown dwarf, a body too small to be a star and too big to be a planet – sort of a celestial tweener. But it turns out that was not the full story. Researchers now have taken a fresh […]
StrangeSights: Sydney’s mysterious black balls explained; ‘King Conker’ cleared; and, New Zealand airport limits hugs…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Attacked by settlers and blocked by soldiers, Palestinians face grim olive harvest
Burin, West Bank Reuters Palestinian olive farmer Khitam Najjar dreams of just one season where she can gather the harvest in peace. But it’s not this year. As she and her son approached their olive groves near the village of Burin in the occupied West Bank last week, Israeli soldiers stopped them, telling them they […]
In the US, National Fund for Sacred Places awards $US4 million for preservation of historic houses of worship
United States RNS Two dozen historic faith communities have received grants from The National Fund for Sacred Spaces, in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to be used to support critical preservation projects that will help maintain and extend the life of their houses of worship. The 2024 grants, $US4 million in total, […]
Sudan’s RSF attacks east Gezira villages following defection
Cairo, Egypt/Dubai, United Aran Emirates Reuters Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have attacked villages in the east of Sudan’s El Gezira state, killing at least 25 people, following the defection of high-ranking RSF officer Abuagla Keikal who is from the area, activists said. As soldiers from other RSF divisions ransacked the farming state beginning in December, […]
Zelenskiy calls on allies “not to hide”, respond to North Korean involvement in war
Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on allies on Tuesday “not to hide” and to respond to evidence of North Korean involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine. He said in his nightly address that Ukraine had information about the preparation of two units – possibly up to 12,000 North Korean troops – to take part […]
UN says Haiti conflict has ‘worsened’ as gangs push fresh attacks
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Reuters Haitian gangs are ramping up attacks on areas they do not yet control, the head of the United Nation’s Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) warned on Tuesday, after days of renewed violence from an alliance of armed gangs in the Caribbean nation. “The situation in Haiti has regrettably worsened,” Maria Isabel Salvador […]
India: In Modi’s Delhi, Muslims segregate to seek security
CHARLOTTE GREENFIELD and AFTAB AHMED, of Reuters, report on background to assertions that segregation of Muslims is on the increase in India…