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Israeli strike destroys Ottoman-era building near Baalbek ruins

Baalbek, Lebanon Reuters An Israeli airstrike has destroyed an Ottoman-era building just a stone’s throw from the UNESCO-listed temples of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, the closest Israel has come yet to striking one of Lebanon’s most treasured archaeological sites. Heaps of grey masonry and twisted metal lay on Thursday next to a burnt-out bus just […]

Dozens die of mysterious illness in besieged Sudan town

Dubai, United Arab Emirates/Cairo, Egypt Reuters At least 73 people have died of mysterious causes in the Sudanese town of al-Hilaliya, besieged by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese Doctors Union said late on Wednesday. It is one of dozens of villages that have come under attack in eastern El Gezira state since the […]

Mexico’s migrant caravan breaking up after Trump victory sows uncertainty

Tapachula, Mexico Reuters A caravan of thousands of migrants traveling through Mexico with the hope of reaching the US had shrunk to about half its original size on Thursday as many migrants grapple with their prospects following former US President Donald Trump’s victory in Tuesday’s election. Trump clinched the presidential election after a campaign that […]

Food companies sell products that are less healthy in poorer countries, says report

London, UK Reuters The world’s biggest food and beverage companies on average sell products in low-income countries that are less healthy than what they sell in high-income countries, according to a new report. Products sold by companies including Nestle, Pepsico and Unilever were assessed as part of a global index published by the Access to […]

Snowcap on Japan’s Mt Fuji this year is latest spotted in 130 years

Kofu, Japan Reuters Japan’s revered Mount Fuji finally regained an iconic snowcap on Thursday, setting a record for the slowest snowfall in 130 years, the meteorological agency said. The mountain reached the annual milestone on 5th October last year, making this year’s snowcap the latest to form since 1894, when the phenomenon was first recorded. […]

Putin praises Trump, says Russia is ready for dialogue

Sochi, Russia Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the US election, praised him for showing courage when a gunman tried to assassinate him, and said Moscow was ready for dialogue with the Republican President-elect. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a plenary session as part of the […]

Developing world faces multi-billion climate adaptation cash gap, UN report says

London, UK Reuters The amount of finance provided to developing countries to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change is far short of the $US359 billion a year needed even after the biggest annual increase yet, a UN report on Thursday showed. Funding from the developed world hit $US28 billion in 2022 after […]

Cuba slowly restores power after hurricane, Havana still dark

Artemisa, Cuba Reuters Cuban authorities said they had begun restoring power to the eastern half of the island on Thursday, a day after Hurricane Rafael knocked out the country’s electrical grid, leaving 10 million people in the dark.   The grid collapsed on Wednesday as Rafael tore across Cuba with top winds of more than 185 […]