Italy’s Pompeii to cap daily visitor numbers to 20,000
Rome, Italy Reuters The ancient Roman archaeological park of Pompeii in southern Italy said on Friday it would cap daily visitor numbers at 20,000 as a response to its surging popularity. The change, effective from 15th November, comes after a peak of more than 36,000 daily entrances on a free-admission Sunday, the park said in […]
Myanmar’s war-torn Rakhine faces famine with two million people at risk, UN says
Reuters Myanmar’s war-ravaged Rakhine state could face imminent famine according to a United Nations report, which estimates that more than two million people could be at the risk of starvation. Rice production in Rakhine, a western state that borders Bangladesh, has declined due to shortages of seeds and fertilisers, severe weather and the displacement of […]
Spain floods: Improvised vet station treats pets sick from tainted mud
Paiporta, Spain Reuters Volunteer veterinarians in eastern Spain’s flood-hit Paiporta are treating pets that have caught infections from the devastated town’s mud-filled streets at an improvised first-aid station with donated medicines and equipment. Paiporta is among the Valencia suburbs considered “ground zero” of last week’s deadly flash floods that have killed at least 219 and […]
World food prices reach 18-month high in October, UN says
Paris, France Reuters World food prices rose in October to an 18-month high as vegetable oils led increases seen in most food staples, United Nations’ data showed on Friday. A price index compiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to track the most globally traded food commodities increased to 127.4 points last month, […]
“Strong likelihood” famine imminent in north Gaza, say food security experts
London, UK/United Nations Reuters There is a “strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas” of the northern Gaza Strip, a committee of global food security experts warned on Friday, as Israel pursues a military offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas in the area. “Immediate action, within days not weeks, is required from all actors […]
Anxious, grieving, elated: Clergy prepare to preach into the post-US election whirlwind
Preachers are turning to webinars, directories of appropriate liturgies and moral support from each other as they determine how to address their congregants. ADELLE M BANKS, of Religion News Service, reports…
Amsterdam bans protests after ‘antisemitic squads’ attack Israeli soccer fans
Amsterdam, The Netherlands Reuters Amsterdam banned demonstrations for three days from Friday after overnight attacks on Israeli soccer supporters by what the mayor called “antisemitic hit-and-run squads”, and Israel sent planes to the Netherlands to fly fans home. Mayor Femke Halsema said Maccabi Tel Aviv fans had been “attacked, abused and pelted with fireworks” around […]
Multiple climate disasters trigger first ever Red Cross disaster insurance pay-out
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The world was hit by so many floods and landslides in 2024 that it triggered the aid sector’s first multi-disaster insurance pay-out, the Red Cross told Reuters, signalling both the scale of the problem and the need for new financing solutions. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies […]
Overnight Russian attacks across Ukraine kill one, wound more than 30
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, killing one civilian and wounding more than 30 people in the centre, south, and north-east, Ukrainian officials said on Friday. The Russian forces launched 92 drones and five missiles at 12 Ukrainian regions, the Ukrainian air force said. Sixty-two drones and […]
UN peacekeepers say Israel’s destruction of their property breaches international law
Beirut, Lebanon Reuters The United Nations’ peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said on Friday that the Israeli military’s “deliberate and direct destruction” of its property was a “flagrant violation” of international law. The 10,000-strong UN mission, known as UNIFIL, is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the “blue line” separating Lebanon from Israel. […]