Floods in Nigeria kill scores, wash away farmland, raise hunger concerns
ABUJA, Nigeria — Weeks of flooding have killed 185 people in Nigeria and washed away homes and farmlands, the country’s disaster management agency said, further threatening food supplies, especially in the hard-hit northern region. The floods, blamed on poor infrastructure…
Brazil’s block on X comes into effect after judge’s order
Brasilia, Brazil — A block on Elon Musk’s X social network in Brazil started to take effect early Saturday after a Supreme Court judge ordered its suspension, according to AFP. Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes on Friday ordered…
‘Renaissance of illegals’: Since start of war in Ukraine, Russia relies more on bargain-basement spies
Madrid/Washington — They are known as “illegals” — spies who operate under the guise of normal jobs. Since Russia lost many of its valuable spy assets when dozens of diplomats were expelled from Western countries after the invasion of Ukraine,…
Ukrainian air defense downs 24 Russian drones, Kyiv says
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian air defenses shot down 24 out of 52 drones launched by Russia during overnight attacks on eight regions across Ukraine, the air force said Saturday. It said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app that…
High rents are forcing small businesses in into tough choices
NEW YORK — While many costs have come down for small businesses, rents remain high and in some cases are still rising, forcing many owners into some uncomfortable decisions. “Every time the rent goes up, we have to raise prices,…
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is legitimate, says NATO’s Stoltenberg
BERLIN — Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is legitimate and covered by Kyiv’s right to self-defense, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told German weekly Welt am Sonntag in his first reaction to the advance into Russian territory. “Ukraine has a…
With men at front lines, women watch Ukraine’s night sky for Russian drones
KYIV, Ukraine — When the air raid siren bellows in the dead of night, the women in arms rush to duty. Barely two months since joining the mobile air-defense unit, 27-year-old Angelina has perfected the drill to a tee: Combat…
Wasn’t polio wiped out? Why it is still a problem in some countries
LONDON — Polio was eliminated from most parts of the world as part of a decadeslong effort by the World Health Organization and partners to wipe out the disease. But polio is one of the world’s most infectious diseases and…
Africa’s mpox outbreaks could be stopped in 6 months, WHO chief says
geneva — The head of the World Health Organization believes mpox outbreaks in Africa might be stopped in the next six months, and he said Friday that the agency’s first shipment of vaccines should arrive in Congo within days. To…
South Africans line up for medical care during Chinese hospital ship stop
China’s naval hospital ship, called the Peace Ark, is on a 13-nation tour of mostly African countries to provide free health care for locals. Over the past week, it was docked off the South African coast where the Western Cape…