Ukraine asks NATO for membership invite next week, letter shows
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has urged his NATO counterparts to issue an invitation at a meeting in Brussels next week to Kyiv to join the Western military alliance, according to the text of a letter seen by Reuters on…
SunFed recalls cucumbers in US, Canada due to potential salmonella
Cucumbers shipped to 13 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces have been recalled because of potential salmonella contamination, the Food and Drug Administration said this week. SunFed Produce, based in Arizona, recalled the cucumbers sold between October 12 and November…
Russian defense minister visits North Korea for talks with military and political leaders
SEOUL, South Korea — Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday for talks with North Korean military and political leaders as the countries deepen their cooperation over Russia’s war in Ukraine. In announcing the visit, Russia’s…
Some Zimbabwean farmers turn to maggots to survive drought and thrive
NYANGAMBE, ZIMBABWE — At first, the suggestion to try farming maggots spooked Mari Choumumba and other farmers in Nyangambe, a region in southeastern Zimbabwe where drought wiped out the staple crop of corn. After multiple cholera outbreaks in the southern…
Ukrainian energy workers carry out repairs despite Russia’s pounding of country’s power grid
On a bright winter day, workers at a Ukrainian thermal power plant repair its heavily damaged equipment as drops of water from melted snow leak through gaping holes in its battered roof. Several weeks earlier, the facility was targeted by…
Lebanon: Final repatriation flight brings Brazilians home amid ceasefire
The 13th and possibly last mission under Brazil’s Operation Cedar Roots carried 150 passengers, including elderly persons and children, back to safety. For many, the relief of reaching Brazilian soil was tempered by the devastation they left behind. “I’m very…
Middle East crisis: Live updates for 29 November
As families in Lebanon begin returning home under a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, UN humanitarians have flagged “staggering” needs in devastated communities, while in Gaza, relentless bombardment and deprivation continue to take a heavy toll. Follow our live…
Devastating 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ends, marked by record-setting storms
This year saw 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes – classified as Category 3 or higher – marking the ninth consecutive above-average season for the Atlantic basin. “Year after year, the climate crisis continues to break new…
UN rights office urges Russia to cease attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid as winter sets in
Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said massive missile and drone attacks on the power network this week have heightened serious concerns about the plight of civilians facing a winter of hardship and misery. Russia launched missile and long-range drone strikes on Thursday,…
Putin threatens Kyiv with new hypersonic cruise missile
Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday threatened to strike “decision-making centers in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, with Russia’s new Oreshnik hypersonic cruise missiles, after pounding Ukrainian energy infrastructure and cutting off power to more than one million people across the country….