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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….

What Black Friday’s history tells us about holiday shopping in 2024

NEW YORK —  The holiday shopping season is about to reach full speed with Black Friday, which kicks off the post-Thanksgiving retail rush this week. The annual sales event no longer creates the midnight mall crowds or doorbuster mayhem of…

WHO wants bird flu surveillance stepped up

geneva —  The World Health Organization on Thursday urged countries to step up surveillance for bird flu after the first case was detected in a child in the United States. A small but growing number of H5N1 avian influenza infections…

In wake of G20, Gulf states boost ties to Brazil, Latin America

Middle East analysts are welcoming a series of agreements concluded during the recent summit in Brazil of the 20 biggest economies, saying they open new avenues for Gulf Cooperation Council states to strengthen economic relations with emerging markets across Latin…

Kenyan clinics provide health care to truck drivers, sex workers

A clinic initiative in Kenya aims to provide health care to vulnerable mobile populations such as truck drivers and commercial sex workers. The goal is to combat the spread of disease across borders in Africa. Juma Majanga reports from the…

Russian strikes pound energy infrastructure

Russian drones and missiles pounded Ukrainian energy infrastructure Thursday, cutting off power to more than 1 million people across the country, Ukrainian authorities said. “As of now, 523,000 subscribers in the Lviv region are without electricity,” regional head Maksym Kozytsky…