POLITICS & POLICY

Goats and sheep graze in a valley near Jargalant Mountain in western Mongolia

Mongolia's Wildlife At Risk From Overgrazing

The icy peaks of Jargalant Mountain are supposed to belong to snow leopards, whose numbers have dwindled to fewer than 1,000 in Mongolia, but hard-pressed herders are increasingly pushing into the vulnerable animals' traditional habitat.

US Centenarian To Marry At Normandy, 80 Years After Allied Landing

At age 100, World War II veteran Harold Terens has found love, and will marry Jeanne Swerlin, 96,  in France at a ceremony coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the Allies landing at Normandy
Americans Harold Terens and Jeanne Swerlin promise their courtship is "better than Romeo and Juliet": He is 100, she's 96, and they marry next month in France, where the groom-to-be served during World War II. US Air Force veteran Terens will be honored on June 6 at a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, the historic Allied operation that changed the course of the war.
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Rafah has been regularly bombed in Israeli strikes, even prior to any ground invasion

Israel Orders Evacuation From Rafah Area In South Gaza

Israel's military on Monday called for the evacuation of Palestinians from eastern Rafah, ahead of a long-threatened ground invasion of the southern Gaza city, the prospect of which has triggered widespread global alarm.
If the far-right makes inroads, the main question is whether the European Parliament's centre-right will partner with it on at least some issues

Far Right Seen Making Gains In EU Elections

Surveys predict Europe's far right will surge in EU elections next month, giving it more influence in Brussels politics even if mainstream players will still have greater weight.
Pro-Tibet demonstrators gathered in Paris

Macron Seeks To Sway China's Xi On Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron was on Monday set to warn Chinese leader Xi Jinping against backing Russia in the conflict over Ukraine but also seek to enlist his help in finding an end to the war.
Macron made his own visit to China in 2023

China's Xi In France For Macron Talks On Ukraine

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday arrived in France on a state visit hosted by Emmanuel Macron where the French leader will seek to push his counterpart on issues ranging from Ukraine to trade.
Global criticism of the war's spiralling toll on civilians in Gaza has escalated, fuelling demonstrations across the United States

Hamas Delegation Heads To Cairo For Truce Talks

Hamas said its delegation was heading to Cairo on Saturday to resume Gaza truce talks, as the United Nations warned that Israel's threatened assault on the city of Rafah could produce a "bloodbath".
Xi and Russia's President Vladimir Putin have close ties; here they are seen  in Beijing in 2023

Xi Heads To Europe To Defend Russia Ties

Xi Jinping heads to Europe on Sunday to defend China's "no limits" alliance with Russia, first to key Ukraine backer France, then to Serbia and Hungary, which have close ties to the Kremlin.
Counter-protesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA before police dismantled it

Bitterness At UCLA As Gaza Protest Cleared

Dozens of overturned tents, "Free Palestine" signs strewn on the lawn, keffiyehs and flashlights discarded in haste: not much of the pro-Palestinian protest encampment was left Thursday morning at the University of California, Los Angeles.
A pro-Palestinian protestor is arrested by Texas State Troopers at the University of Texas in Austin

Student Protesters Hunker Down As More Unrest Rocks US Campuses

Students who occupied a Columbia University building vowed Tuesday to fight back against efforts to evict them, as administrators struggled to contain pro-Palestinian protests that have launched dozens of campus demonstrations around the United States.

Hamas Says Readying Response To Gaza Truce Offer

Cautious hopes were building Tuesday for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal as Hamas said it was studying the latest proposal and US top diplomat Antony Blinken was due to head back to Israel.
Palestinians at the al-Najjar hospital in Rafah mourn relatives killed in Israeli bombardment

Hamas Prepares Response To Gaza Truce Offer

Hamas was studying Tuesday Israel's offer of a 40-day truce in the war in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of scores of hostages held since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attacks.
The floodwaters devastated the village of Kamuchiri near Mai Mahiu

Dozens Killed As Dam Bursts In Flood-hit Kenya

At least 46 people including children died when a makeshift dam burst its banks in Kenya's Rift Valley in the early hours of Monday, a local official said, as torrential rains and floods battered the country.
New encampments in southern Gaza

Push For Truce Ramps Up As Israel Pummels Gaza

Diplomatic efforts increased on Sunday to reach a long sought-after truce and hostage-release deal in Gaza, as Israel carried out further air strikes and shelling on the war-battered territory.

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