Posts by Riah Stelmack
Mayotte feels like nuclear war aftermath since cyclone, residents say
Residents of Mayotte have spoken of “apocalyptic scenes” caused by the worst storm in 90 years to hit the French Indian Ocean territory. Cyclone Chido brought wind speeds of more than 225km/h (140mph), flattening areas where the poorest lived in sheet-metal roof shacks. “We’ve had no water for three days now,” said one resident of…
Read MoreThe essential guide to visiting Hokuriku, Japan
Why you should visit Hokuriku This central Japanese region has some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes, from towering mountains to beautiful bays. This natural abundance translates into rich and varied local cuisine, as well as generations-old crafts like wood carving. Hokuriku is also well-connected, with a Shinkansen line to Tokyo and rapid trains down…
Read MoreKenyan gets 50 years for murder of LGBTQ+ activist
Kenyan photographer Jacktone Odhiambo has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for murdering his housemate, LGBTQ+ activist Edwin Kiprotich Kipruto, popularly known as Edwin Chiloba, nearly two years ago. Judge Reuben Nyakundi said the decades-long sentence was based on the “diabolical manner” of the killing. Chiloba, a 25-year-old fashion designer, was smothered to death…
Read MoreOfficials: Mayotte cyclone toll will not be known for ‘days and days’
The full number of deaths caused by Cyclone Chido in the French overseas territory of Mayotte will not be known for some time, the authorities said. “It will take days and days,” said France’s acting interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, during a visit to the archipelago on Monday. The local prefect, François-Xavier Bieuville, told the local…
Read MoreThe EU’s two biggest economies are grappling with political uncertainty
The News The European Union’s heavyweights France and Germany are grappling with political challenges, with the former hit by a credit ratings downgrade and the latter a government confidence vote. French leaders have struggled to pass a budget in the face of far-right opposition, with a third prime minister in a year picking up the…
Read More15 Hindu Gods Representing Cyclical Balance in the Universe
Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions in the world, with roots stretching back over 4,000 years. According to The Pew Research Center, there are about 1 billion Hindus in the world, representing 15 percent of the global population. Approximately 94 percent of Hindus live in India, and 60 percent of Southern Asia’s total…
Read MoreAl-Assad denies planned departure from Syria in alleged statement
Syria’s ousted president Bashar al-Assad said, in a statement attributed to him on Monday, that he did not plan to leave the country amid rebel advances towards Damascus but that Russia had evacuated him. “At no point during these events, did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by…
Read MoreEU slaps sanctions on dozens more Russian officials and targets its shadow oil and gas fleet
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Monday imposed fresh sanctions on dozens of officials linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine, including two top North Korean defense officials, a military unit blamed for an attack on a Kyiv children’s hospital and the heads of companies in the energy sector. Russia’s vast shadow fleet of ships…
Read MoreAnalysis: The hidden challenge of Saudi unemployment
On paper, achieving Saudi Arabia’s unemployment target falls under the remit of the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development. But the real burden of meeting the newly revised 5% target by 2030 falls on two powerful figures: Mohammed Al-Jadaan, the Minister of Finance, and Yasser Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Who…
Read More‘The military has been inserted into the economy’: how the army became ubiquitous in Mexican life
A new package holiday promises to whisk tourists in the Yucatán Peninsula from plush hotels to Mayan ruins on a new airline and freshly-laid train tracks – an adventure brought to them entirely by the Mexican army, which now does luxury tourism when not fighting crime. That an institution with a history of human rights…
Read MoreHyatt expands Me and All Hotel Flims brand with first hotel in Switzerland
Hyatt Hotels’ affiliate has reached a franchise agreement with a subsidiary of the Lindner Hotel Group for the debut of Me and All Hotel Flims in Switzerland. This marks the fifth Hyatt-branded hotel in Switzerland and the first outside Germany since its inclusion in Hyatt’s global Lifestyle portfolio. The hotel offers 73 keys, including 47…
Read MoreReports of 20 dead in Israeli attack in Khan Younis in Gaza Strip
Around 20 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a former school building in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said on Monday. The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that children were also among the victims. In contrast, the Israeli army stated that the attack on Sunday evening targeted a “command and control centre…
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