insert_link World Biden warns of declining global support for Israel amid Gaza casualties US President Joe Biden is warning that Israel is starting to lose global support over what he says is its indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, Palestinian health officials say more than 18-thousand people have been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza since October seventh. Biden says there is no question about the need to take on Hamas, but Israel has to do it right […] todayDecember 13, 2023 4
insert_link Business / Economics Airbnb agrees 576-mn-euro deal in Italy tax dispute Short-term rental platform Airbnb said Wednesday it has agreed to pay Italy's tax agency 576 million euros ($621 million) following allegations of tax evasion. Italy's financial police seized over 779 million euros from the online accommodation service last month on the order of Milan prosecutors, who accused the site of having failed to collect a rental income tax from landlords in the period from 2017 to 2021. "Airbnb Ireland has […] todayDecember 13, 2023 27
insert_link Health / Medical Climate change risks triggering a spike in infectious disease outbreaks: three reasons why By Wolfgang Preiser, Stellenbosch University; Cheryl Baxter, Stellenbosch University; Houriiyah Tegally, Stellenbosch University; Monika Moir, Stellenbosch University, and Tulio de Oliveira, University of KwaZulu-Natal Climate change is our planet’s most immediate existential threat, and will likely only worsen for the foreseeable future. Among its numerous adverse effects on human health, there is strong evidence linking climate change to infectious disease outbreaks. A recent analysis revealed that of 375 infectious diseases […] todayDecember 13, 2023 14
insert_link World Biden urges Republicans to fund Ukraine conflict amid stalemate US President Joe Biden has urged Congress to approve billions of dollars for Ukraine, warning that not to do so would be a "Christmas gift" for Russia's leader. Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Tuesday, amid a funding fight which has seen Republicans refuse to support extra assistance for Kyiv. Nick Harper report from Washington. todayDecember 13, 2023 4
insert_link World New York’s top court orders congressional map redraw New York's top court has ordered the state to redraw its new Congressional maps - handing a major victory to Democrats ahead of the 2024 elections. Toni Waterman has more. b todayDecember 13, 2023 14
insert_link Africa Illegal gold mining in the firing line By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Countries across the continent are moving to quash illegal gold mining, using a variety of methods including formalising the sector, applying more stringent legal processes and even resorting to military intervention, with a Ghanaian court recently sentencing a Chinese national to prison for illegal gold mining, “The court in the capital, Accra, sentenced Aisha Huang to four and a half years imprisonment and a […] todayDecember 13, 2023 20
insert_link Opinion Pieces Madagascar cave art hints at ancient connections between Africa and Asia By David Burney, University of Hawaii Unique, prehistoric rock art drawings have been discovered in the Andriamamelo Cave in western Madagascar. I was part of a team that discovered and described these ancient treasures. They’re the first truly pictorial art, depicting images of nature with human-like and animal-like figures, to be seen on the island. Until recently, rock art in Madagascar had only yielded a few sites with basic symbols. […] todayDecember 13, 2023 6
insert_link World UNGA calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza The United Nations General Assembly has voted in favor of a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. More than three-quarters of the 193-member General Assembly backed the move which was vetoed by the United States in the Security Council last week. Jody Jacobs reports from the United Nations in New York... todayDecember 13, 2023 16
insert_link World Harvard board backs university president over antisemitism row Harvard's governing body has defied calls to sack the university's president Claudine Gay in a row over antisemitism on campus. Gay and several other universities faced criticism for comments made on the issue at a recent congressional hearing. Our U.S. correspondent William Denselow reports. todayDecember 13, 2023 20