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ICTSI to challenge KZN High Court ruling halting Durban port contract




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NFO warning against consumers’ Black Friday impulse buying




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DA revives private members’ bills regulating coalition governments




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Anti-Bullying Week: toxic family dynamics among indicators of bullying in children




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SIU investigates corruption allegations against SASRIA following July 2021 unrest




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¿Quién tiene la culpa por las protestas con disturbios? A

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




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¿Quién tiene la culpa por las protestas con disturbios? B

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




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Ganando al perder: La paradoja del discipulado A

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




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Ganando al perder: La paradoja del discipulado B

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




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La sepultura sobrenatural de Cristo A

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




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La sepultura sobrenatural de Cristo B

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




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Mujeres dando testimonio y discípulos dudando A

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




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Mujeres dando testimonio y discípulos dudando B

La enseñanza bíblica en profundidad de John MacArthur lleva la verdad transformadora de la Palabra de Dios a millones de personas cada día.




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The Great Tribulation, Part 1 A




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The Great Tribulation, Part 1 B




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The Great Tribulation, Part 2 A




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The Great Tribulation, Part 2 B




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The Miraculous Jesus A




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The Miraculous Jesus A




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Calling Rulers to Repentance A




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Calling Rulers to Repentance B




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The Miraculous Jesus




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The Miraculous Jesus




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SC: Sulu exclusion from BARMM takes effect immediately

A ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law but excluding Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is immediately executory, according to the Supreme Court.




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Jesus Feeds the Multitudes




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Powerful Promises




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Jesus’ Unjust Trial, Peter’s Shameful Denial




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Prophecies Fulfilled at Calvary




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What Makes Christians Most Thankful?




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Paul's Ministry: Fulfilling the Word of God




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Paul's Ministry: The Mystery of Christ in You




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Paul's Burden for the Church




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Eastern Mediterranean Natural Gas Culminations

Countries like Cyprus, Israel and Greece have high expectations of becoming players in world energy markets through natural gas production and export.




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Bread and Community in Istanbul

In the neighborhood of Pangalti, an area rich with history, specialty shops dedicated to fresh and local fare knit a sense of community among the locals.




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Could Putin Be Vulnerable to a Coup?

Could Putin be vulnerable to a coup or uprising? All of the grievances that traditionally motivate a coup against a dictator are in place.




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Rice Shortages, High Prices Hit Most Vulnerable

Francis Ndege isn’t sure if his customers in Africa’s largest slum can afford to keep buying rice from him. Prices for rice grown in Kenya soared a while ago because of higher fertilizer prices and a yearslong drought in the Horn of Africa that has reduced production. Cheap rice imported from India had filled the gap, feeding many of the hundreds of thousands of residents in Nairobi's Kibera slum who survive on less than $2 a day. But that is changing. The price of a 25-kilogram (55-pound) bag of rice has risen by a fifth since June. Wholesalers are yet to receive new stocks since India, the world's largest exporter of rice by far, said last month that it would ban some rice shipments. It's an effort by the world’s most populous nation to control domestic prices ahead of a key election year — but it’s left a yawning gap of around 9.5 million metric tons (10.4 tons) of rice that people around the world need, roughly a fifth of global exports. “I’m really hoping the imports keep coming,” said Ndege, 51, who's sold rice for 30 years. He isn’t the only one. Global food security is already under threat since Russia halted an agreement allowing Ukraine to export wheat and the El Nino weather phenomenon hampers rice production. Now, rice prices are soaring — Vietnam’s rice export prices, for instance, have reached a 15-year high — putting the most vulnerable people in some of the poorest nations at risk. The world is at an “inflection point," said Beau Damen, a natural resources officer with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization based in Bangkok. Even before India’s restrictions, countries already were frantically buying rice in anticipation of scarcity later when the El Nino hit, creating a supply crunch and spiking prices. What could make the situation worse is if India’s ban on non-basmati rice creates a domino effect, with other countries following suit. Already, the United Arab Emirates has suspended rice exports to maintain its domestic stocks. Another threat is if extreme weather damages rice crops in other countries. An El Nino is a natural, temporary and occasional warming of part of the Pacific Ocean that shifts global weather patterns, and climate change is making them stronger. Scientists expect the one underway to expand to supersized levels, and, in the past, they have resulted in extreme weather ranging from drought to flooding. The impact would be felt worldwide. Rice consumption in Africa has been growing steadily, and most countries are heavily dependent on imports. While nations with growing populations like Senegal have been trying to grow more of their own rice — many are struggling. Amadou Khan, a 52-year-old unemployed father of five in Dakar, says his children eat rice with every meal except breakfast, which they often have to skip when he's out of work. “I am just getting by — sometimes, I’ve trouble taking care of my kids,” he said. Imported rice — 70% of which comes from India — has become prohibitively expensive in Senegal, so he's eating homegrown rice that costs two-thirds as much. Senegal will turn to other trading partners like Thailand or Cambodia for imports, though the West African country is not “far from being self-sufficient" on rice, with over half of its demand grown locally, Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Mamadou Aïcha Ndiaye said. Asian countries, where 90% of the world’s rice is grown and eaten, are struggling with production. The Philippines was carefully managing water in anticipation of less rain amid the El Nino when Typhoon Doksuri battered its northern rice-producing region, damaging $32 million worth of rice crops — an estimated 22% of its annual production. The archipelago nation is the second-largest importer of rice after China, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has underscored the need to ensure adequate buffers. India’s rice restrictions also were motivated by erratic weather: An uneven monsoon along with a looming El Nino meant that the partial ban was needed to stop food prices from rising, Indian food policy expert Devinder Sharma said. The restrictions will take offline nearly half the country's usual rice exports this year, said Ashok Gulati of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relation. Repeated restrictions make India an unreliable exporter, he added. “That’s not good for the export business because it takes years to develop these markets,” Gulati said. Vietnam, another major rice exporter, is hoping to capitalize. With rice export prices at a 15-year high and expectations that annual production to be marginally higher than last year, the Southeast Asian nation is trying to keep domestic prices stable while boosting exports. The Agriculture Ministry says it's working to increase how much land in the Mekong Delta is dedicated to growing rice by around 500 square kilometers — an area larger than 90,000 football fields. Already the Philippines is in talks with Vietnam to try to get the grain at lower prices, while Vietnam also looks to target the United Kingdom, which receives much of its rice from India. But exporters like Charoen Laothamatas in neighboring Thailand are wary. The Thai government expects to ship more rice than it did last year, with its exports in the first six months of the year 15% higher than the same period of 2022. But the lack of clarity about what India will do next and concerns about the El Nino means Thai exporters are reluctant to take orders, mill operators are unwilling to sell and farmers have increased the prices of unmilled rice, said Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association. With prices fluctuating, exporters don't know what prices to quote — because prices may spike again the next day. “And no one wants to take the risk,” Laothamatas said.




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Burkina Faso extends military rule for 5 years to 2029

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — Burkina Faso's military regime, in power since a 2022 coup, will extend its rule for five years under an accord adopted during national consultations on Saturday, the talks' chairman said.  "The duration of the transition is fixed at 60 months from July 2, 2024," Colonel Moussa Diallo, chairman of the organizing committee of the national dialogue process, said after the talks.  He added that coup leader and acting president Ibrahim Traore could run in any elections at the end of the transition period.  What was supposed to be a two-day national dialogue began earlier Saturday, ostensibly to chart a way back to civilian rule for the West African nation beset by jihadi violence.  The army has governed Burkina Faso since 2022, carrying out two coups that it said were justified in large part by the persistent insecurity.  Jihadi rebels affiliated with al Qaida and the Islamic State group have waged a grinding insurgency since 2015 that has killed thousands and displaced millions.  An initial national dialogue had resulted in a charter that installed Traore as president and put in place a government and a legislative assembly.  Under the new charter, quotas will no longer be used to assign seats in the assembly to members of traditional parties. Instead, "patriotism" will be the only criteria for selecting deputies.  "You have just rewritten a new page in the history of our country," said Minister of Territorial Affairs Emile Zerbo, who opened the meeting on Saturday morning.  The initial charter set the transition to civilian rule at 21 months, with the deadline set to expire July 1.  But Traore had repeatedly warned that holding elections would be difficult given the perilous security situation.  The new charter also calls for a new body called the "Korag" to "monitor and control the implementation of the country's strategic vision in all areas and through all means." Its composition and operations are at the discretion of the president.  Civil society representatives, the security and defense forces and lawmakers in the transitional assembly took part in the weekend talks, which most political parties boycotted.  Human rights groups have accused Burkina Faso's junta leaders of abuses against civilians during their military campaigns against jihadis, and of silencing media and opposition leaders.   After taking power, the coup leaders expelled French troops and diplomats, and have instead turned to Russia for military assistance.   




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Viewpoints: Iraq Battles Multiple Crises

With ISIS continuing to terrorize and control broad swaths of the country, and with international intervention now underway, Iraq also faces a potential political crisis.





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Paul Weller, Primal Scream, Kneecap headline London's 'Gig for Gaza'


During a recent tour of the US, Weller, a longtime advocate for leftwing causes, performed with a Palestinian flag draped over his guitar amplifier.




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Jeremy Berkovits: The face of Jerusalem's popular American Colony Hotel


At the table: Maintaining the massive 12,000-square-foot compound amounts to many thousands of shekels a month, and the owners are eager for a return to normalcy.



  • hotel
  • business
  • The October 7 Massacre
  • Israel-Hamas War
  • At the Table

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Hava Raucher’s fearless art tackles identity, gender, and cultural taboo


'On the Living and the Dead' dives into Israeli artist Hava Raucher’s fearless views on society.




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The pogrom in Amsterdam should be a wake-up call for the Western world


Heed this warning: Islamic fundamentalists may start with the Jews, but they won’t stop there.




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Thai gov't warns of possible attack on Israelis at Koh Phangan 'Full Moon' party


Israeli government officials have recognized this situation of a potential terrorist attack and shared a travel warning to Israelis.





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The Abraham Accords 2.0 is the only path forward for a peaceful Middle East


With Trump poised to resume his role as a champion of these accords, we have a window of opportunity to take a bold step.




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Tel Aviv Spirit Festival explores mindfulness, resilience, and healing from trauma


Spirit Film Festival brings films on resilience, spirituality, and healing to Tel Aviv.




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Dan Bilzerian 'would bet entire net worth that less than 6 million Jews were killed in Holocaust'


Bilzerian has also described Hamas as a "resistance organization" and had called its late leader Yahya Sinwar "a hero" after his death on the Piers Morgan Uncensored show.




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Sudan: Hashim Siddig, Sudan's 'Multi-Talented Poet', Dies At the Age of 77

[Dabanga] Amsterdam -- Many Sudanese are mourning the death of the famous poet and dramatist Hashim Siddig, who died in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday morning. He was 77 years old. Siddig is not only famous for his epic poem on the 1964 revolution in Sudan, but also for his radio and television dramas.




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Botswana: Botswana's Election Shock - Analyst Reflects On Why Voters Kicked the Ruling Party Out After 58 Years

[The Conversation Africa] The dramatic loss of power by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which had governed Botswana since independence in 1966, will go down in history as one of the biggest electoral upsets in Africa.