When bombs began raining in Lebanon: In Beirut, my father is a man who belongs to a house, garden…a place; now he’s homeless

When bombs began raining in Lebanon: In Beirut, my father is a man who belongs to a house, garden…a place; now he’s homeless

These days, we spend our nights on my sister’s balcony, checking WhatsApp. My siblings and I do our best to keep the mood light for our parents, encouraging them to stay active and talk with us. But it’s tough. They live independent lives in the south, but here, everything is new and strange. Watching them struggle from afar was unbearable. Now I carry a new kind of burden, of watching their silence and sadness.

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Comedian’s ‘floating island of garbage’ comment at Trump rally upsets Puerto Ricans, politicians, celebrities

Comedian’s ‘floating island of garbage’ comment at Trump rally upsets Puerto Ricans, politicians, celebrities

Americans of Puerto Rican origin or ancestry are an important demographic in some of the competitive swing states that will likely decide the winner of the November 5 election, including Pennsylvania. Broadly speaking, both candidates are fighting tooth and nail for the Latino vote, which has trended more Republican in recent years but still leans Democratic.

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President Ramaphosa puts South African on edge after describing Russia’s Putin as valuable friend, ally’

President Ramaphosa puts South African on edge after describing Russia’s Putin as valuable friend, ally’

The Democratic Alliance (DA) leader distanced him and his party from Ramaphosa’s reported quote of Russia being a valuable ally and friend. The remark was apparently made during a meeting of the two BRICS members.

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Paradox of Rwanda sending troops to eastern DRC to defend Congolese Tutsi who did’t ask for M23 protection

Paradox of Rwanda sending troops to eastern DRC to defend Congolese Tutsi who did’t ask for M23 protection

Many Congolese we spoke to perceive M23’s main aim to be control of power at the local level – undermining the existing authorities. The group has indeed sought to replace customary authorities with M23-appointed ones, at times assassinating Congolese chiefs. Local sources said M23 even burnt chiefdom archives, destroying evidence of claims to customary authority.

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No hug for Erik Ten Hag as he’s tossed out, Van Nistelrooy named interim manager of hobbling Man United

No hug for Erik Ten Hag as he’s tossed out, Van Nistelrooy named interim manager of hobbling Man United

United had sounded out potential replacements including now England head coach Thomas Tuchel, newly-appointed USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi, Brentford head coach Thomas Frank and Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna.

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Trump’s burnt precious minutes with stories about his White House days, dead athlete’s penis size and now he’s burning votes

Trump’s burnt precious minutes with stories about his White House days, dead athlete’s penis size and now he’s burning votes

Trump aides say he sets the pace and talks as long as he wants. They don’t try to contain him – and they have put him in forums such as podcasts where his rambling ways can find a home and he won’t be subjected to a battery of questions.

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Botswana ruling party walks tightrope as it prepares to defend 58 years in power with economy wonky

Botswana ruling party walks tightrope as it prepares to defend 58 years in power with economy wonky

Just over a million people have registered to vote, according to the Independent Electoral Commission that runs elections, with the increasing unemployment rate a key issue for voters. Botswana is larger than France but has a population of just 2.5 million, with the Kalahari Desert covering large portions of the landlocked country that borders South Africa.

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Rapid Support Forces go on rampage in east-central Sudan, kill over 120  – UN and doctors

Rapid Support Forces go on rampage in east-central Sudan, kill over 120 – UN and doctors

The Sudanese Doctors’ Union said in a statement that at least 124 people were killed and 200 others were wounded in the town of Sariha, adding that the group rounded up at least 150 others. It called on the UN Security Council to pressure the RSF to open “safe corridors” to enable aid groups to reach people in impacted villages.

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John Kelly’s comparison of Trump to Hitler exposes conspiracy of silence between US mainstream media and political class

John Kelly’s comparison of Trump to Hitler exposes conspiracy of silence between US mainstream media and political class

John Kelly, a retired Marine general and Trump’s longest serving chief of staff, told the New York Times and The Atlantic in interviews published this week that when he was president, Trump made it clear that he admired Hitler and yearned for his authoritarian power.

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President Macron of France visits Morocco after his Western Sahara change ushers in ‘new honeymoon’

President Macron of France visits Morocco after his Western Sahara change ushers in ‘new honeymoon’

France and Morocco have historically partnered on issues ranging from counterterrorism to Western Sahara. Morocco is the top destination for French investment in Africa and France is Morocco’s top trade partner.

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