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German bakeries fight for survival as costs spiral
German bakeries fight for survival as costs spiral
World
by  AFP

Faced with exploding energy and ingredient costs, German baker Tobias Exner has installed new energy-efficient ovens, shortened his opening hours and even considered baking at lower temperatures. Seventy percent of artisanal bakeries have gas ovens and gas prices are going through the roof," said Friedemann Berg, managing director of the German Bakers' Federation.

Super Typhoon Noru barrels towards Philippines
Super Typhoon Noru barrels towards Philippines
World
by  AFP

A super typhoon barrelled towards the Philippines Sunday and was on track to slam into the heavily populated main island of Luzon, forcing the evacuations of coastal towns, authorities said. It is expected to weaken to a typhoon as it sweeps across central Luzon, before entering the South China Sea on Monday, heading towards Vietnam.

Cypriot carob growers harvest their 'black gold'
Cypriot carob growers harvest their 'black gold'
World
by  AFP

Christos Charalambous might be 79 but he is several metres up a carob tree, harvesting a fruit known as "black gold" on the island of Cyprus as his grandson works below. "Carob has been known as the black gold of Cyprus because many farmers used to have carob... it was the main occupation of the villagers," said Stavros Glafkou Charalambous, from the Cooperative Carob Marketing Federation.

Ukraine is 'not Nazi', Holocaust survivors tell Putin
Ukraine is 'not Nazi', Holocaust survivors tell Putin
World
by  AFP

Roman Gerstein, an 83-year-old Ukrainian Holocaust survivor, has a blunt riposte for Kremlin justifications of its invasion: "There are no Nazis here." Another Holocaust survivor, 84-year-old Felix Mamut, recalled how before World War II his extended family included his great-grandmother, her 16 children, and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

'You cannot survive': Inflation bites as Thai election looms
'You cannot survive': Inflation bites as Thai election looms
World
by  AFP

Sheltering from rain near Bangkok's Grand Palace, scores of unemployed Thais queue alongside homeless people waiting for free meals as 14-year-high inflation sends living costs soaring -- causing a headache for the government ahead of a looming general election.

Ford's electric drive reinvents historic Michigan factory
Ford's electric drive reinvents historic Michigan factory
Business and Economy
by  AFP

Construction crews are back at Dearborn, remaking Ford's century-old industrial complex once again, this time for a post-petroleum era that is finally beginning to feel possible. - Storied history - The Lightning marks the latest reinvention of the Dearborn Rouge industrial complex south of Detroit near the Rouge River.

Taiwan's pangolins suffer surge in feral dog attacks
Taiwan's pangolins suffer surge in feral dog attacks
World
by  AFP

In most of its habitats, the heavily trafficked pangolin's biggest threat comes from humans. - Most trafficked mammal - Pangolins are described by conservationists as the world's most trafficked mammal, with traditional Chinese medicine being the main driver.

Cubans to vote in referendum on same-sex marriage
Cubans to vote in referendum on same-sex marriage
World
by  AFP

Cubans on Sunday will vote in a landmark referendum on whether to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption, allow surrogate pregnancies and give greater rights to non-biological parents. Some Cubans, for example, have expressed support for same-sex marriage but oppose surrogate pregnancies.

Why are climate activists calling for reparations?
Why are climate activists calling for reparations?
World
by  AFP

Pakistan's catastrophic floods have led to renewed calls for rich polluting nations, which grew their economies through heavy use of fossil fuels, to compensate developing countries for the devastating impacts caused by the climate crisis.