Israeli airstrikes rock southern suburbs of Beirut and cut off a key crossing into Syria

BEIRUT (AP) — Israel has carried out a series of punishing airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Strikes have also cut off the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria for tens of thousands of people fleeing Israeli bombardment. The overnight blasts in Beirut’s southern suburbs sent huge plumes of smoke and flames into the night sky and shook buildings kilometers away in the Lebanese capital. Thursday’s strike along the Lebanon-Syria border, about 50 kilometers or 30 miles east of Beirut, led to the closure of the road near the busy Masnaa Border Crossing. Israel said it had targeted the crossing because it was being used by Hezbollah to transport military equipment across the border.

Rainstorms and heavy floods hit large parts of Bosnia, killing at least 16 people

KISELJAK, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Severe rainstorms have struck Bosnia overnight, killing at least 16 people and flooding several towns and villages in central and southern parts of the country. Rescue services in the south of the country reported several people missing on Friday and called on volunteers and the army to assist. In the towns of Jablanica and Kiseljak, officials said the power was off overnight and there was no cellphone service. The Jablanica fire station says the town is completely inaccessible because roads and railways were closed. The heavy rains and strong winds were also reported in neighboring Croatia, where several roads were closed and the capital of Zagreb prepared for the swollen Sava River to burst its banks.

Drought has dried a major Amazon River tributary to its lowest level in over 122 years

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s geological service says that one of the Amazon River’s main tributaries has dropped to its lowest level in 122 years, reflecting a severe drought that has devastated the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the country. The level of the Negro River at the port of Manaus was at 12.66 meters on Friday, as compared with a normal level of about 21 meters. The Negro River drains about 10% of the Amazon basin and is the world’s sixth-largest by water volume. Manaus, the biggest city in the rainforest, is where the Negro joins the Amazon River, which in Brazil is called the Solimoes River upstream.

EU fishing and farming deals with Morocco failed to include Western Sahara’s consent, top court says

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s top court says fisheries and agriculture agreements reached between the bloc and Morocco five years ago failed to include consultations with the people of Western Sahara. The status of the Western Sahara is among the most sensitive topics in the North African kingdom. Morocco considers the vast mineral-rich territory as its “southern provinces” and fiercely defends against anything it considers to be a threat to its territorial integrity. In Friday’s ruling, the European Court of Justice said that for the EU-Morocco agreements to enter force, they “must receive the consent of the people of Western Sahara. However, such consent has not been given in this instance.”