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German Companies Urge Next Government to Step Up on Climate

Dozens of large German companies have urged the country's next government to put in place ambitious policies to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord.

The 69 companies said in an open letter Monday that the next government needs to put Germany "on a clear and reliable path to climate neutrality" with a plan for doing so within its first 100 days in office.

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Climate Activists Block Intersection Near Dutch Parliament

Hundreds of protesters from climate activist group Extinction Rebellion blocked a busy intersection Monday near the temporary home of the Netherlands' parliament, marking the start of a week of protests the group plans in The Hague before a U.N. climate conference that opens on Oct. 31.

The demonstration started when protesters wheeled a yellow boat emblazoned with the Dutch words meaning "citizens decide" into the middle the road. Other activists walked to another nearby intersection and began sitting or lying down in the road as police looked on.

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4 Detained During Massive Pro-EU Protest in Poland

Police in Warsaw said Monday that four people, including a nephew of the prime minister, were detained during a massive protest against government policy that critics say could cost Poland its European Union membership.

Organizers and Warsaw authorities say that up to 100,000 people took part in the protest in downtown Warsaw Sunday to show their support for the EU. A nephew of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki alleged that a police officer kicked him in the head while he was on the ground being detained.

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Qatar Releases Afghan Soldier Who Killed 3 Australians

An Afghan army deserter who murdered three Australian soldiers had been released from custody in Qatar and his whereabouts were not known, officials said on Monday.

The soldier known as Hekmatullah fled after shooting dead the Australian soldiers and wounding two others on a base in 2012 and was sentenced to death in 2013.

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Merck Asks U.S. FDA to Authorize Promising Anti-COVID Pill

Drugmaker Merck asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its pill against COVID-19 in what would add an entirely new and easy-to-use weapon to the world's arsenal against the pandemic.

If cleared by the Food and Drug Administration — a decision that could come in a matter of weeks — it would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19. All other FDA-backed treatments against the disease require an IV or injection.

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Israeli Archaeologists Discover Ancient Winemaking Complex

Israeli archaeologists on Monday said they have unearthed a massive ancient winemaking complex dating back some 1,500 years.

The complex, discovered in the central town of Yavne, includes five wine presses, warehouses, kilns for producing clay storage vessels and tens of thousands of fragments and jars, they said.

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Facebook Unveils New Controls for Kids Using Its Platforms

Facebook, in the aftermath of damning testimony that its platforms harm children, will be introducing several features including prompting teens to take a break using its photo sharing app Instagram, and "nudging" teens if they are repeatedly looking at the same content that's not conducive to their well-being.

The Menlo Park, California-based Facebook is also planning to introduce new controls for adults of teens on an optional basis so that parents or guardians can supervise what their teens are doing online. These initiatives come after Facebook announced late last month that it was pausing work on its Instagram for Kids project. But critics say the plan lacks details and they are skeptical that the new features would be effective.

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A Bird Stars in Rare Feel-Good Tale about Afghan Evacuations

The mynah bird squawks from a new cage in the French ambassador's sunlit living room in Abu Dhabi, a far cry from its life as the pet of a young Afghan woman who has since found refuge in France.

Talkative, yellow-beaked "Juji" had a brief star turn on social media, its story of survival amid the frenzied evacuations from Taliban-run Afghanistan striking a nerve with a global audience.

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Fire-Hit Greek Island Races to Fix Damage before Next Storm

Authorities on the Greek island of Evia said Monday that more than 200 homes were damaged by weekend flooding, with most of the affected areas left unprotected in the wake of huge summer wildfires.

The floods also damaged roads in the north of the island, and also caused damage on nearby areas of the central Greek mainland. Authorities are racing to clear the damage, using earthmovers to clear riverbed blockages, before more severe weather expected later this week.

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La Palma's Volcanic Eruption Is Going Strong 3 Weeks Later

Three weeks since its eruption upended the lives of thousands, the volcano on Spain's La Palma island is still spewing out endless streams of lava with no signs of ceasing.

Authorities on Sunday monitored a new stream of molten rock that has added to the destruction of over 1,100 buildings. Anything in the path of the lava — homes, farms, swimming pools and industrial buildings in the largely agricultural area — has been consumed.

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