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Two years on, survivors of Turkish earthquake still struggle with loss and hardship

Two years have passed since a devastating earthquake shattered Turkey's southern region, but for Omer Aydin and many other of its survivors the memory and the suffering remain fresh.

While struggling with a third winter in the cold inside a shipping container-like temporary housing unit, the single father of three is grappling with a cost-of-living crisis that is affecting the whole country as well as still trying to heal the scars from the disaster.

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Iran inaugurates its first drone-carrier warship

Iran has inaugurated its first drone-carrier warship, saying the vessel is capable of operating in oceans far from its mainland, the official IRNA news agency reported Thursday.

The report said the vessel, manned by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard's navy, can carry several squadrons of drones as well as helicopters and cruise missiles. Named Shahid Bagheri, it's capable of launching cruise missiles, IRNA said.

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Israeli defense minister tells army to set plans for Palestinians to leave Gaza

Israel said on Thursday it has begun preparations for the departure of large numbers of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in line with President Donald Trump's plan for the territory. Officials meanwhile said Egypt has launched an diplomatic blitz behind the scenes to try and head off the plan.

The Palestinians and much of the international community have rejected Trump's proposal, fearing Israel will never allow the refugees to return and that it would destabilize the region. Egypt has warned that such a plan could undermine its peace treaty with Israel, a cornerstone of stability and American influence in the Middle East for decades.

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Arab American community offers muted response to Trump's Gaza takeover plan

Residents of the largest Arab American community in the U.S. had plenty to say during the 2024 presidential campaign about the roiling politics in the Middle East. But after President Donald Trump's stunning announcement on Tuesday that he wanted to remove Palestinians from Gaza and impose a U.S. takeover in the region, some leaders in Dearborn, Michigan, were treading far more cautiously.

"People are taking a deep breath. It's too early to render a judgment. But definitely the past two or three weeks feel unbelievable," said Imad Hamad, executive director of the Dearborn-based American Human Rights Council.

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'I won't leave. Put that in your brain.' Palestinians reject Trump's Gaza plan

Saeed Abu Elaish's wife, two of his daughters and two dozen others from his extended family were killed by Israeli airstrikes over the past 15 months. His house in northern Gaza was destroyed. He and surviving family now live in a tent set up in the rubble of his home.

But he says he will not be driven out, after President Donald Trump called for transferring all Palestinians from Gaza so the United States could take over the devastated territory and rebuild it for others. Rights groups said his comments were tantamount to a call for "ethnic cleansing" and forcible expulsion.

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How an ancient asteroid strike carved out 2 grand canyons on the moon

New research shows that when an asteroid slammed into the moon billions of years ago, it carved out a pair of grand canyons on the lunar far side.

That's good news for scientists and NASA, which is looking to land astronauts at the south pole on the near, Earth-facing side untouched by that impact and containing older rocks in original condition.

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South African president phones Musk after Trump's funding threat

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke with Donald Trump's "influential" billionaire adviser Elon Musk a day after the new U.S. president promised to cut funding for South Africa over a land expropriation law, Ramaphosa's spokesperson said Wednesday.

Ramaphosa's conversation with Musk was "logical," spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said, because the South African-born Tesla and SpaceX entrepreneur has held previous investment-related discussions with Ramaphosa and is a Trump ally.

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Scientists solve mystery of sea turtles 'lost years'

Using satellite trackers, scientists have discovered the whereabouts of young sea turtles during a key part of their lives.

"We've had massive data gaps about the early baby to toddler life stages of sea turtles," said Kate Mansfield, a marine scientist at the University of Central Florida. "This part of their long lives has been largely a mystery."

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Box-office smash 'Moana 2' drives Disney profit in first quarter

Disney easily topped first-quarter expectations thanks in part to the box office smash " Moana 2."

There were some oversized expectations for the animated film but "Moana 2", originally intended as a series for the company's streaming service before it was produced for the big screen — blew predictions out of the water. Its five-day opening set a new record for Thanksgiving moviegoing.

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Making climate-friendly lifestyle choices isn't always easy. India learned the hard way

For nearly four years, India's government pushed an initiative to get people to think about how to make lifestyle choices that pollute less, like cycling instead of driving or using less plastic.

But in the country's yearly budget announcement last weekend, the once-flagship program failed to get a mention — or any promise of future funding.

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