Hurricane Julia sweeps through Central America

The storm continues to wreak havoc after pounding Nicaragua. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Hurricane Julia sweeps through Central America [Children run by a street full of remains of trees broken by Hurricane Julia in Bluefields, Nicaragua, Oct. 9, 2022.] Credit: Inti Ocon/AP Central America At least 28 people have died after [Hurricane Julia swept through]( parts of Central America. It dissipated after pounding Nicaragua, but has still been drenching Guatemala and El Salvador with torrential rains. [Rivers have overflowed](, a hillside collapsed in Guatemala, a boat capsized in Honduras, roofs were blown off homes in Colombia and El Salvador declared a state of emergency, opening 80 storm shelters. Nearly 10,000 people have also been evacuated to shelters in Nicaragua, and some highways were closed down in Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica. Israel-Lebanon Israel and Lebanon have reached a [historic agreement]( on their maritime border. The deal resolves a years-long dispute over major oil and gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea. The Karish oil and gas field will fall under Israeli jurisdiction, while the Qanaa prospect region will be under Lebanon. Israel said it will begin extracting oil and gas and exporting it to Europe imminently. Leaders from both countries have made statements [hailing the decision](, brokered by the United States. It doesn’t affect any land borders, but will likely ease security and economic tensions for both nations. Japan Tourists have returned to Japan after the country [lifted its final COVID-19 travel restrictions](. Visitors will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, along with a booster, or have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure. They will also have to wear face masks in most places and sanitize their hands, and people from most countries will not have to quarantine. [Nearly a third]( of Japan's tourists before the pandemic arrived from China and Hong Kong, however, and most of them will likely not be returning in this early stage because of China’s own zero COVID-19 policy. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [The controversial Chechen leader who supports Putin in Ukraine]( [Chechnya's regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov addresses servicemen attending a review of the Chechen Republic's troops and military hardware in Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic, Russia, Feb. 25, 2022.]( Credit: Musa Sadulayev/AP Russian President Vladimir Putin promoted Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to army general this month. Kadyrov is a long-time ally of Putin and is known for his [inflammatory remarks]( and abysmal human rights record. He has also described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a “holy war.” [Leicester’s Indian diaspora searches for answers after violence rocks multicultural British city]( [Leicester, England's Belgrave Road was rocked by violent confrontations in late September 2022.]( Credit: Andrew Connelly/The World The English city of Leicester is host to one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the UK, including a sizable South Asian community. But in recent months, the city’s reputation as a [successful model of integration]( has taken a blow as simmering tensions between people from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds have spilled over into street battles. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double take New Zealand has proposed [taxing the burps]( from farm animals in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gasses as a way to tackle climate change, in the first such move of its kind. 🐄 The government said that farmers could recoup the cost by charging more for climate-friendly products. But farmers are not happy, with the president of the Federated Farmers saying they have been trying to work with the government to settle on an emissions reduction plan that would not also decrease food production. [Dairy cows graze on a farm near Oxford, in the South Island of New Zealand, Oct. 8, 2018.] Credit: Mark Baker/AP/File photo In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.