A sign alerts drivers to potential polar bears, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Churchill, Manitoba. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
BOSTON (AP) — Three months after his release from Hamas captivity, Omer Shem Tov stood on the pitcher’s mound at a Boston Red Sox game. Surrounded by supporters, he tossed out the first pitch, then raised his arms in celebration. His name flashed on the stadium billboard.The moment was emblematic of the newfound — and for Shem Tov, unsought and at times unsettling — celebrity the 22-year-old has found
Omer Shem Tov, front, a former Israeli hostage who survived over 500 days in Hamas captivity, delivers a ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets at Fenway Park, Monday, May 19, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)Omer Shem Tov, front, a former Israeli hostage who survived over 500 days in Hamas captivity, delivers a ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets at Fenway Park, Monday, May 19, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)Before being taken hostage, Shem Tov had just finished military service, was working in a restaurant, having fun with friends and planning an overseas trip. Now, he’s in the public eye as he travels the globe campaigning for the release of the remaining
— a third of whom are believed still alive.Upon his arrival at Boston’s Logan International Airport Shem Tov was greeted by dozens of schoolchildren and their teachers — wearing “Boston Loves Omer” T-shirts — singing Israeli songs in Hebrew and dancing with him.
Omer Shem Tov, an Israeli hostage who survived over 500 days in Hamas captivity, is welcomed during his arrival at Logan Airport, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Omer Shem Tov, an Israeli hostage who survived over 500 days in Hamas captivity, is welcomed during his arrival at Logan Airport, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)They seek rights over their common lands that will require outsiders, including authorities, to seek villagers’ permission to make any changes to them.
India is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate impacts. According to the 2025 Climate Risk Index, the country between 1993 and 2022 was subject to 400 extreme events — includingand cyclones — causing 80,000 deaths and economic losses nearing $180 billion.
Odisha is one of India’s poorest states and among the most vulnerable to climate impacts. A study by researchers from Odisha’s Fakir Mohan University published in 2023 found that food production there had decreased by 40% in the last 50 years due to climate change.Most Indian farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture, with about half of all farmed land dependent on downpours. As the monsoons become more unpredictable, livelihoods are affected.