Ukraine will need $9 billion over 10 years for its culture and tourism sectors to recover, the United Nations' cultural agency said on Tuesday, adding that the two-year war had so far cost the country over $19.6 billion in tourism revenue.
"The damage continues to increase and the needs for the sector's recovery continue to grow," Krista Pikkat, director of culture and emergencies at UNESCO, told reporters, adding that the lost revenue to the capital Kyiv alone was $10 billion.
In an assessment ahead of the war's two year anniversary, the UNESCO estimated the cost of damage to cultural property at about $3.5 billion, up 40% from 2023.
It said it had analysed damage to 340 buildings, including museums, monuments, libraries and religious sites.
"International solidarity will be essential to meeting these needs," the report said. "The implementation of risk prevention measures and the support for the creative industries are also important levers to reduce the estimated long-term impact of the war."
At least seven migrants have died, including one boy, one girl and two women, after their boat sank off the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece's coastguard said on Thursday.
The death toll from Myanmar's devastating earthquake has surpassed 3,000, with hundreds more missing, as forecasts of unseasonal rain presented a new challenge for rescue and aid workers trying to reach people in a country riven by civil war.
Russian forces unleashed an hour-long barrage of drones on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, late on Wednesday, triggering a number of fires but causing no casualties in the second such attack in the course of the day, the regional governor said.
Hamas decided not to respond or engage with Israel's counter-proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, an official told Reuters on Wednesday, affirming it is committed to the mediators' plan instead.
Dubai Police handled a total of 45,845 phone calls during the recent Eid Al-Fitr holiday through its Command and Control Centre and the 901 Call Centre.