Archaeologists dig out large tusk of ancient elephant in southern Israel

Kibbutz Revadim: Israeli archaeologists unearthed a titanic tusk of a prehistoric pachyderm near a kibbutz in southern Israel. The Israel Antiquities Authority said the 2.5-metre long fossil belonging to the long-extinct straight-tusked elephant was found during a joint excavation with researchers from Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University. Prehistorian Avi Levy, who headed the dig, said it was “the largest complete fossil tusk ever found at a prehistoric site in Israel or the Near East.” The site was dated to the late lower paleolithic period, around 500,000 years ago, based on stone tools found in the vicinity, the antiquities authority said. AP

Toddler dies after being hit by giant hailstone

MADRID: A 20-month-old girl died after being struck on the head during a violent hailstorm that wreaked havoc in Catalonia, Northeastern Spain. Fist-sized hailstones up to 4 inches in diameter rained down on Tuesday near La Bisbal d’Emporda. They caused injuries — mostly broken bones and bruising — to around 50 persons. Reuters

Cambodian, Japanese docs win Magsaysay Award

Manila: A psychiatrist who helped fellow Cambodians recover from trauma resulting from the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal rule and a Japanese ophthalmologist, who led an effort to treat thousands of Vietnamese villagers, were among those selected for this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awards. The other winners were a Filipina paediatrician, a Frenchman who battles plastic pollution in Indonesian rivers. The annual awards, announced on Wednesday are to be presented in Manila on November 30. AP

La Tomatina Returns