Deadly blasts claimed by Islamic State hit northern Afghan cities
Kabul, AfghanistanReuters An explosion claimed by the Islamic State at a Shi’ite mosque in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif on Thursday killed at least 11 people, a health official said, one of a series of blasts around the country. A separate blast caused at least 11 more casualties in Kunduz, another northern Afghan city, […]
Mariupol mayor says lives of city’s trapped residents are in Putin’s hands
Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin alone can decide the fate of the 100,000 civilians still trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Mariupol, Mayor Vadym Boichenko told Reuters on Thursday, saying that satellite images of a mass grave site were proof Russians were burying bodies to try to hide the death toll. Earlier Putin claimed victory in the […]
Putin claims victory in Mariupol, US calls it “disinformation”
Kyiv, UkraineReuters Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the biggest battle of the war in Ukraine on Thursday, declaring the port city of Mariupol “liberated” after nearly two months of siege. However, hundreds of fighters and civilians were still holed up inside a huge steel works. Putin ordered his troops to blockade the complex […]
Queen Elizabeth II’s 96th birthday marked with gun salutes
London, UKReuters Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 96th birthday at her Sandringham estate on Thursday as gun salutes rang out across London and Windsor and military bands played Happy Birthday. Britain’s longest serving monarch, who celebrates a historic platinum jubilee this year, was pictured with two white ponies in a photo released for the occasion. […]
UN says investigators prevented access to site of Mali killings
Dakar, SenegalReuters The United Nations is “extremely concerned” that Mali has prevented its investigators from visiting a town where local troops and suspected Russian fighters allegedly killed hundreds of civilians, the world body said on Wednesday. At least 300 men are believed to have been summarily executed during a 27th to 31st March raid on […]
GreenSight: The ‘Chavatstselet Hasharon’ or the Sharon tulip
ALVIN JOHNSON looks at the flower referred to as the ‘rose of Sharon’ in Song of Solomon…
Bionic limbs lift Gaza amputees’ self-esteem
GazaReuters A “smart” prosthetic hand that mimics human anatomy and motion has allowed Ahmed Abu Hamda to play with his children and regain self esteem, part of a new project in Gaza Strip, where conflict with Israel has left hundreds of Palestinians without limbs. Since March, a Qatari-funded hospital in Gaza has been providing myoelectric […]
On the Screen: ‘The Duke’ a well-drawn retelling of an improbable – but true – tale
DAVID ADAMS finds ‘The Duke’ an immensely satisfying retelling of a fascinating true story…
Fleeing Ukrainians find refuge in medieval Irish castle
Galway, Ireland Reuters When Irishman Barry Haughian and his Spanish wife Lola watched Ukrainians flee their homes but had no space to help in their house in Madrid, they decided to offer up their second home instead – a 15th century castle in the west of Ireland. Ukrainian refugees from Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia sing happy […]
COVID-themed candles on sale in Greece for Orthodox Easter
Athens, Greece AP Inside Greece’s Orthodox churches, candles are a symbol of faith and simplicity, slender and traditionally made of beeswax, and placed in large candleholders filled with sand. Outside, buyers are looking for a wow-factor to go with Easter gifts: They are sold with dolls, watches and karaoke microphones, or fashioned using dyes and […]