Ukraine calls for moves to unblock ports and prevent global food crisis
Kyiv, UkraineReuters Ukraine’s President called on the international community on Monday to take immediate steps to end a Russian blockade of his country’s ports to allow wheat exports and prevent a global food crisis. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made his comments in an online post after speaking to European Council President Charles Michel who was visiting […]
World could see 1.5 degrees of warming in next five years, WMO reports
London, UKReuters The world faces a 50 per cent chance of warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, if only briefly, by 2026, the World Meteorological Organization said on Monday. That does not mean the world would be crossing the long-term warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), which scientists have set […]
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister resigns, curfew imposed after clashes
Colombo, Sri Lanka Reuters Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister resigned on Monday to make way for a unity government that would try to find a way out of the country’s worst economic crisis in history, but protesters said they also wanted his brother to stand down as President. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation came hours after […]
Updated: Putin’s Victory Day speech gives no clue on Ukraine escalation
Updated: 8am, 10th May, 2022 (AEST)Kyiv/Kharkiv, Ukraine Reuters Vladimir Putin exhorted Russians to battle in a defiant Victory Day speech on Monday, but was silent about plans for any escalation in Ukraine, despite Western warnings he might use his Red Square address to order a national mobilisation. In Ukraine, there was no let up in […]
Brazil’s Amazon deforestation hits April record, nearly double previous peak
Sao Paulo, BrazilReuters Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon surged to record levels for the month of April, nearly doubling the area of forest removed in that month last year — the previous April record — preliminary government data showed on Friday, alarming environmental campaigners. In the first 29 days of April, deforestation in the region totaled […]
From would-be pastor to “fighting cock”, South Korean President Yoon carves own route to the top
Seoul, South KoreaReuters Yoon Suk-yeol seals his surge to the summit of South Korean politics on Tuesday when the man who once dreamt of becoming a pastor, but was nicknamed the ‘fighting cock’ for his tenacity as a prosecutor, is sworn in as president. Elected in March, the 61-year-old former prosecutor-general only formally entered the […]
Ukraine’s mine sniffing dog Patron awarded medal by Zelenskiy
Kyiv, UkraineReuters President Volodymyr Zelenskiy presented Ukraine’s famous mine sniffing dog Patron and his owner with a medal on Sunday to recognise their dedicated service since Russia’s invasion. The pint-size Jack Russell terrier has been credited with detecting more than 200 explosives and preventing their detonation since the start of the war on 24th February, […]
Hong Kong’s next leader endorsed by pro-Beijing elites
Hong Kong, ChinaReuters Hong Kong’s leader-in-waiting, John Lee, was endorsed for the city’s top job on Sunday by a committee stacked with pro-Beijing loyalists, as the financial hub attempts to relaunch itself after several years of political upheaval. Lee, the sole candidate, received the votes of 1,416 members of a pro-Beijing election committee on Sunday […]
Oberammergau: Centuries-old passion play returns after pandemic break
KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, of Associated Press, reports on the return of Germany’s world-famous Oberammergau Passion Play this month…
Religious groups are “making a joyful noise” with outdoor instruments
RNS After a beloved choirmaster of a Texas church died in 2020, her congregation wanted to honour her in a unique way. The committee of Cross Tracks Church, a United Methodist congregation in the Austin suburb of Liberty Hill, dedicated a memorial garden to Louine Noble and has outfitted it with bright-coloured, weather-hardy instruments that […]