Hunger levels in West and Central Africa set to hit all-time high – UN
Dakar, Senegal Reuters The number of people struggling to get enough food in West and Central Africa is expected to rise to an all-time high of 48 million by mid-2023, the United Nations said on Friday. About 35 million people – or about eight per cent of the assessed population – are suffering from “food […]
Peru ministers resign after protest deaths as new government wobbles
Lima, PeruReuters Pressure rose on Peru’s fledgling government Friday as two cabinet members resigned following deadly protests that have rocked the country since former President Pedro Castillo’s removal from office and arrest last week. Education Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Perez announced their resignations on Twitter, citing the deaths of individuals during the […]
Russia fires scores of missiles in one of its biggest attacks on Ukraine
Kyiv, UkraineReuters Russia fired more than 70 missiles at Ukraine on Friday in one of its biggest attacks since the start of the war, knocking out power in the second-biggest city and forcing Kyiv to implement emergency blackouts nationwide, Ukrainian officials said. Three people were killed when an apartment block was hit in central Kryvyi […]
Ukrainian refugees feel welcome in Germany, 37 per cent keen to stay permanently: survey
Berlin, Germany Reuters The majority of the more than one million Ukrainians who fled to Germany after the Russian invasion feel welcome there and around 37 per cent would like to settle permanently or for several years, a government-backed survey said on Thursday. The poll of 11,225 refugees carried out jointly by several bodies, including […]
Snapshot: Mellieha, Malta
See NICK FEWINGS’ image…
Micrometeoroid strike could be cause of Russian spacecraft leak – official
Reuters A coolant leak lasting for at least three hours Wednesday night aboard a Russian Soyuz space capsule docked to the International Space Station could have been caused by a tiny meteoroid strike, a senior Russian space official said Thursday. NASA and Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, said no astronauts were endangered by the leak, which […]
On the Screen: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ treads familiar ground
MARCUS CHEONG watches the long-awaited second instalment in James Cameron’s Avatar series…
Religious liberty concerns raised as Texas Governor seeks to investigate groups helping migrants
United StatesRNS Texas Governor Greg Abbott has asked the state attorney to investigate non-governmental organisations that he claims have assisted with “illegal border crossings” along the US-Mexico border near El Paso, raising religious liberty concerns among faith-based groups and religious organisers helping migrants with medical needs and shelter. Abbott, in his 14th December letter to Attorney […]
Peru diplomatic spat grows as envoys in Mexico, Argentina summoned home
Lima, PeruReuters A diplomatic spat over Peru deepened on Thursday as the new foreign minister formally summoned ambassadors home from countries including Mexico and Argentina, which have criticised the recent ouster of former president Pedro Castillo. The swift removal of Castillo, who led the South American country for just 17 months, has reverberated far beyond […]
US faith leaders urge lawmakers to pass expanded child tax credit
Washington DC, US RNS Faith leaders joined members of US Congress on Capitol Hill on Thursday to voice support for the expansion of the child tax credit, urging lawmakers to reinstate a broader version of the anti-poverty benefit before the end of the year. “For many of us, this is a season of miracles – […]