Iran hangs two men accused of killing security agent during protests
Reuters Iran hanged two men on Saturday for allegedly killing a member of the security forces during nationwide protests that followed the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini on 16th September, drawing condemnation from the EU, the United States and other Western nations. The two men executed on Saturday had been convicted of […]
Christmas joy and anger for rival Orthodox churches in historic Kyiv monastery
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Tears of joy streamed down worshippers’ faces as Ukraine’s main church celebrated a “return” to Kyiv’s Cathedral of the Assumption on Orthodox Christmas day, shortly after taking control of it from a rival church with alleged ties to Russia. The golden-domed cathedral, of huge cultural and religious significance, sits on a high […]
Shelling booms around Bakhmut’s streets in “Christmas ceasefire”
Bakhmut Ukraine Reuters Shellfire echoed on Saturday around the near-deserted streets of the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, current focus of the most intense fighting in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite Moscow’s declaration of a ceasefire for Eastern Orthodox Christmas. Sparkling clear skies and a dusting of snow belied the devastation of a city abandoned by […]
Western Australia in grip of ‘devastating’ flood emergency, Australia PM says
Sydney, Australia Reuters Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday his government was ready to provide whatever support was needed to residents of Western Australia state as record-breaking floods isolated far-flung communities there. The crisis in the Kimberley – an area almost three times the size of the United Kingdom – was sparked this […]
World food prices hit record high in 2022
Paris, FranceReuters A surge in the cost of most food commodities last year, as the disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raised concerns of shortages, sent the UN food agency’s average price index to the highest level on record. The Food and Agriculture Organization’s food price index, which tracks international prices of the most […]
Israeli police arrest two suspects in Protestant cemetery vandalism
JerusalemReuters Israeli police said on Friday they arrested two people suspected of vandalising a Protestant cemetery in Jerusalem earlier this week. Police said in a statement that extensive damage had been caused to gravestones at the Protestant Mount Zion Cemetery, calling it an “act of intentional vandalism and defacement”. Archbishop Hosam Naoum inspects a vandalised […]
On the Screen: A celebration of what’s under the sea, ‘Blueback’ goes deep on message but stays in the shallows emotionally
DAVID ADAMS watches the new Australian film based on a Tim Winton book…
What is the US ‘Title 42’ immigration policy and why is it expanding?
Washington DC/New York, US Reuters The United States announced on Thursday it will extend COVID-19 pandemic-era restrictions, known as Title 42, to expel migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti caught crossing the US-Mexico border back to Mexico, a move would block more nationalities from seeking asylum in the United States. At the same time, the […]
Ukraine reclaims Kyiv cathedral amid church dispute
Kyiv, UkraineAP The Ukrainian Government has taken the main cathedral of the revered historic monastery from the church previously affiliated with Moscow’s patriarchate and allowed its Ukrainian rival to use it for Orthodox Christmas services. The move comes as the long-running tensions between the two churches exacerbated amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. A bird flies over […]
Stained glass: French-born artist finds inspiration on remote Easter Island
MARIA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ, of Associated Press, reports from Rapa Nui…