Sudan’s RSF advances on Wad Madani as eight-month-old war spreads
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesReuters Sudan’s army was trying to hold off attacks by the Rapid Support Forces on Friday near Wad Madani, a major city in a region that had been sheltered from fighting and taken in hundreds of thousands of civilians during eight months of war. Clashes in the area, about 170 kilometres south-east […]
Hungary’s Orban blocks aid for Ukraine, says he can still halt EU accession
Brussels, Belgium/Budapest, Hungary Reuters Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed a major European Union aid package for Ukraine on Friday and warned he could still halt Kyiv’s accession to the bloc after membership talks won EU approval. At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, the European Union’s 26 other national leaders took the historic step […]
US envoy hints at disagreement with Israel over timing to scale down war
Cairo, Egypt/GazaReuters The United States hinted on Friday at disagreement with Israel over how quickly to scale down the war in Gaza, with President Joe Biden’s national security adviser saying such timing was now the subject of “intensive discussion” between the allies. With intense ground fighting having expanded this month across the length of the […]
Bird flu spreads in Europe with a delay after warm autumn
Paris, FranceReuters Bird flu is spreading fast in Europe but arrived later this year after a warm autumn delayed migration of wild birds, the main carriers of the virus that led to the death of millions of poultry in the past years, scientific agencies said on Thursday. Although highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly called […]
Snapshot: Village of Tilembeya in the Mopti region, Mali
See KAGOU DICKO’s image…
Freezing temperatures, snow, ice blanket China, shutting highways
Beijing. ChinaReuters Chinese authorities limited traffic flows on highways on Friday in several provinces after vehicles collided on icy patches as temperatures plummeted to below freezing across most of the country. Temperatures will drop to as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang and in the western region […]
Latino majority congregations see growth, financial struggles, report finds
United StatesRNS Majority Latino congregations report growth and stability in attendance and, on average, have younger participants, a sharp contrast to the declining attendance and aging congregations in most churches in the United States. But more than other congregations across the country, Latino faith communities also face significant financial challenges. Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose […]
Amid massive evangelical support for Israel in Brazil, some Christian voices express solidarity for Palestinians
São Paulo, Brazil While a large part of the Christian world in Brazil has been expressing support for the Israeli military attacks on Gaza, small Protestant and Catholic movements have decided to publicly declare their solidarity to the Palestinian people over the past weeks. Major segments of the growing evangelical movement in the South American […]
Finland will again shut Russian border over asylum seekers
Helsinki, FinlandReuters Finland will again shut its entire border with Russia to stop the inflow of asylum seekers, Minister of Interior Mari Rantanen said on Thursday, just hours after the Nordic nation relaxed a two-week closure of all roads between the two countries. Helsinki has said a recent rise in asylum seekers arriving via Russia […]
EU grants Ukraine membership talks in midst of war, bypassing Hungarian objections
Brussels, BelgiumReuters European Union leaders made a historic decision on Thursday to open membership talks with Ukraine, bypassing objections from Hungary to give Kyiv a major political boost as its war against Russia’s invasion grinds on. Although membership would likely be many years away, the decision at a summit in Brussels takes Ukraine a step […]