Belarus’ authoritarian leader tightens control over the country’s religious groups
Tallinn, Estonia AP Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a law into effect that significantly tightens control over various religious denominations and organisations. The law, published on the presidential website this week, mandates that all denominations and religious groups reapply for state registration, which authorities reserve the right to refuse. In this photo provided by […]
US and Europe start new diplomatic push to quell Gaza war
Cairo, Egypt/Gaza/Jerusalem Reuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Europe’s senior diplomat Josep Borrell began a new diplomatic push on Friday to stop spillover from the Gaza war into Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Red Sea shipping lanes. Their Middle East visits came three months since Hamas militants from Gaza attacked Israel, triggering an […]
US readies aid as Japan earthquake death toll nears 100
Wajima, Japan Reuters The United States said on Friday it is preparing military logistical support and aid for regions in Japan devastated by an earthquake that killed 94 people, forced about 33,000 people to leave their homes, and left over 200 people unaccounted for. “The US is here to support our friend and ally in […]
Brazilian politician’s move to investigate a priest sparks outpouring of support for the clergyman
Rio de Janeiro, BrazilAP A right-wing Brazilian politician’s push to have the Sao Paulo government investigate a city priest has prompted a strong defense from Roman Catholic leaders and government leaders who praised the clergyman’s work with the homeless. Rev Júlio Lancellotti, 75, ministers to the homeless in one of the roughest neighborhoods of Brazil’s […]
Snapshot: Trunk Bay, St John, US Virgin Islands
See JOSH DUNCAN’s image…
In Iowa, school shooting prompts Republican prayers, while Trump campaigns by proxy
Sioux City. IowaReuters A school shooting in Iowa, where Republican nominating contests begin next week for the US presidential election, prompted prayers from among those wanting to be the party’s candidate, but elicited no substantial policy proposals among the top contenders. The incident saw a sixth-grade student killed and five people wounded after a 17-year-old […]
In the ruins of a historic market, a Japanese artisan looks for his cats
Wajima, Japan Reuters Kohei Kirimoto, an 8th-generation lacquerware artisan, walked through the ruins of his century-old workshop in the Japanese coastal town of Wajima on Thursday, concerned only for his missing cats. The workship, renowned worldwide for its traditional lacquerware, lay in a smouldering heap following the New Year’s Day earthquake and subsequent fire that engulfed […]
China’s ‘ice city’ Harbin draws record tourists over New Year holiday
Beijing, ChinaReuters The “ice city” of Harbin, the snowy capital of north-east China’s Heilongjiang province, attracted a record number of visitors over the New Year holiday, many of them drawn by the grand and intricate ice sculptures of its annual Ice and Snow Festival. The towering ice structures, illuminated in a dazzling array of lights […]
Putin offers citizenship to foreigners who fight for Russia
Reuters President Vladimir Putin issued a decree on Thursday allowing foreign nationals who fight for Russia in Ukraine to obtain Russian citizenship for themselves and their families. The order said people who have signed contracts during what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine can apply to get Russian passports for themselves and their […]
North-west Europe struggles with floods and snow after latest Atlantic storm
Arques, France Reuters Parts of north-western Europe struggled on Wednesday to cope with the impact of the latest in a series of Atlantic storms which dumped rain or snow on already saturated ground, while northern Scandinavia experienced extreme cold. In northern France, rescue crews helped evacuate residents from inundated homes in the town of Arques […]