Bosnian Serbs celebrate banned statehood day despite warnings
Banja Luka, Bosnia and HerzegoviaReuters Bosnian Serbs celebrated their autonomous region’s statehood day on Tuesday with a parade of special forces and armoured vehicles in defiance of a top court ban and warnings from Western overseers of Bosnia’s troubled peace. The 9th January marks the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared independence as then-federal […]
This Life: Why we need a spiritual check-up
US columnist CAROL ROUND says a new year is a good time to search our hearts and lives and see if they align with God’s plans…
Vatican’s doctrine chief is raising eyebrows over his 1998 book that graphically describes orgasms
Rome, ItalyAP The Vatican’s new doctrine chief, who is already under fire from entire bishops conferences for his approval of blessings for same-sex couples, is now raising eyebrows over a book he wrote as a young priest describing orgasms in graphic terms. The out-of-print, Spanish-language book penned by now-Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, entitled The Mystical Passion: […]
Filipino Catholics pray for Middle East peace in massive procession venerating a black statue of Jesus
Manila Philippines AP A massive crowd of mostly barefoot Catholic worshippers marched Tuesday in an annual procession in the Philippines’ capital that paraded a centuries-old black statue of Jesus. Many said they prayed for peace in the Middle East, where tens of thousands of Filipinos work, as fears rise of a spread of the Israel-Hamas war, […]
Hezbollah hits Israeli base, says it does not want wider war
Beirut, LebanonReuters Hezbollah attacked an Israeli army base with explosive drones deployed from Lebanon on Tuesday, hitting the position for the first time in what the Iran-backed group declared part of its response to recent Israeli assassinations in Lebanon. Also on Tuesday, an Israeli attack killed three Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon, sources familiar with […]
Blinken says Israel must make “hard choices”, work with Palestinian leaders
Last updated: 11am (AEDT) Tel Aviv, Israel Reuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel on Tuesday to make “hard choices” to normalise relations with more of its neighbours, a new appeal to smooth the path to creating a Palestinian state. Blinken, in his fourth visit to the Middle East since the war erupted […]
More than 1,000 Ukrainian towns lose power due to extreme winter weather
Kyiv, UkraineReuters Ukraine’s power grid operator said on Tuesday severe winter weather left more than 1,000 towns and villages without electricity in nine regions and urged residents to conserve power as the energy system has been weakened by Russian strikes. Electricity consumption was at this week’s highest levels as temperatures fell to about -15 degrees […]
Bhutan votes in final round of national elections, economy main issue
Kathmandu, NepalReuters Bhutan began voting on Tuesday, the final round of national parliamentary elections that will form the Himalayan kingdom’s fourth government since democracy was established 15 years ago, with economic growth the main issue in the wake of COVID-19. Bhutan is known for its Gross National Happiness index, an economic gauge that takes into […]
Philippines’ Black Nazarene feast draws hundreds of thousands of devotees
Manila, The PhilippinesReuters The streets of the Philippine capital turned into a sea of maroon and yellow on Tuesday as hundreds of thousands of Catholic devotees joined a procession in honour of the Black Nazarene in Asia’s largest Catholic nation. The centuries-old tradition of paying homage to the black wooden statue of Jesus Christ, believed […]
Moon lander problem threatens mission after Vulcan rocket makes successful debut
Washington DC, US Reuters A robotic lander built by a private company suffered a propulsion system issue on its way to the Moon on Monday, upending the first US soft lunar landing attempt in over 50 years as mission managers scrambled to fix its position in space. Space robotics firm Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine lunar lander […]