Ukraine: Damaged in war, a vibrant church rises as a symbol of the country’s faith and culture
JILL LAWLESS, of Associated Press, reports on the rebuilding of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Lypivka…
EU, US urge Georgia to halt ‘foreign agents’ bill as protests continue
Tbilisi, Georgia Reuters The European Union and US on Thursday condemned legislation making its way through Georgia’s parliament on “foreign agents” and thousands of protesters snarled traffic in the capital with a peaceful protest against the bill. The bill would require organisations receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to register […]
Ukraine may have talks eventually with Russia, intelligence officer says
Reuters Ukraine will at some point have to enter into talks with Russia to bring an end to their more than two-year-old war, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official said in an interview published on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly ruled out talks with the Kremlin, and a decree he issued after Russia formally […]
Britain’s Cameron, in Kyiv, promises Ukraine aid for “as long as it takes”
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters British Foreign Secretary David Cameron promised £3 billion of annual military aid for Ukraine for “as long as it takes” on Thursday, adding that London had no objection to the weapons being used inside Russia. “We will give three billion pounds every year for as long as is necessary. We’ve just really […]
Russians throng to display of Western ‘trophy’ tanks captured in Ukraine
Reuters Western tanks and military hardware captured by Russian forces in Ukraine went on display in Moscow on Wednesday at an exhibition the Russian military said showed Western help would not stop it winning the war. Long queues of people formed on what was a sunny May Day public holiday at the entrance to the […]
Missile strikes postal depot in Ukraine’s Odesa, 14 injured, regional governor says
Reuters A Russian ballistic missile struck a postal depot in the Ukrainian port of Odesa late on Wednesday, injuring 14 people and triggering a large fire, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said. It was the third missile attack on the city in as many days. Smoke rises following a Russian ballistic missile that struck a postal […]
Azerbaijan named among religious freedom violators by religious liberty watchdog
United States RNS An independent watchdog on religious liberty has recommended Azerbaijan be listed among the State Department’s “countries of particular concern” that have committed the most egregious violations of religious freedom. In its annual report, issued on Wednesday, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom also urged the addition of Kyrgyzstan to the department’s […]
Georgian police disperse protesters as parliament approves ‘foreign bill’ second reading
Tbilisi, Georgia Reuters Georgia’s parliament on Wednesday approved the second reading of a bill on “foreign agents” that has been criticised as Kremlin-inspired, as police fired tear gas and stun grenades to clear a large crowd of protesters opposed to the draft law. The bill, which would require organisations receiving more than 20 per cent […]
Russia breached global chemical weapons ban in Ukraine war, US says
Washington DC, US Reuters The United States on Wednesday accused Russia of violating the international chemical weapons ban by deploying the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and using riot control agents “as a method of warfare” in Ukraine. “The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by Russian […]
Essay: Russia has tightened its hold over the Sahel region – and now it’s looking to Africa’s west coast
In an article first published on The Conversation, OLUMBA E EZENWA and JOHN SUNDAY OJO look at the growing influence of Russia in Africa…