US, 17 other countries urge Hamas to release hostages, end Gaza crisis
Washington DC, US Reuters The United States and 17 other countries on Thursday issued an appeal for Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza, but Hamas vowed not to relent to international pressure. “We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in […]
United Methodists endorse change that could give regions more say on LGBTQ and other issues
United States AP United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of defusing debates over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church. Delegates voted 586-164 on Thursday for the “regionalisation” proposal on the third day of their 11-day General […]
“Europe could die”: Macron urges stronger defences, economic reforms
Paris, France Reuters French President Emmanuel Macron called on Thursday for stronger, more integrated European defences as he outlined his vision for a more assertive European Union on the global stage. In a speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, he also said the continent must not become a vassal of the United States. “There […]
Haiti transitional government takes power as gangs hold capital “hostage”
Port-au-Prince. Haiti Reuters Haiti’s transition council took power in a ceremony on Thursday, formalising the resignation of former Prime Minster Ariel Henry as the Caribbean country seeks to establish security after years of gang violence wreaking chaos and misery. Henry’s Finance Minister, Michel Patrick Boisvert, will be interim Prime Minister until the transition council appoints […]
Israel intensifies airstrikes on Gaza’s Rafah before ground operation
Cairo, Reuters Reuters Israel stepped up airstrikes on Rafah overnight after saying it would evacuate civilians from the southern Gazan city and launch an all-out assault despite allies’ warnings this could cause mass casualties. Medics in the besieged Palestinian enclave reported five Israeli airstrikes on Rafah early on Thursday that hit at least three houses, […]
Russia, US clash at UN over nuclear weapons in space
United Nations Reuters Russia on Wednesday vetoed a US-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution that called on countries to prevent an arms race in outer space, a move that prompted the United States to question if Moscow was hiding something. The vote came after Washington accused Moscow of developing a anti-satellite nuclear weapon to put […]
Israel says Rafah assault looms; massive Gaza airstrikes end weeks of relative calm
Cairo, Egypt/Jerusalem Reuters Israeli warplanes pounded the northern Gaza strip for a second day on Wednesday in a fierce assault that has shattered weeks of comparative calm, and Israel said it was moving forward with plans for an all-out assault on Rafah in the south. After an abrupt Israeli pullback at the start of this […]
Biden signs Ukraine aid, TikTok ban package after Republican battle
Washington DC, US Reuters President Joe Biden signed a hard-fought bill into law on Wednesday that provides billions of dollars of new US aid to Ukraine for its war with Russia, notching a rare bipartisan victory for the President as he seeks reelection and ending months of wrangling with Republicans in Congress. “It gives vital […]
Rev Cecil Williams, who turned San Francisco’s Glide Church into a refuge for many, has died
San Francisco, US AP Rev Cecil Williams, who with his late wife turned Glide Church in San Francisco into a world-renowned haven for people suffering from poverty and homelessness and living on the margins, has died. He was 94. Williams and his wife, Janice Marikitami, who passed away in 2021, appeared in Will Smith’s film The […]
Pro-Palestinian encampments spring up on more US college campuses
New York, US Reuters Pro-Palestinian students have set up tent encampments at more campuses across the US to protest Israel’s incursion into Gaza, after mass arrests at similar demonstrations at a handful of mostly East Coast colleges in recent days. The expanding protests include plans by a coalition of Jewish groups opposing Israel’s actions to […]