Greek Church blasts proposed same-sex civil marriages, will present its views to congregations
Athens, Greece AP Greece’s influential Orthodox Church on Tuesday voiced strong opposition to the center-right government’s plans to legalise same-sex civil marriages, and said it would present its views to lawmakers and congregations nationwide. A statement by the church’s governing body, the Holy Synod, said that while legislation is parliament’s job, “that doesn’t relieve the Church of […]
Rohingya death toll at sea in 2023 worst for almost a decade – UN
Dhaka, Bangladesh Reuters At least 569 Rohingya were reported to have died or gone missing while trying to flee Myanmar or Bangladesh in 2023, the highest toll since 2014, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday, calling for urgent action to protect the ethnic minority group. The deaths or disappearances occurred during attempted crossings of […]
Updated: Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities kill 18, Zelenskiy says
Updated: 10:30am (AEST) Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s two largest cities, killing 18 people, injuring more than 130 and damaging homes and infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said as Moscow’s war approaches its third year. The eastern city of Kharkiv suffered three waves of attacks. There were strikes on Kyiv and in central Ukraine […]
Haiti’s gang wars death toll doubles to nearly 5,000 in a year – UN
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Reuters The number of people reported killed as Haiti faces a worsening conflict between heavily armed gangs increased by more than 110 per cent last year to reach 4,789, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report published on Tuesday. “I am appalled by the staggering and worsening level of gang violence,” […]
Updated: US pushes for pause in Gaza as Israel suffers worst loss of soldiers
Updated: 7:45am, 24th January, 2024 Gaza/Jerusalem Reuters The White House said on Tuesday its envoy was having active discussions about ensuring the release of hostages in Gaza and securing a humanitarian pause in the war after Israel suffered its worse loss of soldiers in over three months of conflict. In the hours after the death […]