Putin attends Easter service led by head of Russia’s Orthodox Church
Reuters President Vladimir Putin and scores of other Moscow worshippers attended an Easter service on Sunday, led by the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, a staunch supporter of the Russian leader and his war in Ukraine. Putin, in a dark suit, white shirt and a dark red tie, stood in the capital’s main […]
Cheers and flames as Orthodox worshippers greet the ancient ceremony of the ‘Holy Fire’
Jerusalem AP Bells and clamour, incense and flames. One of the most chaotic gatherings in the Christian calendar is the ancient ceremony of the “Holy Fire,” with worshippers thronging the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Saturday. Cheers and prayers rang out as candles one by one were lit after reaching through a small opening […]
On the Screen: More than a stunt, Gosling and Blunt light up the screen in ‘The Fall Guy’
MARCUS CHEONG says ‘The Fall Guy’ is a “love letter” to those behind the scenes of movie-making…
King Charles III and UK royals to relinquish dozens of patronages
London, UK Reuters King Charles III and other senior British royals are to relinquish patronages of almost 200 charities and organisations after a review of their association with more than 1,000 groups, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday. The review was launched following the death of Queen Elizabeth II to examine all the charities and bodies […]
More migrant dinghies cross Channel to England despite Rwanda threat
Strait of Dover Reuters Dozens of people in two rubber dinghies reached the southern coast of England on Saturday, the latest among thousands of asylum-seeking migrants to make the risky sea crossing from France this year. Bobbing on the waves of the English Channel on a clear morning, the boats sailed across the narrow strip […]
“A step back in time”: America’s Catholic Church sees an immense shift toward the old ways
TIM SULLIVAN, of Associated Press, reports on the changes taking place within parts of the Catholic Church in the US…
Thousands of Israelis protest to demand hostage return
Tel Aviv, Israel Reuters Thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday, demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept a ceasefire agreement with the Islamist movement Hamas that would see the remaining Israeli hostages brought home from Gaza. At a rally in Tel Aviv that took place as Hamas officials were meeting Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo, […]
Greek Orthodox mark Good Friday with solemn bier processions
Nafpaktos, Greece AP The procession of “Epitaphios,” symbolising the bier that carried the body of Jesus to His grave, took place across Greece on Friday, which was Good Friday in the Orthodox Christian calendar. The solemn processions, with the flower-adorned biers followed by the clergy and the faithful, are often spectacular, especially in places where […]
Death toll from rains in southern Brazil climbs to 57, some 70 still missing
Sao Paulo, Brazil Reuters The death toll from rains in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul rose to 57, local authorities said on Saturday afternoon, while dozens still have not been accounted for. Rio Grande do Sul’s civil defense authority said 67 people were still missing and more than 32,000 had been displaced […]
Russia hits Ukraine regions, Zelenskiy says Su-25 bomber downed
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Dnipro regions and the Black Sea port city of Odesa killed at least two civilians, set a food factory ablaze and damaged other infrastructure, homes and commercial buildings on Saturday, regional officials said. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had used eight missiles of various kinds and […]