At least seven Russian mercenaries killed in Mali attack
Bamako, Mali Reuters At least seven mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner private military contractor group were killed in an attack in central Mali that was claimed by an affiliate of al-Qaeda in North Africa, Site Intelligence group said Friday. Wagner previously suffered heavy losses in a July battle with predominantly Tuareg rebels and Islamists near Mali’s […]
Fast-forming alien planet has astronomers intrigued
Washington DC, US Reuters Astronomers have spotted orbiting around a young star a newborn planet that took only three million years to form – quite swift in cosmic terms – in a discovery that challenges the current understanding of the speed of planetary formation. This infant world, estimated at around 10 to 20 times the […]
Nicaraguan lawmakers approve reform expanding Ortega’s power
Reuters The Nicaraguan parliament, dominated by the ruling Sandinista Front, on Friday approved a constitutional reform that hands more power to President Daniel Ortega, his wife the Vice President, as well as the Central American nation’s police and military. The reform increases the president’s control over the media, extends the presidential term to six years […]
Putin says Russia will keep testing new missile in combat
Moscow, Russia Reuters President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia would keep testing its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in combat and had a stock ready for use, while Ukraine said it was already at work to develop air systems to counter the weapon. Putin was speaking a day after Russia fired the new intermediate-range […]
Second Australian dies from tainted alcohol in Laos, sixth death reported
Bangkok, Thailand Reuters A second Australian woman hospitalised after drinking contaminated alcohol in a popular tourist town in Laos has died, the government said on Friday, the sixth fatality from suspected methanol poisoning. Holly Bowles, 19, died in a hospital in neighbouring Thailand, where she had been evacuated for emergency treatment, the Australian foreign ministry said. […]
“A mission of the church”: Got an empty church lawn? Why not turn it into a dog park?
For some churches, starting a dog park turns underused church property into a place for community. BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service, reports…
South Korea’s mountain of plastic waste shows limits of recycling
Seoul, South Korea Reuters South Korea has won international praise for its recycling efforts, but as it prepares to host talks for a global plastic waste agreement, experts say the country’s approach highlights its limits. When the talks known as INC-5 kick off in Busan next week, debate is expected to centre around whether a […]
Pakistani city mourns 42 Shi’ite Muslims who were ambushed and killed in a gun attack
Peshawar, Pakistan AP Protesters in Pakistan’s restive north-west chanted anti-government slogans and tensions flared Friday after funeral prayers were held for 42 Shi’ite Muslims who were ambushed and killed by gunmen a day earlier in one of the region’s deadliest such assaults in recent years. The victims were traveling in a convoy of several vehicles […]
Pope Francis to visit French island of Corsica on 15th December, local church says
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis will visit Corsica on 15th December, the local diocese said on its website on Thursday, in the first recorded trip of a pope to the French island in the Mediterranean. The short visit to the island’s capital city Ajaccio, where Francis is expected to speak at a conference on popular […]
Record aid worker deaths in 2024 in “era of impunity”, UN says
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters More aid workers have been killed this year than in any year since tallies began, the UN humanitarian office said on Friday, with most of them killed in the Gaza conflict. So far this year there have been 281 aid worker victims, according to the Aid Worker Security database which has recorded […]