War ignited record-breaking wildfires in Ukraine last year, scientists say
Brussels, Belgium Reuters Last year was Ukraine’s worst year for wildfires in more than three decades of record-keeping, as shelling along front lines in the war with Russia triggered an unprecedented number of blazes, scientists said. Forest fires in Ukraine in 2024 burnt more than twice the area destroyed by fire in the entire 27-country […]
Catholic Church sex abuse survivors launch database vetting cardinals’ records
Rome, Italy AP A network of clergy sex abuse survivors have announced a database of Catholic cardinals’ records on the handling of such cases in a bid to influence the next papal conclave, while urging Pope Francis in a letter to adopt a worldwide zero-tolerance policy following the US church example. The Survivors Network of […]
Deep sea mining impacts still felt 40 years on, study shows
Singapore Reuters A strip of the Pacific Ocean seabed that was mined for metals more than 40 years ago has still not recovered, scientists said late on Wednesday, adding weight to calls for a moratorium on all deep sea mining activity during UN-led talks this week. A 2023 expedition to the mineral-rich Clarion Clipperton Zone […]
Pentagon’s Hegseth texted start time of planned killing of Yemeni militant
Washington DC, US Reuters Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth texted about plans to kill a Houthi militant leader in Yemen two hours before a military operation meant to be shrouded in secrecy, according to screenshots of a chat released by The Atlantic on Wednesday. The revelation that highly sensitive attack plans were shared on a commercial […]
Turkey’s opposition elects interim Istanbul Mayor after Imamoglu’s jailing
Ankara, Turkey Reuters Istanbul’s opposition-run municipal council on Wednesday elected an interim mayor to run the city, after Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was jailed pending trial over graft charges that he and his supporters deny and call politicised. The detention last week of Imamoglu, the biggest political rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, triggered the largest anti-government […]
South Sudan VP Machar’s party trying to locate him after arrest warrant issued
Reuters The party of South Sudan’s First Vice President Riek Machar said on Wednesday it was trying to locate him after the defence minister and chief of national security “forcefully entered” his residence and delivered an arrest warrant. In a statement, Machar’s SPLM-IO party condemned “a blatant violation of the Constitution and the Revitalized Peace […]
Brazil Supreme Court to put Bolsonaro on trial for alleged coup attempt
Brasilia, Brazil Reuters Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will stand trial for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government after he lost a 2022 election, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, moving swiftly in a case that could reshape the political landscape. A five-judge panel decided unanimously to put Bolsonaro on trial. If found guilty in […]
US appeals court upholds block on Trump deportation of some Venezuelans
Washington DC, US Reuters A US appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s temporary block on the Trump administration’s deportation of some Venezuelan immigrants under a little-used 18th century law. The decision by the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit marks a defeat for Republican President Donald Trump, who argued US […]
Catholic Jubilee: Perpetual adoration is a growing trend. A Holy Year event is scheduled for the weekend
GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO, of Associated Press, reports on the growing numbers of US Catholics who are taking shifts before the Blessed Sacrament in churches across the country…
Fear of more war haunts Kursk as Russia expels Ukrainian troops
Rylsk, Russia Reuters In the Russian region of Kursk, where Ukraine has been fighting for more than seven months, people say they want peace but fear there will be more war. Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory was launched in August – more than two years into a major war triggered by Moscow’s invasion of its […]