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A standoff at one of Christianity’s holiest sites upended Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, with the Latin Patriarchate saying Israeli police barred the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — an unprecedented interruption to ceremonies it said had not occurred in centuries. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said police stopped Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Friar Francesco Ielpo as they walked toward the church, which stands on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and…

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has granted an amnesty that will free 4,305 inmates in a move the government says is designed to relieve severe prison overcrowding and promote rehabilitation. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi announced the clemency order on Wednesday, saying the beneficiaries include women convicted of lesser offences, juveniles, elderly prisoners, terminally ill inmates and people with disabilities. The order also covers inmates housed in Open Prisons and prisoners who have served at least 20…

SANTIAGO, Chile — President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in two southern regions of Chile as fast-moving wildfires killed at least 16 people and forced nearly 20,000 residents to evacuate, authorities said. Chile’s national forestry agency, CONAF, reported 24 active fires burning across the country, with the largest and most dangerous blazes in the regions of Ñuble and Biobío, about 500 kilometers south of the capital. The emergency designation aims to speed the government’s response as crews contend with…

Human Rights Watch Urges Guinean President to Pursue Justice for 2009 Massacre Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Guinean President Mamady Doumbouya to advance accountability for the September 28, 2009, massacre and "lay the groundwork for credible and fair justice" regarding ongoing rights abuses in the country. This appeal follows the death in custody of Claude Pivi, a former minister for presidential security, on January 6, 2026. Pivi was among several officials convicted in a landmark trial for the killings and…

Storm Goretti battered northern Europe with heavy snow and gale-force winds, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes, closing schools and suspending rail services across France, Britain and Germany as the region endured a week of freezing weather. Emergency crews from the Atlantic coast to the North Sea scrambled to clear downed trees, restore power and keep key corridors open after Goretti slammed into Britain yesterday and moved eastward overnight. France absorbed some of the worst of the impacts as the storm…

Bondi Beach mass shooting suspects acted alone, Australian police say; nationwide gun crackdown announced SYDNEY — A father and son accused of killing 15 people in an Islamic State-inspired attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach acted alone and were not part of a broader terrorist cell, Australian police said, as the federal government moved to tighten gun laws and curb hate speech. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said investigators have found no evidence the pair — identified as Sajid Akram, 50, and his…

Australia holds minute’s silence one week after Bondi Beach attack as Albanese orders security review SYDNEY — Australia paused for a minute of silence at 6:47 p.m. Saturday to mark one week since a gun attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach killed 15 people and wounded dozens during a seaside Hanukkah celebration, prompting a national day of reflection and a sweeping security response. With flags at half-staff on government buildings and police presence intensified along the coast, authorities invited Australians to light candles —…

A Turning Point in Sudan: The Battle for Al-Fashir In the heart of a conflict-ridden Sudan, the recent fall of Al-Fashir marks yet another tragic chapter in a war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions since its eruption in April 2023. As the city, formerly the army's last stronghold in Darfur, succumbs to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the international community scrambles to respond. The Global Response On Tuesday, the White House emphasized its commitment to ending the ongoing…

Mass shooting and arson at Michigan Mormon church leaves at least four dead; suspect killed A gunman who drove his vehicle through the front doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, fired an assault-style rifle at worshippers, set the sanctuary on fire and was later killed in a confrontation with responding officers, authorities said Sunday. Local officials said at least four people were confirmed dead and eight were hospitalised, though investigators warned the…

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AX) — Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has strongly criticized ex-President Donald Trump's idea of deploying the U.S. military for large-scale deportations, branding the plan as "xenophobic, inhumane, and un-American."In a recent social media post, Trump confirmed his intentions to declare a national emergency in order to initiate what could be the most extensive deportation operation in U.S. history. This plan aims to eject millions of undocumented immigrants starting on his first day back in…