Thailand gov’t moves to legalize same-sex marriage
BANGKOK – Thailand has taken a historic step closer to marriage equality after the lower house passed a bill giving legal recognition to same-sex...
Pope calls for truce in Gaza, Ukraine
VATICAN – Pope Francis has used his traditional Easter message to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for the return of...
Ex-Brazil international footballer arrested to serve rape sentence
BRASILIA – Former Brazil international football player Robinho has been arrested to serve a nine-year prison sentence for rape.
He was convicted two years ago...
Nigerian pupils taken in mass abduction freed
ABUJA – Nigerian pupils taken by gunmen in a mass abduction in the north-western town of Kuriga earlier this month have been freed “unharmed”,...
Russian court charges four men with act of terrorism
MOSCOW – Russia has charged four men it says attacked a Moscow concert hall and killed at least 137 people.
Three were marched bent double...
In China, marriages rise for the first time in nine years
BEIJING – The number of couples in China choosing to marry has gone up for the first time in nine years.
In 2023 there were...
Czech Republic struggles to contain surge of whooping cough
PRAGUE – Whooping cough is on the rise across Europe, and the Czech Republic is no exception. However, a week marked by confusion surrounding...
Delhi world’s ‘most polluted’ capital
INDIA’S Delhi was the most polluted capital city in the world in 2023, a Swiss-based air-quality monitoring group has found.
India, of which Delhi is...
Iceland under violent volcanic flare-up
REYKJAVIK – A state of emergency has been declared in southern Iceland after another volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula – the fourth since...
Heat wave hits South Sudan
JUBA – All schools have been ordered to close in South Sudan, as it prepares for a heatwave in which temperatures could reach an...