Month: May 2023

People squeezed by inflation and demanding economic justice took to streets across Asia, Europe and the Americas on Monday to mark May Day, in an outpouring of worker discontent not seen since before the worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns. Celebrations were forced indoors in Pakistan, tinged with political tensions as in Turkey, as both countries face high-stakes …

Ukraine is finalizing preparations for its anticipated spring counteroffensive against Russia, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country will fight with or without Western military jets. Ukraine’s battlefield progress depends heavily on military supplies from the West. Military experts say, without advanced jets from Kyiv’s NATO allies, the counteroffensive will likely consist of costly battles …

New developments: White House estimates 20,000 Russians were killed in eastern Ukraine since December. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said almost half of them are Wagner forces. Ukrainian troops are pushing back against Russian troops in the beleaguered city of Bakhmut, launching counterattacks that have forced Russian soldiers to abandon some positions. …

Heather Howarth tugged at King Charles III’s ears and tittered with satisfaction.  The other ladies who gather to knit and natter in her small English village thought the ears should be bigger. But when creating a crocheted likeness of the new king, she was determined not to cause offense.  “He might not like this one,” …

Ukrainian judokas will not take part in this month’s world championships in Qatar following the International Judo Federation’s  decision to readmit Russians and Belarusians as neutrals, the Ukrainian Judo Federation said on Monday. The International Olympic Committee last month recommended that athletes from the two countries be allowed to return to international competition as neutrals. …

Russian fashion designer Vyacheslav “Slava” Zaitsev, dubbed the “Soviet Christian Dior,” has died at the age of 85, his fashion house told AFP Sunday.    Confirming Russian media reports, a spokeswoman added that when Zaitsev had celebrated his birthday in March with friends, “we could already see he was very, very, weak.”  “The couturier Vyacheslav Zaitsev …

Pope Francis said Sunday that talks were underway to return colonial-era artifacts in the Vatican Museum that were acquired from Indigenous peoples in Canada and voiced a willingness to return other problematic objects in the Vatican’s collection on a case-by-case basis.  “The Seventh Commandment comes to mind: If you steal something you have to give …