Month: December 2023

Vatican City — Tributes were paid Sunday on the first anniversary of the death of Pope Benedict XVI, with Pope Francis praising his love and wisdom and Benedict’s private secretary expressing hope he might one day be declared a saint.  Benedict, the first pope to retire in six centuries, died last Dec. 31 at the age …

COPENHAGEN — Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II will abdicate on January 14 next year after 52 years on the throne and will be succeeded by her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, she said her annual New Year’s speech on Sunday. The 83-year-old queen, who took over the throne in 1972, is the longest-serving monarch in Europe following …

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London — Eurostar warned customers travelling from London on Sunday of potential delays after flooding forced the cancelation all Saturday trains. The first Eurostar train left London St Pancras International shortly after 8:00 am (0800 GMT). Engineers had brought water in two tunnels in Kent in southern England under control meaning that at least one tunnel …

london — Two-time Oscar-nominated actor Tom Wilkinson, who starred in “The Full Monty” — a movie about a group of unemployed steel workers who launched new careers as strippers — died suddenly on Saturday.  The British actor’s death was confirmed in a statement released by his agent on behalf of his family. He was 75.  “It …

MEXICO CITY — Venezuela said Saturday it will keep nearly 6,000 troops deployed until a British military vessel sent to neighboring Guyana leaves the waters off the coast of the two South American nations. In a video posted to X, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino appeared surrounded by military officers in front of a map of …

TIRANA, ALBANIA — An Albanian court Saturday ordered house arrest for former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who leads the opposition Democratic Party and is being investigated for possible corruption. Judge Irena Gjoka of the First Instance Special Court on Corruption and Organized Crime, which covers cases involving senior officials and politicians, accepted prosecutors’ request to put …

BELGRADE, SERBIA — Thousands of people rallied in Serbia’s capital Saturday, chanting “Thieves!” and accusing the populist authorities of President Aleksandar Vucic of orchestrating a fraud during a recent general election. The rally in central Belgrade capped nearly two weeks of street protests over reported widespread irregularities during the December 17 parliamentary and local ballot — …

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The Bosnian Serbs’ separatist leader vowed to carry on weakening his war-scarred country to the point where it will tear apart, despite a pledge by the United States to prevent such an outcome. “I am not irrational, I know that America’s response will be to use force … but I have no …

The reelection of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2023 allowed him to further his plans to place Turkey as a leader in the region and in the Islamic world while engaging in rapprochement efforts with historic foes. Domestically, critics accuse Erdogan of using his mandate to silence domestic dissent. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. …

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — Argentina formally announced Friday that it won’t join the BRICS bloc of developing economies, the latest in a dramatic shift in foreign and economic policy by Argentina’s new far-right populist president, Javier Milei.  In a letter addressed to the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — the founding members …

This year, for the first time in modern history, Ukraine celebrated Christmas on December 25. Russia’s invasion in early 2022 prompted the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church to switch to the Revised Julian calendar, which aligns Christmas with the Gregorian calendar observed in the Western world instead of celebrating the …

the hague, netherlands — South Africa launched a case Friday at the United Nations’ top court accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and asking the court to order Israel to halt its attacks. South Africa’s submission to the International Court of Justice alleges that “acts and omissions by Israel … are genocidal in character” …

London — Ukraine attempted to break through the lines of invading Russian forces in 2023 in the east of the country, as the West stepped up the supply of heavier weapons and advanced missile systems. However, neither side appears able to make a significant breakthrough and there is little sign that Kyiv and Moscow are prepared …

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In Belarus, searches targeting 2020 presidential election observers have been underway for days. These former observers are under watch and their phones are being inspected, and the government has issued warnings about potential criminal charges for “promoting extremist activity.” Maxim Adams has the story. Video: Andrey Degtyarev   …