Catholic News 2
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran on Thursday accused the Saudi-led coalition battling Shiite rebels in Yemen of hitting its embassy there in an overnight airstrike, but the building bore no visible damage....
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- It's a single image released by an enormous propaganda apparatus, showing a note handwritten by a dictator. And it contains a telling clue to the mindset behind North Korea's surprise and disputed claim to have tested its first hydrogen bomb....
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- In response to North Korea's latest nuclear test, South Korea on Thursday announced it would resume cross-border propaganda broadcasts that Pyongyang considers an act of war. Seoul also began talks with Washington that could see the arrival of nuclear-powered U.S. submarines and warplanes to the Korean Peninsula....
PARIS (AP) -- Officers shot and killed a knife-wielding man wearing a fake explosive vest at a police station in northern Paris on Thursday, French officials said, a year to the day after an attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo launched a bloody year in the French capital....
(Vatican Radio) North Korea on Wednesday carried out a fourth nuclear test, describing the device as hydrogen bomb -- a type more powerful than the others it is known to have. A number of world powers were quick to condemn Pyongyang's action and several international nuclear experts expressed scepticism as to whether it really was a hydrogen bomb.Listen to Alastair Wanklyn's report: North Korean state television announced the blast, calling it a test of a hydrogen bomb.The tremor was felt by seismic monitoring equipment overseas, and in China some residents were evacuated from buildings.Worldwide, there was condemnation. China, North Korea's major ally was one of the first nations to respond. A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said North Korea carried out the test despite "universal objection" from the rest of the world.Japan called the test a "serious threat," and South Korea said it would work with other nations to make sure Pyongyang pays a pri...
(Vatican Radio) North Korea on Wednesday carried out a fourth nuclear test, describing the device as hydrogen bomb -- a type more powerful than the others it is known to have. A number of world powers were quick to condemn Pyongyang's action and several international nuclear experts expressed scepticism as to whether it really was a hydrogen bomb.
Listen to Alastair Wanklyn's report:
North Korean state television announced the blast, calling it a test of a hydrogen bomb.
The tremor was felt by seismic monitoring equipment overseas, and in China some residents were evacuated from buildings.
Worldwide, there was condemnation. China, North Korea's major ally was one of the first nations to respond. A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said North Korea carried out the test despite "universal objection" from the rest of the world.
Japan called the test a "serious threat," and South Korea said it would work with other nations to make sure Pyongyang pays a price.
The European Union urged North Korea to cease "illegal and dangerous behaviour."
In the North Korean capital, some residents were quoted saying the bomb makes them feel more secure. A government statement spoke of pride in possessing a hydrogen bomb, saying the test was defensive in nature.
But among scientists worldwide there was scepticism of the North's claim. The tremor was about the same size as the one in North Korea's last nuclear test.
Japan dispatched three planes to sample particles in the air near North Korea to try to identify the type of bomb used.
(Vatican Radio) Orthodox Christians from around the world celebrate Christmas today, in line with the Julian calendar. Traditions vary from country to country but involve liturgies, jumping into frigid water, dancing, log-burning ceremonies, street processions and fireworks displays.Listen to Alexander MacDonald's full report: In Russia, President Vladimir Putin attended midnight Mass in the church where his parents had been baptized. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirlill, presided at a liturgy at Moscow's impressive Christ the Savior Cathedral, which was destroyed under Soviet leader Josef Stalin and only reconstructed after the fall of Communist rule.It will also be the first time since 1928 that a Christmas Eve Mass has been held in the world's largest Orthodox basilica, the St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The landmark 19th Century cathedral was turned into a museum under the officially atheist Soviet regime.Orthodox Christians in G...
(Vatican Radio) Orthodox Christians from around the world celebrate Christmas today, in line with the Julian calendar. Traditions vary from country to country but involve liturgies, jumping into frigid water, dancing, log-burning ceremonies, street processions and fireworks displays.
Listen to Alexander MacDonald's full report:
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin attended midnight Mass in the church where his parents had been baptized. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirlill, presided at a liturgy at Moscow's impressive Christ the Savior Cathedral, which was destroyed under Soviet leader Josef Stalin and only reconstructed after the fall of Communist rule.
It will also be the first time since 1928 that a Christmas Eve Mass has been held in the world's largest Orthodox basilica, the St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The landmark 19th Century cathedral was turned into a museum under the officially atheist Soviet regime.
Orthodox Christians in Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey and Cyprus celebrate Christmas today in various rituals involving jumping into frigid water, sometimes to retrieve a cross tossed there by a cleric or to perform traditional dances.
In Ukraine, marked by increased tensions with rebels and a fragile cease-fire, some rebels have said they were willing to release captives as a good will measure in the Christmas spirit. It was unclear, however, whether it was a sincere effort or simply a publicity stunt. It is not known how many prisoners each side of the conflict might be willing to release.
Also in Russia, controversy has erupted over greetings sent by the Russian branch of the Coca Cola company. The company had sent greetings over social media which initially showed a map of Russia without their annexation of Crimea, then after protests from Russia, included it, to the dismay of Ukraine. The war between Russian-backed rebels and the government of Ukraine has cost thousands of lives, economic and infrastructure damage and a lower standard of living.
Orthodox Christians in the world number approximately 225 million and will be meeting later this year in a pan-orthodox council marked by challenges and obstacles. Russia has restricted travel to Turkey, leading to speculation that the meeting will take place in Geneva. The civil war in Ukraine will also be one of the top issues on their agenda.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- A lottery official says the estimated prize for this weekend's Powerball drawing is the largest jackpot of any lottery game in U.S. history....
COLOGNE, Germany (AP) -- Asylum-seekers could be deported if they're found to have participated in a string of New Year sexual assaults in Cologne, Germany's justice minister said Thursday....
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The recent arrests in Utah of three people accused of stealing thousands of dollars' worth of baby formula is the latest example of a problem that officials say is vexing stores and police nationwide as thieves systematically swipe the mixture from shelves and resell it to unsuspecting parents....
HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) -- The indictment and expected firing of the Texas state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland, a black woman who later died in jail, was a "bittersweet" moment for her sister....
