POPE CALLS FOR DEBT REDUCTION FOR POORER COUNTRIES TO MARK THE VATICAN’S 2025 JUBILEE YEAR

Fri 13 December 2024: Pope Francis on Thursday called on wealthy countries and institutions to substantially reduce if not outright cancel debt as a matter of justice on the occasion of the Vatican’s In a message for world peace, Francis referred to St. John Paul II’s admonition in Jubilee Year 2000 that debt “threatens the future of many […]

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TRUMP DID NOT SEND PUTIN AN INVITATION TO ATTEND HIS INAUGURATION, SAYS KREMLIN

Fri 13 December 2024: The Kremlin on Thursday said that US President-elect Donald Trump did not send Russian President Vladimir Putin an invitation to attend his inauguration in January.  Speaking to journalists in the Russian capital Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they have not received an invitation extended by Trump. Peskov’s remarks came as […]

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META DONATES $1 MLN TO TRUMP’S INAUGURAL FUND

Thu 12 December 2024: Meta Platforms has donated $1 million to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, a company spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed response. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, said the donation was a departure from past practice by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Meta. Zuckerberg had declined to endorse either Donald Trump or Joe Biden […]

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SOME 354,000 HOMELESS IN ENGLAND ON ONE DAY IN 2024: REPORT

Wed 11 December 2024: One in 160 people were estimated to be homeless in England on a given night this year, new research from Shelter has suggested. The charity said its research into people living in temporary accommodation, sleeping on the streets and living in hostels is “the most comprehensive overview of recorded homelessness in England”. But its […]

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RESEARCH SHOWS ‘STRUCTURAL, SYSTEMATIC BIAS’ IN UK MEDIA COVERAGE OF MUSLIMS

Wed 11 December 2024: A newly-published research on Tuesday shed a light on widespread anti-Muslim bias in British media with GB News accounted for half of UK news channels coverage about Muslims and Islam, much of it with negative portrayals. Following a two-year analysis, the research produced by the Centre for Media Monitoring (CFMM) showed […]

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GERMANY TO PAY COMPENSATION IN ITALY FOR WORLD WAR II MASSACRE

Tue 10 December 2024: A court in Italy has ruled that Germany must pay an additional €4 million ($4.2 million) in compensation to relatives of those killed in a Nazi massacre in the village of Pietransieri during World War II, bringing the total compensation amount to €15 million ($15.8 million). An appeals court in L’Aquila, […]

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MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY NAMES ‘POLARIZATION’ AS WORD OF 2024

Mon 09 December 2024: The US’ oldest dictionary, Merriam-Webster, a direct descendant of the pioneering 1806 dictionary by Noah Webster, has picked “polarization” as the word of 2024. The dictionary said on its website that the term was widely used in US media during the presidential election to highlight divisions in society. It also reflected […]

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BIDEN ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS NEW $988M US MILITARY AID PACKAGE FOR UKRAINE

Mon 09 December 2024: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has announced that the United States will provide nearly $1bn in additional military aid to war-torn Ukraine, as it attempts to fend off an ongoing Russian invasion. In unveiling the aid package on Saturday, Austin offered some pointed remarks aimed at the incoming administration of US […]

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