A study finds that British Christians who leave their faith are increasingly turning to paganism, wicca, or other spiritual practices, surpassing conversions to Buddhism, Islam, or Judaism. Over one in ten former Christians identify as spiritual, with nearly half of these adopting pagan beliefs. While Christianity still gains new adherents, the number leaving the faith exceeds those joining, contributing to an overall decline in Christian … Continue reading Paganism is top choice for Christians who convert to new faith

Pope Leo XIV concluded his visit to Turkey before arriving in Lebanon to offer hope to its struggling population and support the country’s Christian community. In Turkey, he visited the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral and Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, promoting messages of peace and interfaith respect. In Lebanon, he faced a nation reeling from financial collapse, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and ongoing tensions with Israel and … Continue reading Pope Leo brings message of peace to Lebanon after leaving Turkey

Germany’s far-right AfD launched its new youth organization, Generation Germany, on Saturday in Giessen amid protests by over 25,000 demonstrators, some of whom clashed with police. The party dissolved its previous youth group, the Young Alternative, earlier this year after it was classified as a right-wing extremist organization. Up to 5,000 police were deployed to manage the protests, using water cannons and pepper spray to … Continue reading German far-right party sets up new youth wing as thousands protest

A long-lost painting by Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, hidden for over four centuries, sold for 2.3 million euros ($2.7 million) at a Versailles auction. The artwork, depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, was discovered in a private Paris townhouse and had previously been undervalued at around 10,000 euros. Experts authenticated it through the Rubenianum in Antwerp and scientific analysis of the paint layers, confirming … Continue reading Long-lost Rubens painting depicting crucifixion sells for $2.7M

Nearly a dozen U.S. warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, have been deployed to the Caribbean as tensions rise between President Trump and Venezuela. The deployment includes a Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of amphibious land operations as part of Operation Southern Spear, aimed at stopping narcotics flowing from Venezuela to the U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan said the mission is critical to … Continue reading 11 US warships and 15,000 troops now in Caribbean as Venezuela tensions escalate

Turkey and Kazakhstan condemned recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil assets in the Black Sea, warning that further strikes threaten regional energy supplies. The Turkish government criticized attacks on two Russian “shadow fleet” tankers within its exclusive economic zone, while Kazakhstan urged Ukraine to stop targeting the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s terminal, which handles 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports. Ukraine said the strikes were retaliatory … Continue reading Nations Call for Ukraine to End Attacks on Black Sea Oil Assets

Austrian beauty influencer Stefanie Pieper, 31, was found dead in a suitcase in a Slovene forest after going missing following a Christmas party. Her ex-boyfriend allegedly confessed to strangling her, hiding her body, and later leading police to the site where he buried the suitcase. Neighbors reported hearing an argument and seeing the ex-boyfriend in her building the night she disappeared, Fox News has reported. … Continue reading Beauty influencer found dead in suitcase in forest after ex-boyfriend allegedly confesses

Thousands of Filipinos — including Roman Catholic clergy — protested Sunday, demanding swift prosecution of top officials implicated in a massive corruption scandal involving flawed or fake flood-control projects. Left-wing groups held a separate rally calling for implicated officials to resign immediately. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. deployed more than 17,000 police as he struggled to contain public outrage and secure key government areas. The military … Continue reading Thousands in Philippines protest corruption, demand return of stolen funds

Over 400 people have died and hundreds more injured after Cyclone Senyar caused severe flooding and landslides in Indonesia, particularly on the island of Sumatra, where thousands remain cut off from aid. The rare tropical storm swept away homes and submerged thousands of buildings. Torrential rains and storms have also affected Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, leaving millions impacted and contributing to more … Continue reading Desperate hunt for food and water as Indonesia floods death toll rises to 442

The death toll from a Hong Kong apartment complex fire rose to 146 as investigators recovered more bodies from the Wang Fuk Court buildings. Teams have found victims in apartment units and on rooftops, while four of the seven blocks have been examined so far; another 100 residents remain unaccounted for and 79 were injured. Rescue efforts have been slow due to darkness and limited … Continue reading Death toll rises to 146 in Hong Kong apartment fire

Peru’s President José Jerí announced a state of emergency along the southern border and deployed additional armed forces as Venezuelan migrants began leaving Chile amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment. Many migrants had previously traveled to Chile seeking stability, but fears of mass deportation under ultraconservative presidential candidate José Antonio Kast have prompted some to head north. Kast, leading in Chile’s Dec. 14 runoff, warned immigrants without … Continue reading Peru to declare a state of emergency as migrants leaving Chile trigger backlash

Flash floods and landslides across Indonesia’s Sumatra island have killed 164 people, with 79 still missing as rescue efforts remain hindered by destroyed roads, bridges, and power outages. Heavy monsoon rains, intensified by Tropical Cyclone Senyar, caused rivers to overflow and sweep through villages, submerging thousands of homes. More than 3,000 families have been displaced, and aid deliveries are slowed by difficult terrain and damaged … Continue reading Death toll rises to 164 after floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island

Army officers in Guinea-Bissau announced on state television that they had overthrown President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, suspended the presidential election process, closed the country’s borders, and imposed a curfew. The officers said they had formed a “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” to govern the nation indefinitely. Embalo later confirmed to France 24 that he had been deposed, though the military did not … Continue reading Army officers say they have seized power in Guinea-Bissau

French authorities believe they have arrested the fourth and final member of the team that stole France’s crown jewels from the Louvre in a dramatic daylight heist on October 19. The 39-year-old suspect, who has a criminal record, now faces preliminary charges of organized robbery and criminal conspiracy for his alleged role in the €88 million theft. Police say the robbery was carried out by … Continue reading Paris prosecutor says arrested man is thought to be 4th member of Louvre heist gang

Two sanctioned Russian-linked oil tankers, the Kairos and the Virat, caught fire in the Black Sea near the Turkish coast, but all crew members were safely rescued. The Gambia-flagged Kairos exploded about 28 nautical miles off Kocaeli province while traveling from Egypt to Russia, and the Virat was struck roughly 35 nautical miles away. Turkish authorities are investigating, citing possible causes including external attacks or … Continue reading Blasts hit sanctioned tankers off Turkey’s coast, rescues underway

Three elderly nuns—Rita (82), Regina (86), and Bernadette (88)—made headlines after escaping a Catholic care home and returning to their abandoned convent at Goldenstein Castle near Salzburg. Church authorities had insisted they move to the care home due to their health, accusing them of breaking vows of obedience, but officials now say the sisters can remain at the convent “until further notice.” A church proposal … Continue reading Rebel nuns win reprieve in Austrian convent dispute

Israeli authorities are investigating the killing of two Palestinian men in Jenin after video showed them appearing to surrender before being shot by Israeli forces. The Palestinian Authority condemned the incident as a “war crime,” while Palestinian Islamic Jihad said the men were fighters who had run out of ammunition before being “executed.” Israeli officials said the men were wanted for alleged terror activities and … Continue reading Israeli ​military kills two men after they appeared to surrender during operation in West Bank

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned hours after anti-corruption investigators raided his home, triggering a major political shock during ongoing peace negotiations. Yermak, long considered the most powerful figure in Ukraine after Zelensky, had been embroiled in a corruption scandal involving alleged embezzlement in the energy sector, though he was not formally accused. His departure comes just before he was scheduled … Continue reading Zelensky’s chief of staff resigns amid corruption probe

A massive fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court housing complex has killed at least 128 people, with around 200 still missing and nearly 80 injured. Authorities say the blaze began in flammable netting around scaffolding, rapidly spreading across seven buildings fueled by styrofoam and bamboo structures. Fire alarms in all eight blocks failed to activate, intensifying public anger and calls for government transparency and … Continue reading Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 128, with 200 still missing and 8 more arrested

The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending ash plumes up to nine miles high, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. Ash clouds drifted across Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan as the subtropical jet stream carried the plume eastward. Volcanologist Simon Carn confirmed that Hayli Gubbi has no known eruptions … Continue reading Volcano in Ethiopia erupts for first time in nearly 12,000 years

Hezbollah confirmed that its top military commander, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on an apartment block in southern Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood. Tabatabai, chief of staff of Hezbollah’s armed wing, was among at least five people killed, with 28 others wounded in the strike. Israel said it “eliminated” Tabatabai, marking its third attempt to target him since last year’s war, and Prime … Continue reading Israel kills top Hezbollah commander in attack on Lebanon’s capital

Germany plans major military reforms to build what Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls Europe’s strongest army, aiming to expand its forces to 260,000 soldiers and 200,000 reservists by 2035. A new bill would prioritize voluntary enlistment with higher pay and incentives, while allowing mandatory call-ups if recruitment targets fall short. The push comes amid rising fears of Russian aggression, shifting U.S. security commitments, and warnings from … Continue reading Germany wants to build EU’s strongest army

A new European peace plan offers to bring Vladimir Putin back onto the world stage by readmitting Russia into the G8 in exchange for several concessions. The proposal, drafted by the UK, Germany, and France, caps Ukraine’s army, calls for early elections, and begins territorial negotiations from the current front line, while dropping earlier demands that Ukraine surrender the Donbas. The plan contrasts sharply with … Continue reading Europe agrees to invite Putin back into G8

A grizzly bear attacked a group of students and teachers in the Bella Coola Valley of British Columbia’s Nuxalk Nation on Thursday, leaving two people critically injured and two others seriously hurt. The attack occurred when the group stopped along a trail near a river and a bear suddenly emerged from the forest. Teachers intervened using bear spray and a bear banger to drive the … Continue reading Grizzly bear on loose after attacking school group in Canada, injuring 11

France’s new armed forces chief, Gen. Fabien Mandon, warned that the country must be ready to “lose its children” in a potential war with Russia within the next three to four years, citing a lack of societal “spirit” to endure necessary sacrifices. His remarks, linking France’s rearmament to the ongoing war in Ukraine, sparked backlash across the political spectrum, with critics accusing him of warmongering … Continue reading French general: Country must prepare to ‘lose its children’ in war with Russia