Author: Yash Mehra

By establishing a deadline for the closure of investment portfolios in foreign banks, including those in Italy, Pope Francis took action on Tuesday to remove any opportunity for error or hesitation on the side of Vatican agencies in enforcing tighter financial controls. In a document known as a “rescripted,” or re-writing, Francis made it plain that starting on September 1, all investments made by all departments must go via the Vatican bank. One of the cornerstones of a centralization strategy unveiled last month that denies all Vatican ministries the option to spend their assets freely is a bigger role for…

According to his lawyer, a Palestinian prisoner who has been on a hunger strike for more than 160 days in protest against Israel’s custody of him might pass away at any time. Israeli authorities detained Khalil Awawdeh, 40, in December 2021 and have since held him in administrative detention, which is a legal holding without charges or a court hearing. The charges against Awawdeh have received little information from Israel. His imprisonment has been repeatedly upheld by military tribunals, a spokeswoman for the Israeli military said on Wednesday, “and it was determined that the confidential material in his case indicates…

Combatants and citizens celebrated Ukraine’s independence day with fierce words and the assurance of triumph in destroyed towns and on the front lines of the country’s fight against Russia’s invasion troops. This Independence Day, which would typically be a time for celebrations commemorating the end of Soviet control in 1991, was held six months to the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered his soldiers across the border. Millions of people have left their homes, many have died, and bombings have destroyed entire cities. The day, however, also served to reinforce Ukrainians’ commitment and the West’s support for their…

The Shakhtar Donetsk players rushed onto the field for their final practice in Ukraine on Monday before the national soccer league kicked off an unusual new season as soon as the air raid sirens ceased. Tuesday at 1000 GMT, the inaugural match of the Ukrainian Premier League is scheduled to take place between Shakhtar and Metalist 1925 from the troubled eastern city of Kharkiv, as Ukrainian troops fight Russian forces in the east and south. A day before Ukraine celebrates six months since Russia invaded its smaller neighbor, which has resulted in a conflict that has killed thousands of people,…

Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome is no pushover. She spent her career protecting dissidents, and this year her court scuttled constitutional revisions sought by the president who nominated her. Kenya was long recognised for political involvement in the judiciary. However, when opposition leader Raila Odinga filed a Supreme Court petition on Monday seeking to annul the outcomes of the presidential election held on August 9, her own reputation for impartiality and independence is now in jeopardy. The head of the election commission stated that Deputy President William Ruto had won by around 233,000 votes, but four of the seven commissioners…

As further bombs shook Crimea and a missile injured 12 civilians near a nuclear power plant on Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Ukrainians to exercise caution as they prepared to celebrate their Independence Day. During the 31st anniversary of their freedom from Soviet tyranny, Zelenskiy warned Ukrainians in his nightly video message that they must not allow Moscow to “spread pessimism and terror” among them. Before the anniversary on August 24, which also marks six months since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Zelenskiy stated, “We must all be aware that this week Russia could try to do something particularly…

Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin can be seen singing and dancing with pals at a private party in a video that was released. The 36-year-old leader strikes a beautiful pose. She is seated with her hands behind her head and legs. She is caught up in a bear embrace. She’s enjoying herself. Young and older partygoers from Finland and throughout the world post countless films like this on social media every day. However, the leak has sparked a discussion among Finns about the proper amount of celebration for a prime minister.  Particularly in light of the war on Ukraine by…

On Saturday, Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukraine of poisoning several of its personnel in late July in the Russian-controlled section of Ukraine’s southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia. In response, an interior ministry adviser in Ukraine stated that the suspected poisoning might have been caused by Russian personnel consuming expired tinned meat. On July 31, a number of Russian personnel were rushed to a military hospital with symptoms of acute poisoning, according to the Russian defence ministry. Botulinum toxin type B was found in their systems, according to tests. “On the fact of chemical terrorism sanctioned by the (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy…

Mexico authorities made the first high-level arrest in the infamous 2014 abduction of 43 students, charging a former top prosecutor of crimes in one of Mexico’s greatest human rights violations, which current officials have labelled a state crime. Former Attorney General Jesus Murillo was detained at his residence in Mexico City on allegations of kidnapping and disappearance of student-teachers in the southwest state of Guerrero, as well as torture and obstruction of justice. Murillo was transported to the attorney general’s office and will be transferred to a prison in Mexico City, according to authorities. Within hours of the arrest, a…

According to a family member, jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has extended his five-month hunger strike, eliminating his meagre intake of solids as part of his effort to protest his arrest. Some rights groups argue his case demonstrates that Western countries, notably Britain and the United States, put national interests ahead of promoting freedom. He was a key voice in the 2011 revolt that ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year tenure. To keep alive, Egypt’s most visible rebel previously used only one piece of fibre every week, an apple or a cucumber, as well as only 100 calories of fluids…