Town Hall News

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Thousands of Palestinian Christians and pilgrims from around the world filled Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday to celebrate the Orthodox Holy Light ceremony, under a heavy Israeli police presence that has drawn anger from churches. The millennium-old celebration, symbolising Jesus’s resurrection, usually draws thousands of worshippers to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians believe Jesus was buried. But Israeli police this year have significantly limited […]

(Reuters) – People who encourage women to remove the hijab will be prosecuted in criminal courts and will have no right of appeal against any conviction, Iran’s deputy attorney general was quoted as saying on Saturday. His comments come as an increasing number of women have been defying Iran’s compulsory dress code, appearing unveiled in malls, restaurants, shops, streets, and other public areas. Several female celebrities and activists have also […]

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Fifteen “radicalised” Kenyan Christians were rescued on Friday from a fast which began after they were told they were going to meet their maker, but four died during the rescue mission, police said. All 15 were members of the Good News International Church in the coastal county of Kilifi, police said. “In the process of rescuing the victims, four of them died,” police said in an incident […]

By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said on Saturday that it had taken control of Khartoum international airport, as clashes erupted with the army. Gunfire could be heard in several parts of Khartoum and eyewitnesses said gunfire was also heard in adjoining cities. A Reuters journalist saw cannon and armoured vehicles deployed in streets, and heard the sound of heavy weapons fire in […]

(Reuters) – Gary Gensler, the chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, said that hedge funds and other parts of the shadow banking system need to face greater scrutiny after last month’s upheaval in U.S. government bonds, the Financial Times reported on Saturday. Gensler told the FT that reducing the risks from speculative funds and non-banking financial institutions was “more important than ever”. (Reporting by Gokul Pisharody in Bengaluru; […]

By Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi SAPPORO, Japan (Reuters) -The Group of Seven rich nations have agreed to call for reducing gas consumption and increasing electricity from renewable sources while phasing out fossil-fuels faster and building no new coal-fired plants, France’s energy transition minister said on Saturday. G7 environment and energy ministers, however, could not agree on a specific date to exit coal power, France’s Agnes Pannier-Runacher told reporters on […]

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya launched its first operational earth observation satellite on Saturday onboard a SpaceX rocket from the United States, a live feed from Elon Musk’s rocket company showed. The satellite, developed by nine Kenyan engineers, will collect agricultural and environmental data, including on floods, drought and wildfires, that authorities plan to use for disaster management and to combat food insecurity. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Taifa-1 satellite, […]

KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said on Saturday that the army had surrounded one of its bases and opened fire with heavy weapons, as gunfire could be heard in several parts of Khartoum and adjoining cities, eyewitnesses told Reuters. The move follows days of tension between the army and the RSF, a powerful paramilitary group, that had sparked concern about a confrontation. A Reuters witness saw cannon and […]

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya launched its first operational earth observation satellite on Saturday onboard a SpaceX rocket from the United States, a live feed from Elon Musk’s rocket company showed. The satellite, developed by nine Kenyan engineers, will collect agricultural and environmental data, including on floods, drought and wildfires, that authorities plan to use for disaster management and to combat food insecurity. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Taifa-1 satellite, […]