Arab-Islamic summit in Doha warns of risks to regional security
Leaders from the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and 22-member Arab League met in Doha on Monday, concentrating on the impact of recent ...
Orthodox Christians round the world have marked the start of the 40 day Lenten period with the Ash Wednesday ceremony today.
This ceremony involves placing of ash on the forehead of congregants by Priests symbolizing dust from which they were created and to which they would return.
As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
The ashes are typically made from burning special crosses which were made from palm wood used in the Palm Sunday celeberation from the previous year.
The Lenten Period according to the Conference of Bishops is a period of “fasting, prayer, almsgiving and reflection” for christian faithful all over the world.
During this period, Christians are encouraged to abstain from luxuries but to closely seek the will of Christ more faithfully.
They also seek forgiveness during this time as they prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, upon whom the Christian faith has its foundations at the end of the 40-day period.
This year’s ceremony has however been overshadowed by Pope Francis’s long stay in hospital as he continues to recover from a respiratory issue.
His illness has meant that the pope has already missed a number of Church events, including a March 5 service known as Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of a 40-day period leading to Easter Sunday and which he normally presides over.
The 88 year old Pontiff has experienced several bouts of ill health over the last two years and is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
Catholic faithful all over the world continue to pray for his recovery while eagerly awaiting updates about his health.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
Finland is closely watching Russia’s ongoing Zapad-2025 military exercises in Russia, Belarus, and the Baltic and Barents Seas, Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) commander Janne Jaakkola said on Monday.
European authorities have intercepted more than 2,400 shipping containers at Greece’s port of Piraeus in the EU’s largest-ever container seizure, valued at around €250 million ($294m).
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israel will not carry out further strikes in Qatar following last week’s attacks on Doha, which targeted senior Hamas officials.
Leaders from the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and 22-member Arab League met in Doha on Monday, concentrating on the impact of recent attacks on Qatar and the wider Middle East, and calling for coordinated measures to preserve stability and support ongoing mediation efforts.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a presidential memorandum establishing the “Memphis Safe Task Force,” which will deploy National Guard troops alongside federal agencies to tackle rising crime in Memphis, Tennessee.
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