Japan hits record number of centenarians, most are women
Japan has reached a record 99,763 centenarians as of September 1, with women accounting for roughly 88 percent, marking the 55th consecutive year the ...
Christians worldwide are marking Easter Sunday together this year, as both Catholic and Orthodox churches celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the same day.
Christians across the globe are celebrating Easter, Christianity’s most significant holiday.
For over 400 years, Catholic and Orthodox churches have used different methods to calculate the date of Easter. But this Sunday marks a rare occasion as both traditions celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the same day.
In Kyiv, residents attended Easter Mass from Saturday night into Sunday morning. Due to the city’s midnight curfew, worshippers remained inside the church until dawn. Ceremonies across Ukraine came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a temporary ceasefire lasting until midnight on Sunday.
In Moscow, hundreds gathered at Christ the Saviour Cathedral for Easter Mass led by Patriarch Kirill, which took place overnight from Saturday into Sunday.
On Chios Island, rival churches continued their annual Easter tradition of launching fireworks at each other's buildings in an effort to strike the opponent’s church bell. Worshippers from Panagia Erithiani and Saint Mark use handmade rockets crafted from sulphur and gunpowder, continuing a tradition that evolved from the use of heavy cannons to today’s less-harmful fireworks.
In North Bohemia, a village boy dressed in a hay suit led the traditional "Marching Judas" procession on Easter Saturday. Surviving in only a few eastern Czech villages, the eldest teenage boy becomes the "Straw Judas," symbolizing the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Children follow him door to door, singing and collecting sweets, eggs, and money in a cart pulled by Judas.
In Oruro, artists crafted large sand sculptures portraying biblical scenes and the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross. Nearly 200 artists from Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru turned the dunes into a massive canvas for the festival’s 19th edition, attracting crowds to admire the detailed sand creations.
In Jerusalem, Orthodox Christians gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Holy Fire ceremony, a tradition believed to symbolize Jesus’ resurrection. At 2 p.m. on Holy Saturday, a sunbeam is said to ignite a lamp inside the tomb, after which the Greek Orthodox Patriarch emerges with a lit candle. The flame is then shared among worshippers and passed to pilgrims waiting in the nearby streets.
While many observe Easter Sunday with traditional practices like prayer and mass, others embrace more secular customs — from colorful egg hunts and decorating to festive baskets and visits from the Easter Bunny.
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.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
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.
North Korea will unveil a new policy linking nuclear and conventional military development at its upcoming ruling party congress, Kim Jong Un announced.
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly endorsed a declaration calling for “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
President Donald Trump announced Friday that National Guard troops will be deployed to Memphis, Tennessee, as part of his ongoing effort to curb crime in Democrat-led cities, saying the city’s mayor and the state governor support the move.
The United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt called Friday for a three-month humanitarian truce in Sudan, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transitional process toward civilian-led governance.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a man Friday in Franklin Park, Illinois, after the suspect drove his car at law enforcement and dragged an officer, federal authorities said.
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