Headline

Pope Breaks Down In Tears At Public Prayer For Ukraine

Published

3 years ago

December 9, 2022

Pope Francis broke down and cried as he mentioned the travails of Ukrainians during a traditional prayer in central Rome on Thursday.

The traditional prayer took place at Madonna, at the foot of a statue on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, during a national holiday in Italy.

Reuters reported that the pope’s voice started trembling as he mentioned the Ukrainians and he had to stop.

The head of the Catholic Church, then, could not speak for about 30 seconds, and his voice was cracking when he resumed the prayer.

Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri who was right next to the pope, applauded when he realised he was unable to talk and saw him crying. The crowd followed suit in clapping the pope’s emotional moment.

“Immaculate Virgin, today I would have wanted to bring you the thanks of the Ukrainian people…” Pope said before being overwhelmed by emotion.

Having composed himself, he continued, “Instead, once again I have to bring you the pleas of children, of the elderly, of fathers and mothers, of the young people of that martyred land, which is suffering so much.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Francis has mentioned Ukraine in almost all his public appearances and has heavily criticised Vladimir Putin and his security forces for starting the war.

On Wednesday, he compared the war in Ukraine to a Nazi operation that killed some two million people, mostly Jews, in the first years of World War II.

After reading the prayer on Thursday at the statue near the Spanish Steps, the pope greeted people in the crowd, including journalists.

When one of the reporters mentioned how he was overcome with emotion, he responded, “Yes. It (the war in Ukraine) is an enormous suffering, enormous. A defeat for humanity.”

Headline

Israeli Strike Kills Al Jazeera Journalist In Gaza

Published

2 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

Al Jazeera on Monday said one of its journalists was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza, two weeks after the broadcaster lost six staff and freelancers in an attack.

Mohammad Salama, a photojournalist and cameraman, was killed in an attack on a medical complex that left 14 people dead, the Qatar-based news network said.

His death was “confirmed,” a spokesperson told AFP.

Earlier this month, four Al Jazeera staff and two freelancers were killed in an Israeli air strike outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, prompting widespread condemnation.

Mahmud Bassal, Gaza’s Civil Defence spokesman, also said the death toll in the latest attack stood at 14, including journalists.

An Israeli explosive drone targeted a building at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, followed by an airstrike as the wounded were being evacuated, Bassal said.

AFP

Headline

42 Killed In Israeli Attacks, Says Gaza’s Civil Defense

Published

17 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported at least 42 people killed in Israeli attacks on Sunday, as the Israeli army prepared for a new assault on the Palestinian territory’s largest city.

Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said there had been several air strikes around Gaza City — which the military is gearing up to capture — including one in the Al-Sabra neighbourhood that killed eight people.

Attacks were also reported elsewhere across the territory, he said, with the “total tally currently rising to 42 dead”.

The army did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the figure.

“The situation is extremely dangerous… Each day, each minute, there are bombings, martyrs, death and blood — we can’t take it anymore,” Al-Sabra resident Ibrahim Al-Shurafa told AFP, explaining strikes and shelling were ongoing.

“We don’t know where to go. Death follows us everywhere,” he added.

Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.

The October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel’s offensive has killed at least 62,686 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.

AFP

Headline

Venezuela Frees Eight Opposition Leaders

Published

17 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

Venezuelan authorities released eight opposition leaders from jail early Sunday, including a former congressman and two Italian citizens, and granted house arrest to five others, an opposition politician said.

Most of those released had been charged with corruption in opposition-run mayoral offices.

Also set free was Congressman, Amirico de Grazia, detained amid protests that erupted during President Nicolas Maduro’s reelection in 2024.

“Today, several families are once again embracing their loved ones. We know there are many left, and we have not forgotten them; we continue to fight for everyone,” two-time former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said on X.

Opposition leaders Victor Jurado, Simon Vargas, Arelis Ojeda Escalante, Mayra Castro, Diana Berrio, Gorka Carnevalli, as well as Italian nationals Margarita Assenzo and de Grazia were released, Capriles said.

Nabil Maalouf, Valentin Gutierrez Pineda, Rafael Ramirez, Pedro Guanipa, and David Barroso were placed under house arrest.

The Italian government confirmed the release of de Grazia and Assenzo, who must appear in court to clarify the conditions of their release. It also vowed to continue working on securing the release of other detained Italians.

“We have always said, and we maintain it: we will talk to whomever we need to talk to so that there is not a single political prisoner in our Venezuela!” Capriles added.

AFP