World

[ad_1] The Norwegian Nobel Committee said Wednesday that 305 candidates were nominated for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize by the Feb. 1 deadline, the lowest number in four years. The names of the 212 individuals and 93 organizations were not released, in accordance with committee practice. The Oslo-based organization said …

[ad_1] The International Federation of Journalists has suspended with immediate effect the Russian Union of Journalists over its action since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its role in annexed Ukrainian territories. The IFJ, which represents more than 600,000 media workers across the world, said the Russian union’s membership was suspended …

[ad_1] Australia’s top intelligence official revealed that the country has purged a number of “highly trained” spies that have operated in the country for years.  “They were good – but ASIO was better. We watched them. We mapped their activities. We mounted an intense and sustained campaign of operational activity,” …

[ad_1] A giant “iron ball” discovered on beach in Japan has locals and officials baffled as the mysterious object’s origins remain unknown. The sphere, about 4.9 feet in diameter, was found by a runner on Enshuhama Beach in the coastal city of Hamamatsu and reported to police, state broadcaster NHK …

[ad_1] Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that China has “agreed” to a meeting in Moscow between him and their president, Xi Jinping.  Such an encounter between the two world leaders could happen as early as April, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the plan.  “We await …

[ad_1] Pope Francis spoke on Ash Wednesday to a gathering of faithful in his general audience at the Vatican. As Christians of various denominations around the world enter the Lenten season of fasting leading up to Easter, the pope told the crowd that politicization of the Gospel must be avoided. …

[ad_1] A U.K. counterterrorism program aimed at combating extremism has reportedly flagged some of the nation’s most prized literature, including Shakespeare, “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien and “The Canterbury Tales,” as works that could lead to right-wing extremism. British tabloids found this month that a report by …

[ad_1] On Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Office sharply criticized the United States after a senior Defense Department official visited Taiwan. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian accused the U.S. and Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of attempting to push the island’s independence from China and discouraged the alleged efforts. …

[ad_1] Russia called a Security Council meeting Tuesday on last September’s explosions at the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Western Europe after circulating a resolution calling for a U.N. investigation of the sabotage. Ahead of the meeting, the ambassadors of Denmark, Sweden and Germany sent …

[ad_1] In a dingy medical outpost near eastern Ukraine’s front lines, army medic Viktor battles to save lives on a daily basis. Nearly a year into Russia’s invasion, fighting now amounts to attritional duels of artillery and infantry assaults, with neither side making significant gains. The costs of that deadly …