Author: News Desk

It was just past 5:00 pm on Friday, December 13, when France’s new prime minister, François Bayrou, walked alone across the courtyard of the Hôtel de Matignon, the prime minister’s official residence, one hand in his coat pocket. He had just returned from the funeral of his friend Jean-Pierre Rioux, historian and member of the Bayrou’s MoDem party since its creation, who was buried earlier in the day at Saint-Jean de Montmartre church in Paris. Michel Barnier, who had ceremoniously prepared the handover without knowing who would assume the role nor when, awaited Bayrou in the cold. In his brief…

Gaëlle Fasciaux, nursery assistant, baptized in the spring in the Saint-Léger church in Lens (northeastern France) on October 28, 2024. BENJAMIN GIRETTE FOR THE WORLD The scene is engraved in Gaëlle Fasciaux’s memory: Her arms crossed, she sat down in the large basin set up in the middle of the Saint-Léger church in Lens, northern France. Then she fell backward and let herself be submerged. Yet no one could have predicted that the 37-year-old nursery assistant from Sallaumines would be baptized by immersion at Easter. “Religion was a long way off for me,” she said. The mother of two had…

The new president of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, during the central event of the candidacy, last Wednesday.Alejandro Garcia (EFE)Oriol Junqueras will repeat as president of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC). Militancy We decidethe list headed by the former vice president of the Generalitat, has repeated victory this Saturday in the second round of the vote against Xavier Godàs, from Nova Esquerra Nacional and which grouped together those close to Marta Rovira. He former vice president He has obtained 3,437 votes, 52% of the total, compared to his opponent, who obtained 42% (2,777 votes). Participation has been 81.9%, that is, only…

Leer Sánchez’s trick: condone Catalonia’s waste by forcing Madrid to raise taxes

A respectable series is coming to an end at FC Bayern. Mainz 05 managed to hand the record champions their first defeat of the season. That makes the league a little more exciting again. Because for their pursuers Leverkusen everything is clearly going according to plan.FC Bayern Munich suffered their first defeat of this Bundesliga season. The football record champions lost 1:2 (0:1) at FSV Mainz 05 after a weak performance. South Korean Jae-Sung Lee scored both goals for the 05ers (41st minute/60th). In the final phase, the Munich team only managed to score a goal through Leroy Sané (87th).Bayern’s…

A storm caused serious damage in the French overseas territory of Mayotte. Numerous houses are destroyed and many people are injured. The authorities assume several deaths. In the French overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, several people have died as a result of cyclone “Chido”. There have been deaths, said France’s acting Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, but it is not yet possible to say how many. It may take days before an exact number can be given. Retailleau spoke of a dramatic situation. All precarious housing was destroyed by the cyclone. The area was devastated. The mayor of…

Thieves made off with £200,000 worth of goods after raiding a luxury store in north London. Luxury handbags and watches were among the haul burgled from a shop on Bunns Lane, Mill Hill, in north London, after 10.30pm on Tuesday, December 3. CCTV released today shows one of the pair peeking around a door marked as an emergency exit before both entered the hallway with carrier bags. Both were clad in dark clothes, face masks, gloves, and their hoods up. They then forced their way through a door using feet and a tool. Three minutes later, they re-emerged, their bags…

Thousands of Israelis staged a protest on Saturday to demand that the remaining hostages still being held in Gaza be released. There has been guarded optimism in recent days that a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza might finally be within reach after more than 14 months of war between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave.  Thousands of Israelis protest in Tel Aviv for Gaza hostage deal

The United Kingdom became the 12th member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, as of Sunday. 

In a significant move for global religious freedom, the UK Government has appointed David Smith MP as its new Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). This appointment, announced in early December 2024, signals the government’s commitment to advancing religious liberty across the globe and responds to increasing concerns over the persecution of religious minorities in many parts of the world. Smith, a Conservative MP with a strong track record on human rights issues, takes on a critical role at a time when religious freedoms face unprecedented challenges worldwide. A Crucial Appointment for Religious Freedom The new position…