World

[ad_1] Hours after rebuking what he dubbed the “Jezebel Spirit” at a men’s event over the weekend, Pastor Mark Driscoll was invited back to the platform at the Stronger Men’s Conference in Springfield, Missouri. In a deviation from his planned sermon, Driscoll called out what he saw as the spiritually problematic kickoff to the two-day convention, which was hosted by James River Church, a megachurch led by Pastor John Lindell. Driscoll took issue with the opening ceremony at the Great Southern Bank Arena, where stuntman Alex Magala performed. Listen to them on the latest episode of “Quick Start” Magala, who gained notoriety after appearing…

[ad_1] Russian president makes comments as Israel weighs its response to Iranian missile and drone attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for restraint as Israel weighs its response to Iran’s unprecedented weekend drone and missile attack. Putin made the remarks in a phone call with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday. The leaders discussed what the Kremlin called “retaliatory measures taken by Iran” after an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 1. Putin urged all sides to refrain from action that would trigger a new confrontation that would have catastrophic consequences for…

[ad_1] The NBA Eastern Conference postseason begins on Wednesday night with the play-in tournament. The top six teams from the conference have already qualified for the playoffs, while seeds seven through 10 enter the play-in tournament for an opportunity to qualify for the final two playoff spots in each conference. Here are three key Eastern Conference talking points ahead of the NBA playoffs: 1. Are the second-placed New York Knicks playoff contenders or pretenders in the East? The Knicks squeaked into the number two spot in the Eastern Conference standings on the final day of the season on Sunday. For…

[ad_1] An artist representing Israel at the international art fair calls for an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. The artist representing Israel at the Venice Biennale has announced her exhibit will not open until an agreement is reached for a ceasefire and the release of captives held in the Gaza Strip. Ruth Patir’s video installation called (M)otherland was due to open on Saturday at Israel’s national pavilion at the international art show, but she said it would remain closed for now. “The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when a ceasefire and hostage…

[ad_1] Azerbaijan systematically ‘erasing’ all traces of ethnic Armenians in the disputed region, Yerevan says. Azerbaijan has “completed” the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia claimed to the UN’s top court. In a case brought by Yerevan against its Caucus neighbour and rival over alleged discrimination and ethnic cleansing, lawyers for Armenia on Tuesday told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Baku is “erasing all traces of ethnic Armenians’ presence” in the contested territory. “After threatening to do so for years, Azerbaijan has completed the ethnic cleansing of the region,” Armenia’s representative Yeghishe Kirakosyan claimed. The two Caucasian countries have…

[ad_1] Last year was the hottest on record, with extreme weather events in many corners of the globe. It was also the year in which countries reached a landmark agreement at the UN Climate Conference (COP28) to begin “transitioning away from fossil fuels”. If governments are to comply with this agreement and avert global climate collapse, there cannot be any new expansion of coal, oil and gas production. This includes the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), one of the largest and most controversial fossil fuel projects currently under development. Financing for EACOP is yet to be secured, but if…

[ad_1] BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, calling on the two sides to carry forward the distinctive characteristics of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes and achieve mutual success. Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany, Xi said over the past 10 years, despite tremendous changes in the international landscape, China-Germany relations have maintained steady growth, and bilateral cooperation has strengthened and deepened across the board, providing impetus for the development of both countries.…

[ad_1] India will kick off the world’s largest democratic exercise on Friday, with 969 million registered voters casting the ballot to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament over seven phases starting April 19. The world’s most populous country has more than 2,500 political parties, but a mere 10 of them currently hold 86 percent of the seats in the Lok Sabha. Here is a look at the main parties vying for the Lok Sabha seats this year: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP claims to be the world’s largest political…

[ad_1] DUBAI: Torrential rain flooded roads, homes and malls and briefly halted operations at Dubai’s airport as storms lashed the Gulf on Tuesday, after leaving at least 18 dead in Oman. Dubai, the Middle East’s financial centre, was paralysed by the heavy storms that caused widespread flooding around the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Flagship shopping centres Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding and water was ankle-deep at at least one Dubai Metro station. Roads and residential communities also suffered heavy flooding in scenes repeated around the oil-rich Emirates, a desert country where rain is an…

[ad_1] Push on partners to sanction Tehran comes as Israel mulls military retaliation for Iran’s weekend attack. Israel has launched a “diplomatic offensive” against Iran, calling for sanctions against the Islamic republic. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that he has contacted 32 countries calling on them to impose sanctions against Tehran. The move comes as Israel mulls a military response to Iran’s attack on Israel. Iran says its attacks on Saturday, using more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, were in retaliation for Israel’s strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria. That attack killed seven…