Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,320
Here are the key events from day 1,320 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 5 Oct 20255 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is how things stand on Monday, October 6, 2025: Fighting A Russian attack killed a family of four, including a 15-year-old girl, in the village of Lapaivka in Ukraine’s Lviv region, the regional prosecutor’s office reported in a post on Facebook. The attack on the region in Ukraine’s west, far from the Russian border, also injured several people and targeted gas infrastructure used for heating during a cold snap, the regional administrator’s office wrote in a post on Telegram. One person was killed and 10 others injured as Russian forces launched 702 attacks on 18 settlements in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region in a day, Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov wrote on Telegram. The attacks left at least 73,000 people without power, with service restored to most people by early afternoon, Fedorov added. Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed on Sunday its forces had hit Ukrainian military-industrial facilities as well as gas and energy infrastructure overnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a post on Facebook that Russian forces launched more than 50 missiles and about 500 attack drones at Ukraine overnight into Sunday, targeting the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhia, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa and Kirovohrad regions. Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s Belgorod region left some 40,000 people without power, Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote in a post on Telegram. Three people were also injured in Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod, Russia’s TASS state news agency reported. Russian forces shot down four Ukrainian guided aerial bombs and 145 drones in a 24-hour period, TASS reported. Politics and Diplomacy Advertisement In response to a question from reporters about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer last month to voluntarily maintain limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons, United States President Donald Trump said, “Sounds like a good idea to me.” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius warned Europe must be wary of falling into “Putin’s escalation trap” while also strengthening anti-drone defences, amid drone sightings near airports across Europe. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that “specific people from abroad … expressed direct support … for the announced attempt to overthrow [Moldova’s] constitutional order,” naming the European Union ambassador to Georgia, the day after protesters sought to force their way into the presidential palace. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz informed Trump about plans to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukrainian armed forces in a phone call on Sunday. The Reuters news agency reported that Trump administration diplomats are planning to accuse Cuba of providing up to 5,000 fighters to support Moscow’s war on Ukraine, in a bid to limit support for lifting the decades-long US embargo on Cuba. Cuban authorities previously arrested 17 people on charges related to a human trafficking ring that allegedly lured young Cuban men to fight in Ukraine with the Russian military. Weapons Putin said that if the US supplies Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for long-range strikes deep into Russia, it would “lead to the destruction of our relations, or at least the positive trends that have emerged in these relations”, in a video released by Russian state television reporter, Pavel Zarubin, on Sunday. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said that Russian weapons used to attack Ukraine include components made by companies from many places, including “the United States, China, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the Netherlands”. Adblock test (Why?)
More than 350 trekkers escape blizzard-hit Everest, hundreds still stranded
Rescued trekkers reach China’s Qudang township while 200 others still face treacherous Everest conditions awaiting help. Published On 6 Oct 20256 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Rescuers have guided more than 350 people to safety after they were stranded by blizzard-like conditions on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest, Chinese state media reported on Sunday. In total, more than 500 people were caught by surprise when unusually heavy snow and rainfall lashed them on the way in the Tingri region of Tibet, one of the main routes to ascend the world’s tallest mountain. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Those rescued on Sunday were taken to the small township of Qudang, on the Tibetan side of the peak, CCTV reported. Some 200 trekkers who remained stranded in treacherous conditions as of Sunday were due to arrive in Qudang in stages under the guidance and assistance of rescuers organised by the local government, CCTV reported. The CCTV report did not indicate whether local guides and support staff accompanying the trekking parties had been accounted for. It was also unclear if trekkers near the north face of Everest, also in Tibet, had been affected or not. Heavy snowfall in the valley, which lies at an elevation averaging 4,200 metres (13,800 feet), began on Friday evening and persisted throughout Saturday. Ticket sales and entry to the entire Everest Scenic Area were suspended from late Saturday, according to notices on the official WeChat accounts of the local Tingri County Tourism Company. “It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk,” said Chen Geshuang, who was part of an 18-strong trekking team that made it to Qudang. “The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly,” Chen told the Reuters news agency. Advertisement In neighbouring Nepal, Sherpa communities have been adapting to increasingly unpredictable conditions as climate change contributes to more frequent and dramatic climate shifts in the Himalayas, posing risks to climbers and the Sherpa communities who work there. In a situation update shared on Sunday, Nepal’s Tourism Board said that search and rescue operations were ongoing after the weather “improved significantly” across Nepal, with “clear skies in Kathmandu and many other parts of Nepal”. The update came after heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods across Nepal, killing at least 47 people since Friday. Thirty-five people died in separate landslides in the eastern Ilam district bordering India. Nine people were reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters, and three others were killed in lightning strikes elsewhere in the country. The floods and landslides in the mountainous regions come as South Asian countries continue to battle ongoing floods, including in Pakistan, where some four million people have been affected. Adblock test (Why?)
Australia, Papua New Guinea sign mutual defence treaty
Pukpuk treaty commits the two neighbours to greater military cooperation, although the text is yet to be released. Published On 6 Oct 20256 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG) James Marape have signed a mutual defence treaty in Canberra, with the leaders saying the text of the agreement will be available soon. Marape told reporters on Monday in the Australian capital that the treaty was drawn up “out of geography, history and the enduring reality of our shared neighbourhood”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “It is about one bigger fence that secures two houses that has its own yard space,” Marape said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The Papua New Guinean leader disagreed that the pact was drawn up due to broader geopolitical issues, in an apparent reference to the military interests of countries like China and the United States in the Pacific region. “This treaty was not conceived out of geopolitics or any other reason,” Marape said. “We maintain friendships to all enemies, we advocate peace wherever we engage, in as far as foreign relations concern,” PNG’s leader added. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the treaty “makes very explicit” that there will be “interoperability” between the two neighbouring countries’ “defence assets”, adding that “our greatest asset is our people”. The ABC reported that this meant the two countries would share the same rights as current members of the Five Eyes agreement, which Australia shares with Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the US. Marape’s office said last week that the agreement will create a path for 10,000 Papua New Guineans to serve in the Australian Defence Force, as his country also aims to build up its own defence force to 7,000 troops. Advertisement Papua New Guinea has a population of some 12 million people, of which about 40 percent live below the poverty line, in stark contrast to its richer neighbour, Australia. The signing of the Pukpuk treaty comes weeks after Papua New Guinea celebrated 50 years of independence from Australia, which assumed control of its northern neighbour as a colonial power in 1902, after both countries were colonised by the UK. In August 2013, Australia signed a memorandum of understanding with Papua New Guinea, which saw thousands of migrants arriving in Australia by boat detained on Manus Island in offshore detention. The controversial detention centre closed in 2017, leaving hundreds of refugees stranded. Australia is also seeking to sign a security agreement with Fiji, after a similar agreement covering both security and climate change with Vanuatu stalled last month. Australia also recently signed a landmark treaty with Tuvalu, the world’s first agreement offering visas to help people facing displacement due to the climate crisis to resettle. Climate change remains a key security concern for many countries in the region, with Australia bidding to host the 2026 UN COP climate change meeting, alongside its Pacific neighbours. The bid has yet to materialise as Turkiye is also formally campaigning to host the same meeting. Adblock test (Why?)
Moldova’s vote is one more sign of Russia’s weakness in its ‘near abroad’
On September 28, the governing pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) in Moldova emerged victorious in the general election. It not only defeated the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc (PEB) but also confirmed a new geopolitical trend. Across post-Soviet Eurasia, Russia is losing ground amid the continuing Russian aggression against Ukraine. Paradoxically, Moscow launched the large-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022 to assert primacy over what it calls its “near abroad”. More than three years later, it is painfully obvious that the strategy has failed. Countries and leaders, whether democrats or old-school autocrats, are turning away from Moscow. In Moldova, the stellar result for PAS defied predictions of a tight race. In the run-up to the elections, pro-Russian forces under the umbrella of PEB appeared to have momentum. Society was evenly split and economic uncertainty weighed on Moldova. However, the tide turned in late summer with old tensions between parties within the PEB resurfacing. Concerted Russian efforts to sway the elections through information ops on social media – depicting PAS as a Western puppet threatening to drag the country into war against Russia and playing on fears of an economic downturn and annexation by Romania – backfired. The Central Electoral Commission was given a reason to ban two overtly pro-Russian parties over allegations of illegal financing. The government also secured the extradition from Greece of fugitive oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, accused of playing a key role in the theft of $1bn from Moldovan banks. Advertisement The drama energised the Moldovan diaspora in the West, a strong supporter of the European Union. As a result, PEB and other opposition parties did well only in their strongholds in the Gagauz region of northern Moldova and Transnistria. PAS lost nearly 3 percent of its votes compared with 2021 but still came out on top with 50.2 percent vs 24.4 percent for PEB. Had Russia refrained from interfering, Moscow-friendly forces probably would have stood a better chance of challenging PAS. The opposition missed an opportunity to make the elections about the economy and good governance. The moment it became about the EU vs Russia, PAS was at an advantage. The party could claim credit for bringing Moldova closer to membership, having secured the opening of accession talks in June 2024 – a rather popular move. Almost two-thirds of Moldovans are in favour of joining the EU, which is highly unsurprising, given the role it plays as the country’s top trading partner and main destination for its exports. The pro-EU orientation of the population is irreversible, and even if PEB comes to power, it is unlikely to change course dramatically. The move away from Russia is visible in the South Caucasus too. Armenia, which was historically highly dependent on Moscow’s strategic and economic aid, has reoriented itself westwards. Moscow abysmally failed to back its ally as Azerbaijan regained full control over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2022. The defeat created space for Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan to actually engage with both Azerbaijan and Turkiye. Currently, a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan is in the works as United States President Donald Trump is eager to see it across the finish line so he can claim credit. In February 2024, Armenia suspended its participation in the Russian-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organisation. It also deepened security and defence cooperation with France. For its part, Azerbaijan has had heightened tensions with Russia twice in recent years – in 2024 over a downed passenger jet over the Caspian Sea and this summer over the arrests of Azerbaijani nationals in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, which escalated into a major crisis. Russia used to project regional influence by being the arbiter between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Now it has somehow managed to alienate both countries, while Turkiye and the US have stepped in to fill the vacuum. In the South Caucasus, only Georgia appears to be leaning towards Moscow. But that is largely because the governing Georgian Dream party and its informal leader, the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, have clashed with the EU over their tilt towards authoritarianism. Yet Georgia has not given up on the EU; it has just rejected its demands for democratisation, which under Trump’s influence have diminished in value anyway. Rather than tie itself fully to Russia, Tbilisi is trying to juggle among Europe, the US and, of course, China. Advertisement “Multivectoring” has long been popular in Central Asia too. There, the Ukraine war has also put governments on alert of Russian encroachment and given them an extra incentive to turn to China as a counterweight. Beijing has been enlarging its economic footprint in the region. It is the top investor in Central Asia and its share in the overall trade of the five Central Asian countries combined has gone up from 17.7 percent in 2020 to 24.1 percent in 2024 with Turkmenistan (55 percent) and Kyrgyzstan (35 percent) ahead of the pack. China has also stepped up diplomacy: The inaugural China-Central Asia summit took place in Xi’an in May 2023. The follow-up in Astana in June this year saw the signing of a treaty on “permanent good-neighbourliness, friendship, and cooperation”. Beijing also focused on an increased role in the realm of security, traditionally an area reserved for Russia, including antiterrorism, border security and transnational crime. From the perspective of the regional states, this partnership could prove useful in fending off domestic challenges. The old adage about Russia providing the muscle and China providing the cash is not accurate any more. Russia is obviously not happy, but it has been cornered, given its dependence on China, which has grown exponentially as a result of the war in Ukraine and the Western sanctions that followed. Putin’s presence at the military parade in Beijing on September 3 celebrating the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II and elevating the Chinese role in the conflict is another example of how asymmetric the relationship has become. The leaders of the five Central Asian countries as well as Belarus
Video: Here’s how Syria is electing its first post-Assad parliament
NewsFeed Syria is holding its first indirect parliamentary election since the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid is in Damascus and explains how the process will work. Published On 5 Oct 20255 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Why is ADL, the Jewish advocacy group, receiving blowback from MAGA?
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has become the target of a sustained right-wing backlash after the US-based Jewish advocacy group included an organisation founded by slain right-wing figure Charlie Kirk in its online database on extremism. The blowback escalated sharply on Wednesday after FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the bureau would sever ties with the ADL, accusing the prominent advocacy group of spying on Americans. Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s post calling the ADL a “hate group” set off a firestorm of criticism online, forcing the group to scrap the “Glossary of Extremism and Hate”, which contained more than a thousand entries on groups and movements with connections to hateful ideologies. But that has not subdued the backlash from conservatives – the base of the governing Republican Party. So, what’s ADL’s online database, and why has it triggered MAGA (Make America Great Again) rage? And how has the nonprofit, which backed the crackdown on pro-Palestine campus protests by the administration of US President Donald Trump, ended up ruffling feathers across the political spectrum? What is ADL? The ADL is one of the oldest and most influential Jewish advocacy groups in the United States. It was founded in 1913 by members of the B’nai B’rith – Hebrew for “Sons of the Covenant”, a Jewish fraternal organisation – to counter anti-Semitism and prejudice against Jews. The group, which calls itself “a global leader in combating antisemitism”, started with its original mission, “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all”. Advertisement Over time, the ADL grew into a national force with branches spread across the country. It works closely with law enforcement agencies to train officers on identifying bias-motivated violence. It also develops programmes and resources on anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, partnering with schools, universities and communities. Its monitoring of right-wing racist and anti-LGBTQ+ extremism also allowed it space within the US’s liberal Jewish community. Since its inception, the ADL has argued that anti-Zionism could lead to anti-Semitism. But in the past couple of decades, the nonprofit has been pushing to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, which conflates some criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. The ADL has also backed a controversial resolution passed by the US Congress that defined anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism. The ADL is a well-resourced civil society group, with around $163m in revenue last year alone. Elon Musk gestures at the podium inside the Capital One Arena during the second inauguration of US President Donald Trump, in Washington, DC, the United States, January 20, 2025 [Mike Segar/Reuters] What caused the backlash against ADL? The recent backlash was triggered after several influential right-wing social media accounts began posting screenshots of the ADL’s entry on Kirk’s organisation, Turning Point USA, in its “Glossary of Extremism”. Kirk, who is credited with galvanising young voters for Trump, was assassinated last month. Though Turning Point USA was not listed as an “extremist organization”, the nonprofit had documented incidents where its leadership and affiliated members had made “racist or bigoted comments”. ADL’s entry on “Christian Identity” – which the nonprofit identified as an extremist theology that promotes white supremacy – also drew widespread criticism from right-wing influencers. The ADL has long positioned itself as a nonpartisan watchdog. But conservatives have increasingly argued that it has become politically aligned with progressive causes, including the group’s partnerships with social media companies in moderating hate-speech policies. Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL’s CEO, has been accused of “weaponising anti-Semitism” to attack critics of liberal policies and of conflating right-wing populism with hate speech in the past. In the weeks following Kirk’s assassination, the US has seen a wave of right-wing backlash against public figures who criticised him, with several commentators and journalists facing professional repercussions – including the brief suspension of a television show by comedian Jimmy Kimmel and the firing of Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah. Advertisement What was in ADL’s online database? The ADL “Glossary of Extremism and Hate” was an online, searchable database launched in March 2022 by the organisation’s Center on Extremism. After the backlash from right-wing influencers, mostly from the MAGA camp, the ADL quietly moved to retire its database from the public. The database contained more than 1,000 entries providing overviews and definitions of terms, symbols, slogans, tactics, publications, groups, and individuals associated with various extremist ideologies, hate movements, and related activities. The resource covered a broad spectrum, including white supremacism, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, and extremism on the far right and far left. The glossary reportedly included groups like the Proud Boys, the Nation of Islam, the Oath Keepers, and others. The ADL, in its statement, argued that “an increasing number of entries in the Glossary were outdated”, and “a number of entries [were] intentionally misrepresented and misused”. The organisation further said that it wanted to focus on exploring “new strategies and creative approaches to deliver our data and present our research more effectively”. The list is no longer publicly available on ADL’s site, and the original URL now redirects to the organisation’s home page. Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s post calling the ADL a ‘hate group’ set off a firestorm of criticism online. Musk, who helped with Donald Trump’s campaign, has since fallen out with the US president [File: Nathan Howard/Reuters] How did Musk get into this? The online smear campaign gained traction on Sunday night after billionaire Elon Musk started interacting with posts targeting the ADL. Musk, who has more than 227 million followers on X, said, “The ADL hates Christians, therefore it is is [sic] a hate group.” The ADL’s operations encourage murder, Musk said in another reply to a post on X, formerly Twitter, which he bought in 2022 after paying $44bn. Musk’s attacks on the ADL still came as a shock to some. ADL’s Greenblatt has, in fact, praised Musk several times, including in 2023 for saying that X would block use of the pro-Palestinian slogan “from the river to the sea”. That applause reportedly led to the
What we know about Hamas’ response to Trump’s Gaza peace plan
NewsFeed Hamas has announced it accepts parts of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan but wants more talks on several key points. Here’s a breakdown of what we know so far. Published On 4 Oct 20254 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
India vs Pakistan – ICC Women’s World Cup: Match time, handshake row, rain
Who: India vs PakistanWhat: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025When: Sunday, October 5 at 09:30 GMTWhere: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri LankaHow to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will have live build-up from 06:30 GMT ahead of our text commentary stream. Cricket could take the backseat on yet another Sunday when India meet Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 in Colombo amid lingering political tension between the South Asian neighbours. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The eagerly awaited group-stage fixture will likely be bookended by questions surrounding the now-infamous handshakes between both sides as the captains meet at the pre-match coin toss, and at the end of the match, when both squads traditionally step back on the field. When India and Pakistan’s men’s teams met in the Asia Cup 2025, the Indian team and its captain did not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in all three fixtures at the tournament, leading to furore and backlash that marred the tournament. A top official of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has not ruled out a “no handshake” policy for the Women’s World Cup fixture, as well. “Whether there will be handshakes, whether there will be hugging, I cannot assure you of anything,” BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told the BBC’s Stumped podcast. “I cannot forecast anything, but our relationship with that particular hostile country is the same. There is no change in the last week.” ‘Focus on the game’ While it may seem that cricket has been, once again, pushed into the background, both teams want to overlook the controversial build-up and focus on the game instead. Advertisement “Obviously, we know what’s happening around us, but we try to stay focused on the game because the World Cup is an event every player waits for,” Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana said on Saturday. Sana, whose team were comprehensively beaten by Bangladesh in their opening match, said Pakistan will “focus on the tournament and on what we have come here for” when asked to comment on the “outside noise”. The last time India played Pakistan at the Women’s World Cup, the players’ off-field interactions left an indelible mark on the game and earned widespread praise from the fans. At the 2022 tournament in New Zealand, Pakistan’s then-captain Bismah Maroof was surrounded by a group of Indian players as they cooed over her six-month-old daughter Fatima. Jokes were shared, selfies were taken, and memories were made as players from the rival nations bonded outside their dressing rooms well after the match was over. Sana, who was part of the Pakistan squad in 2022, was asked whether the players will miss the spirit and camaraderie from three years ago. “We try to maintain healthy relationships with every team,” Sana replied. “What happened with Bismah’s daughter, when everyone mingled and enjoyed together – as players, we all like such moments, but the main thing is to stay focused [on the game].” When the same question was posed to India’s bowling coach Aavishankar Salvi, the journalist was notified that India will not answer it. However, Salvi did say that India – who beat Sri Lanka in their opening game by 59 runs – will also “focus on the cricket” on Sunday. #Throwback to this beautiful moment from the 2022 World Cup involving Bismah Maroof’s daughter and Indian girls ❤️#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/PuxFEC5O1Y — Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) April 25, 2024 ‘The world will be watching’ “We want our girls to take it just as a game because the World Cup is a long campaign and there will be a lot of games coming our way,” he said. “When you enter a big tournament, the area of focus is only cricket, and it’s good to have the players into a good [head] space.” The fixture is expected to draw huge viewing figures and organisers will expect a sizeable crowd at the ground, as well. Sana, who also led Pakistan in their match against India in the T20 World Cup 2024, admitted such factors make it a high-pressure fixture and one that “the whole world will be watching”. “There is pressure but the main thing is how we handle it. We’ll try to focus on our game, execute our plans, and play the way we’ve prepared.” Advertisement What happened in the last India vs Pakistan women’s cricket match? The teams last met in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Dubai, where India emerged victorious by six wickets. When was the last time Pakistan beat India in women’s cricket? Pakistan have only beaten India on three occasions, the last of which came on October 7 at the T20 Women’s Asia Cup 2022. Nida Dar’s all-round performance sealed Pakistan’s 13-run win in Bangladesh. Will it rain in Colombo during the India vs Pakistan match? Rain is expected in the early hours of Sunday in Khettarama, the neighbourhood that houses the R Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka’s capital. The weather will remain cloudy throughout the day, with light showers expected to return later in the evening, as well. This could lead to delays or disruption of play. There was plenty of rainfall on Saturday before Sri Lanka’s match against Australia at the same venue. The persistent rain led to the match being called off without any play. The ground at the R Premadasa Stadium remained covered on Saturday as Sri Lanka vs Australia was abandoned due to rain [Ishara S Kodikara/AFP] India vs Pakistan: Head-to-head in women’s ODIs India hold an 11-0 lead over their neighbours in women’s ODIs. All of India’s wins have come with comfortable margins, including the 107-run victory at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 in New Zealand. Players to watch: India Smriti Mandhana: Widely regarded as the best limited-over batters in present-day women’s cricket, Mandhana has swept most women’s ODI records in the past two years. She is the top-ranked ODI batter by a distance and was the leading run-scorer in the format in 2024. The Indian vice-captain has scored
Trapped in Tunisia
Caught between two worlds, migrants in Tunisia fight the elements and the authorities as they strive to reach Europe. Thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa wait near the coast in Tunisia for an opportunity to make the treacherous voyage across the Mediterranean. Under an agreement signed with the European Union, the Tunisian government does what it can to stop them. NGOs and migrants accuse the Tunisian coastguard of deliberately sinking migrant boats at sea, leaving those on board to drown. Others say migrants are regularly bused out to the desert and abandoned. We investigate these allegations and meet the humans caught in the crossfire of a political battle over migration. Published On 4 Oct 20254 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Church of England names first female archbishop of Canterbury
Announcement draws criticism from Anglican churches that oppose female bishops. By News Agencies Published On 3 Oct 20253 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The Church of England has named Sarah Mullally as the next archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to be appointed to the Church’s most senior office. Mullally, 63, will become the spiritual head of 85 million Anglicans globally, and like her predecessors will face a Communion divided over several issues, including the role of women in the Church and the acceptance of same-sex couples. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Mullally replaces Justin Welby, who resigned due to a child abuse cover-up scandal last year. The new archbishop addressed congregants for the first time at Canterbury Cathedral on Friday and spoke of the hope she saw in the world despite uncertain times. Mullally said her first calling is to follow Christ and spread his message, but she also used her speech to address issues in the United Kingdom, including migration and the deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday, which killed two people. “We are witnessing hatred that rises up through fractures across our communities,” Mullally said. “I know that the God who is with us draws near to those who suffer. We then, as a Church, have a responsibility to be a people who stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism in all its forms. Hatred and racism of any kind cannot be allowed to tear us apart,” she added. The UK’s new archbishop of Canterbury-designate, Sarah Mullally, speaks following the announcement of her posting, at Canterbury Cathedral in south east England [AFP] Mullally’s appointment drew criticism from conservative Anglican churches in Africa on account of her gender. Advertisement The Global Anglican Future Conference, which includes bishops from Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda, said the appointment of Mullally would further split the Church because she “promoted unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.” “Though there are some who will welcome the decision to appoint Bishop Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, the majority of the Anglican Communion still believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy,” the Reverend Laurent Mbanda said in a statement for the group. The Church of England’s evangelical wing called for a stop to what it referred to as a drift away from scripture. Mullally, who has been bishop of London since 2018, has previously championed blessings for same-sex couples. The Vatican congratulated Mullally and wished her well. King Charles III approved Mullally’s nomination and offered his congratulations. She will officially become the archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral in January 2026. Adblock test (Why?)