Serbian students' 80km march to Novi Sad protests November's deadly overhang collapse killing 15, forcing PM Vucevic's resignation and challenging President Vucic. Movement sparked by corruption in Chinese construction projects intensified after January attacks, uniting professionals nationwide.
Despite violence including car rammings and beatings, students maintain daily commemorations and plenary sessions, receiving widespread solidarity while demanding institutional reform.
Richard Williamson, ordained 1976, died at 84 from brain hemorrhage in England. The traditionalist bishop, consecrated by Marcel Lefebvre in 1988, taught at Society of St.
Pius X's six seminaries worldwide. His Holocaust denial after Benedict XVI lifted his excommunication in 2009 led to German fines and 2012 expulsion from the Menzingen-based society.
Richard Williamson, ordained 1976, died January 24, 2024 from cerebral hemorrhage. As second assistant general (1988-94) in Society of St. Pius X, opposed Vatican II reforms.
Excommunicated 1988, pardoned 2009 by Benedict XVI, then caused scandal with Holocaust denial on Swiss TV. Fined in Germany, expelled 2012 for insubordination.
January 2025's Maha Kumbh festival stampede in Prayagraj killed 30 and injured 60 when pilgrims rushed Ganges-Yamuna-Saraswati confluence barricades. The 45-day event, starting January 13, expects 400 million visitors seeking ritual cleansing.
Victim Sharvan Kumar Chaudhary hospitalized; Rakesh searches for family. Uttar Pradesh ordered judicial investigation as ceremonies continue.
Bangladesh's Unity Council reports 2,184 minority attacks under Nobel laureate Yunus's interim government following Hasina's August 5 ouster. Violence includes 23 deaths, 9 rapes, and persecution of leaders like Chinmoy Das Prabhu.
Secretary Nath alleges state-sponsored discrimination against the 8% Hindu minority in the 170-million population, straining India relations amid Hasina's exile.
Born in Piraeus (1929), Archbishop Anastasios died in Athens January 25, 2024. Following Albania's 50-year religious ban and property seizures, he arrived in 1991, rebuilding the Orthodox Church through new churches and clergy education.
His two-day funeral at Tirana's Cathedral drew thousands, including Greek PM Mitsotakis. The Church serves 7% of Albania's 2.4M population.
New Zealand's Parliament unanimously granted personhood to Taranaki Maunga (2,518m), formerly Mount Egmont named by Cook (1770). Following Te Urewera forest (2014) and Whanganui River (2017), this addresses 1865 land confiscation and 1840 Treaty of Waitangi violations.
Te Kāhui Tupua's eight-member body maintains public access while preserving Māori cultural significance.
William Leuchtenburg, postal clerk's son turned presidential historian, died at 102 in Chapel Hill. The Cornell and Columbia graduate won Parkman, Bancroft, and Schlesinger prizes for his FDR scholarship.
He taught at UNC, consulted for Ken Burns, analyzed politics for CBS/NBC, and completed 'Patriot Presidents' at 101, after receiving early support from the National Youth Administration.
State Auditor Allison Ball investigated Kentucky's foster crisis where 49 children spent 198 days in offices. Since summer 2023, when 64 children slept on cots, Gov.
Beshear acknowledged placement difficulties for youth with behavioral issues. Terry Brooks of Kentucky Youth Advocates praised the investigation into systemic failures affecting children ages 1-35.
Maha Kumbh festival's January 29 stampede in Prayagraj killed 30 and injured 60 when devotees rushed barricades during holy men's procession. The 4000-hectare site, monitored by 50,000 security personnel and 2,500 cameras, houses 11 hospitals.
Prime Minister Modi expressed condolences amid opposition criticism. The six-week Hindu festival expects 100 million pilgrims at the Ganges-Yamuna-Saraswati confluence.
Lunar New Year 2024's Year of Snake celebrations spanned Beijing's temple fairs to Cuba's Chinatown parade. Traditional practices included firecrackers, incense offerings at Malaysia's Guan Di and Wong Tai Sin temples, and family gatherings.
Moscow's 10-day festival highlighted China-Russia relations. The eight-day holiday caused Beijing's exodus, while Ctrip reported popular international destinations amid government restrictions.
2024's Year of Snake celebrations span globally, with Beijing restricting traditional firecrackers while strengthening Chinese-Russian relations through Moscow's 10-day festival. Cuba's Chinese community adds local flair to celebrations.
Major temples across Asia host prayers and performances, while Chinese cities empty for family reunions. Ctrip reports Japan and Thailand among top travel destinations.
India's religious gatherings face recurring tragedies: 2025 Maha Kumbh festival's 30 deaths during 100-million-devotee event, 2024 Uttar Pradesh's 100+ casualties, 2013 Ratangarh bridge collapse killing 115, 2008 Jodhpur temple's 168 deaths, Naina Devi temple's 145 fatalities from landslide rumors, and 2005 Wai temple's 258 deaths from stampede and fire.
UN reports ship abandonment doubled, affecting 3000 seafarers across 230 vessels in 2024, primarily in UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Maritime Labor Convention, signed by 90 nations post-COVID, requires wage insurance. Friends Shipping's Sister 12 exemplifies crisis.
Panama, Palau, Tanzania register many abandoned ships. ITF recovered $10 million in back-pay.
UN reports doubled ship abandonment cases affecting 3000 seafarers on 230 vessels in 2024, primarily in UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The Maritime Labor Convention, backed by 90 nations, mandates wage insurance.
ITF recovered $10 million in back-pay, with Friends Shipping's Sister 12 highlighting crisis. Panama, Palau, and Tanzania register numerous abandoned ships.
UN reports record 3000 seafarers abandoned on 230 ships in 2024, concentrated in UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. ITF inspector Helen Meldrum exposed Friends Shipping's systematic abandonment, recovering $10 million in back-pay.
Panama, Palau, and Tanzania flag states enable crisis. Sister 12's crew, including Abdul Khaliq, exemplifies widespread exploitation without wages or necessities.
UN reports ship abandonments doubled since COVID-19, affecting 3000 seafarers on 230 ships in 2024, primarily in UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Maritime Labor Convention of 90 nations mandates worker protection, yet Panama, Palau, and Tanzania register many abandoned vessels.
International Transport Workers Federation recovered $10 million, pursuing another $10 million.
UN reports 3000 seafarers abandoned on 230 ships in 2024, doubled since 2021, mainly in UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Maritime Labor Convention, signed by 90 nations, mandates wage insurance. Panama, Palau, and Tanzania register many abandoned vessels.
Friends Shipping's Sister 12 crew exemplifies the crisis. ITWF recovered $10 million in back-pay post-COVID-19.
2025 LA wildfires devastated Altadena and Pacific Palisades artistic communities. Grief and Hope raised $940,000 through The Brick, supporting 450+ artists until March. Superchief Gallery directors Dunleavy and Rodriguez coordinated 150 volunteers.
Artists Fat Tony, Huerta, Wong, and Bowers lost homes and irreplaceable work. Focus shifts to rebuilding infrastructure and maintaining LA's creative community.
2024 NAEP results reveal persistent post-COVID education challenges despite $190 billion federal aid. Reading declined 2 points across grades, while fourth-grade math improved slightly.
One-third of eighth graders lack basic reading skills, with widening achievement gaps. Louisiana's phonics-based approach and DC's 10-point math gain highlight successful interventions amid political debates over pandemic policies.
The $765 million Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, attended by Chris Martin, Rajnath Singh, and Amit Shah among 400 million pilgrims, features 50,000 security personnel and AI surveillance. The 40-square-kilometer site provides 3,000 kitchens, 150,000 toilets, and 90 special trains.
Devotees bathe at the Ganges-Yamuna-Saraswati confluence under Yogi Adityanath's administration.
2025's Lunar New Year celebrations honor Year of Snake across global temples from Beijing's Lama Temple to Hong Kong's Wong Tai Sin, where celebrity Lana Wong prays for world peace.
Midnight incense rituals, temple fairs at Ditan Park, and traditional performances including dragon dances unite communities from Moscow to Havana, Thailand to Indonesia, maintaining cultural heritage through sacred observations.
Hungary's 1920 anti-Jewish laws preceded Nazi alliance under Horthy. Hitler's March 1944 invasion led to 435,000 Hungarian Jews' deportation to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Arrow Cross conducted Danube killings. 80 years after liberation, survivor Léderer, Rabbi Verő, and Memorial Center director Zima commemorate 565,000 Hungarian Jewish victims, warning against recurring hatred.
German Streuselkuchen combines 2½ cups flour and 2 cups blueberries in a foil-lined 9x13 pan. The yeasted cake features lemon zest and brown sugar streusel, baking at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
Cold rise or room temperature options ensure perfect texture. This 3¼-hour recipe creates a moist breakfast or dessert cake with balanced sweet and tart flavors.
Fire devastated Paris's 1876-built 12th district town hall on January 27, 2025, starting 3:20 AM in the roof. Police prefect Laurent Nunez coordinated 150 firefighters' response. The 36-meter (118-foot) bell tower risks collapse, prompting security measures.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo relocated services to the 11th district. Investigation continues; no casualties reported.
Auschwitz's 80th liberation anniversary ceremony on January 27, 2025, features survivors and leaders including Scholz, King Charles III, and Polish President Duda, who honored 1.1 million victims at the Wall of Death. Russia, excluded post-Ukraine invasion, formerly attended as liberators.
Nazi Germany killed 6 million Polish citizens, primarily Jews through gas chambers.
Auschwitz's 80th liberation anniversary commemorates 1.1 million victims of Nazi genocide. World leaders including Scholz, Charles III, Duda gather January 27, 2025, marking UN Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Survivors, now elderly, remain central while Russia, former liberator, is excluded post-Ukraine invasion. The ceremony honors Jews, Poles, Roma, POWs killed, reflecting Germany's ongoing responsibility despite far-right opposition.
Auschwitz-Birkenau, liberated by Soviets January 27, 1945, killed 1.1 million people: Jews (90%), Poles, Roma and Sinti, and Soviet POWs. Nazi Germany transported victims via railway from across Europe, with 420,000 Hungarian Jews deported May-July 1944.
The 80th liberation anniversary in 2024 will gather survivors, leaders, and royalty.
Rudolf Höss's house, where he lived with wife Hedwig and five children while commanding Auschwitz's gas chambers (1940-1944), transforms into the Counter Extremism Project's research center.
Originally owned by a Polish military family, the property near Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, featured in 'The Zone of Interest', opens January 2025 under UNESCO patronage with architect Libeskind's collaboration.
Snake Queen Chau Ka-ling's Shia Wong Hip, established 1960s in Hong Kong, serves protein-rich snake soup, selling 800 winter bowls, 100 summer bowls ($7-11). Post-SARS 2003 and COVID-19, frozen Southeast Asian meat replaced live snakes.
Famous for her 1997 king cobra catch, Chau maintains tradition among 20 remaining shops, despite industry decline.
Springfield's 15,000 Haitians face TPS expiration February 2026. Rev. Silencieux leads First Haitian Evangelical Church prayers while Dorsainvil and Payne report community fears.
Romane Pierre at Rose Gaute shares Haiti's violence impact. Voltaire discusses with Pope Francis the crisis affecting 11.4 million Haitians. Milokan Botanica sees decreased activity amid deportation concerns.
Former Red Dragons fighter Tajoah joined Ambazonia's fight against French-speaking dominance in 2017, contributing to violence that killed 6,500 and displaced 1.1 million. After rehabilitation in Buea, he earned a philosophy master's and now teaches, using social media to promote peace alongside ex-fighter Clovis.
Despite threats and his mother's kidnappings, his work, confirmed by Chief Fortulah, helps former rebels surrender.
Auschwitz, liberated by Soviet troops on January 27, 1945, approaches its 80th anniversary, to be marked by 50 survivors, state leaders, and royalty. Nazi German forces murdered 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, in gas chambers and crematoria.
The site preserves barracks, execution walls, railway tracks, barbed wire fences, and victims' footwear, including a poignant red shoe.
During his Angelus prayer, Pope Francis commemorated Holocaust victims, including Jewish and Christian martyrs, citing Edith Bruck 80 years post-liberation. He advocated fraternity and forgiveness while warning against antisemitism.
He addressed Sudan's crisis, ongoing since April 2023, impacting South Sudan, and Colombia's Catatumbo conflict displacing 30,000 people.
Auschwitz-Birkenau's 80th liberation anniversary gathers 50 survivors, King Charles III, and Chancellor Scholz, while Putin is unwelcome and Netanyahu faces ICC complications.
The site, receiving 1.83 million visitors in 2024, commemorates where Nazis killed 6 million Jews before the Soviet Army found 7,000 survivors on January 27, 1945.
Yoga's diverse styles include hatha's gentle approach, vinyasa's flowing sequences, and yin's 5-minute holds. Ashtanga follows set progressions, while Iyengar uses props for precise alignment.
Beginning with sun salutations, classes blend pranayama breathing and asanas. Experts Tim Senesi (22-year teacher) and Anne Van Valkenburg recommend exploring multiple styles to find the right fit.
Cardinal Cipriani Thorne, first Opus Dei cardinal leading 90,000 members across 70 countries, received 2019 Vatican sanctions over abuse allegations exposed by El País. Following February 2020 papal meeting, he resumed limited ministry.
The former Peru Archbishop's case parallels Sodalitium scandal, exposed by Escardó. From Madrid and Rome, he maintains complete innocence.
The 266-year-old British Museum, attracting 6 million visitors yearly, closed partially after a fired IT contractor's sabotage led to his arrest. This follows ex-curator Peter Higgs's alleged theft of 1,800 artifacts from the Greece and Rome department, sold on eBay.
The museum also faces pressure to return the 2,500-year-old Elgin Marbles to Greece, exploring loan options.
Thousands of Shiite pilgrims march to Baghdad's golden-domed Imam Moussa al-Kadhim shrine on January 25, 2025, amid regional upheaval including Assad's fall in Syria and setbacks for Iran allies Hamas and Hezbollah. Mohammed al-Waswasi from Wasit province carries a black mourning banner.
Extensive security measures protect pilgrims through checkpoints and road closures.
Nancy 'Lefty' Leftenant-Colon (1920-2024), first Black Army Nurse Corps member, died in Amityville. One of six military siblings (brother killed 1945 Austria), served through Korea/Vietnam wars. Led Tuskegee Airmen (1989-1991), received Congressional Gold Medal (2007).
School nurse (1971-1984), known for 'Sky is the limit' motto. Library bears her name.
Archbishop Anastasios (1929-2024), Greek-born Orthodox leader, professor, and author of 24 books, transformed Albania's post-communist church from 1990. His 33-year leadership established 400 parishes, built 150 churches, restored 60 monuments, trained 168 clergy, and launched hydropower projects.
He led World Council of Churches and died at 95 in Athens hospital.
Manfred Goldberg, born in Kassel, survived Nazi camps after claiming to be 17 at age 13. His mother Rosa and brother Herman were deported; Herman perished. British spy Frank Foley helped his father escape.
As Prisoner 56478, he endured Stutthof's Zyklon B horrors before liberation by British tanks. Now 94, he speaks at Jewish Care Holocaust Survivors' Centre about the 6 million lost.
Auschwitz's 80th liberation commemoration gathers 50 survivors, global leaders including Scholz and Charles III, excluding Putin and Netanyahu.
The Polish state museum, drawing 1.83 million visitors, preserves evidence where Nazis murdered 1.1 million people, 90% Jews, at Birkenau before Soviet forces freed 7,000 survivors on January 27, 1945.
Bend's 20-year resident Jeff Keith, Guardian Group's anti-trafficking founder, admitted placing googly eyes on eight public sculptures, including deer artwork, costing $1,500 to remove. Communications Director Rene Mitchell addressed adhesive damage concerns to metal art.
Keith, who previously added hula skirts, uses pranks to cope with work trauma and offered compensation. Story reached Late Show.
The Alaska Railroad's 470-mile construction (1914-1923) connected Seward to Fairbanks. Col. Mears led the project until President Harding tapped the Golden Spike near Nenana.
Harding died August 2, 1923, in San Francisco. The Anchorage Museum and Nenana, led by Mayor Verhagen, recently purchased the spike for $201,600 from a California seller, bringing it home to Alaska.
Target ends DEI initiatives, including Black employee programs and LGBTQ+ partnerships, amid conservative pressure and Trump's anti-diversity executive order. The Minneapolis retailer's 2,000 stores retreat from post-Floyd diversity commitments, Human Rights Campaign surveys, and previous transgender bathroom policies.
Meanwhile, Costco shareholders overwhelmingly reject anti-DEI proposals, showing corporate divide on inclusion.
Valérie André, France's first female general officer, died January 21 at 102. Known as 'Madame Ventilator,' she combined medicine and aviation, serving as medical captain and neurosurgery assistant in Indochina and Algeria.
From My Tho hospital to Saigon, she performed countless evacuations, becoming Army Medical Corps Inspector General with three stars.
Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, first woman leading Washington Diocese's 86 churches, confronted Trump and Vance at 2025 National Cathedral inaugural service. Virginia Seminary graduate's sermon on LGBTQ+ rights and immigration prompted Trump's "Radical Left" criticism.
Her book follows 2020 St. John's Church protest stance and January 6 opposition, drawing Robert Jeffress's disapproval while leading 38,000 members.
Actor Goran Susljik told N1 TV that students offer change amid protests over 15 deaths in Novi Sad's concrete collapse. Lawyers joined strikes after Vesic's release. 13 charged in 11:52 AM tragedy.
Vucic plans Putin-style movement, counter-rally in Jagodina. Chinese companies' involvement in railway renovations sparked corruption concerns. Car ramming injured protester.
China's 2024 Lunar New Year, marking Year of Snake, expects 9 billion trips over 40 days, including 510 million train and 90 million air journeys. Migrant workers reunite with families during 8-day holiday (Jan 28-Feb 4).
Under Xi Jinping, fireworks declined while temple markets flourish. Cross-border travel rises 10%, particularly to Southeast Asia.
Floribert Kositi, murdered at 25 in Goma 2007 for refusing corrupt rice imports, received Vatican martyrdom recognition from Pope Francis. Working at Office Congolais de Contrôle, his Gospel-inspired sacrifice in poverty-stricken Congo (70% below $2.15/day) leads toward sainthood.
His legacy lives through Sainte-Esprit parish commemorations and the Sant'Egidio-run Floribert School helping war-affected children.
AP photographer Esteban Felix curates Latin America/Caribbean images: Trump inauguration impacts migrants at Ciudad Juarez, Venezuelan refugees face challenges, journalist Natoux's murder shows Haiti's gang violence, while ELN-FARC conflicts displace Colombians in Catatumbo.
Coverage spans Bolivian President Arce's Indigenous ceremonies, summer leisure activities, and regional social-political dynamics.
Naftali Fürst, 92, survived Auschwitz arrival November 1943, when SS soldiers and Mengele separated families after Himmler halted gas chambers. From Block 29, he endured until Buchenwald's liberation with Elie Wiesel April 1944. Family reunited at Šulekova Street post-war.
His granddaughter Mika Peleg survived Hamas's October 2023 attack. He shares testimony of Holocaust's systematic genocide that killed 1.1 million at Auschwitz.
In Bryan, Ohio (population 9,000), Pastor Avell's Dad's Place houses 14 homeless amid housing scarcity. Fire Chief Pool demands permits and sprinklers; First Liberty's Dys claims discrimination, noting other shelters lack sprinklers.
Dawn Fitzcharles confirms housing crisis. Church appeals $200 fine and continues 24/7 operations despite code violations.
Jakarta's National Museum displays 800+ Dutch-repatriated artifacts under 2022 agreement, including Buddha statues, jewelry, and Prince Diponegoro's items. Initial returns began 1978.
Despite joining global restitution movement with France-Benin examples, Indonesia faces security challenges: 11 museum thefts (2010-2020), Batanghari River looting. Dutch offers preservation support while Java Man awaits return.