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Senegal's official journal on Tuesday showed that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had formally signed into law new legislation on same-sex relations that have proved contentious abroad despite broad political support within the majority Muslim country's parliament.  Several human rights groups had voiced concerns about the bill, including warning that it would dissuade people at risk from illnesses like HIV/AIDS from seeking help.  UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the law "deeply worrying" and said it "flies in the face of the sacrosanct human rights." Protesters sometimes rallied in favor of tougher laws during the previous legislative period, as here in 2022Image: Seyllou/AFP What does the new package of LGBTQ laws entail?  The new bill implements a series of ...

Finland's Defense Ministry reported on Sunday a suspected territorial violation by unmanned aerial vehicles in the southern part of the country. According to the ministry, "a few low-flying slow objects were observed in Finnish airspace in the sea area and in southeastern Finland on Sunday morning," and the air force dispatched an F/A-18 Hornet fighter to conduct an identification mission. "One drone has fallen to the ground north of Kouvola and another drone east of Kouvola. The police have cordoned off the areas for further investigation," the Defense Ministry added.The police cordoned off the area where the drones crashedImage: Sasu Järnstedt/Lehtikuva/picture alliance What did the Finnish authorities say about the drones? "Drones have strayed into Finland's territory. We take this ...

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday rejected claims that God justifies war during a Palm Sunday Mass, as the Iran war entered its second month. Addressing tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square, the pontiff emphasized that Jesus must not be used to legitimize any form of warfare. "Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war," Leo said. "He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: 'Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood'," he added, citing a Bible passage.  Leo repeatedly calls for ceasefire in Iran war The first US-born pope did not single out any world leaders, but in recent weeks, he has sharpened his criticism of the ongoing war in Ira...

The Israeli police prevented Catholic leaders from marking Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre "for the first time in centuries," church officials there said, with Israel citing security concerns amid the war with Iran. Two of the church's top religious leaders, including Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the head of the Custos in the Holy Land, were blocked from celebrating at the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. The two were proceeding privately, without any ceremonial procession, and "were compelled to turn back, "the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which manages the Catholic Church's affairs in the Holy Land, and the Custody of the Holy Land said in a joint statement. "This incident is a grave precedent, and disregard (sic) t...

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte presented his annual report on the alliance's activities at its headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, lauding a one-fifth real-terms increase in defense spending in Europe and Canada in 2025.  "Between 2014 and 2025, NATO Europe and Canada have more than doubled their annual defense expenditure, with a real-term increase of 106%. In 2025 alone, NATO Allies in Europe and Canada invested a total of $574 billion (rougly €500 billion) in defense, a 20% increase in real terms compared to 2024," Rutte wrote in the foreword to the report.  He said that all allies reported meeting the annual target of spending 2% of GDP on defense, with three saying they had met the new 3.5% objective set for 2035.  "This shows that NATO Allies recognize our changed security en...

The US Treasury Department says it is preparing to add President Donald Trump's signature to all dollar notes, a first for a sitting president. It is expected to appear next to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's signature and take the place of the US treasurer's name, which has been on the currency for more than 100 years. "Under President Trump's leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement announcing the decision. In 2025, during the first year of Trump's second term, the US dollar fell to its steepest annual drop in 50 years.  The Treasury told the Reuters news agency that the first $100 bills bearing the signatures will be printed in June, with ot...

The Mexican Navy activated search and rescue efforts in the Caribbean on Thursday, in hopes to locate two missing sailboats which were carrying humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Cuba. The boats left Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, last week and were bound for Havana. With nine people of different nationalities on board, the boats did not arrive in the Cuban capital on March 24 and March 25, as scheduled. In a statement, the Navy appealed to seafarers and maritime authorities in the region to report any information or sightings. It said it was also using an aircraft to search the route between Isla Mujeres and Havana. US sanctions, silent allies: Where have Cuba's friends gone?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that suppo...

Israeli settlers have carried out more violent attacks on Palestinian areas in the West Bank on Saturday, burning buildings, homes and vehicles, and beating and pepper spraying Palestinians attempting to stop them. The attacks are just the latest by settlers, and came on the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim festival of Ramadan. Although settler violence has been constant over past decades, it has intensified recently as Israel pushes forward with new settlements.  Violence by settlers has increased since Israel and the US launched their war on Iran on February 28. Israeli settler attacks on West Bank Palestinians increaseTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Israeli military reports no arres...