All posts tagged: Peace

In Spain, Pope Leo XIV urges Europe to overcome polarization

In Spain, Pope Leo XIV urges Europe to overcome polarization

Published by Sam Flores

MADRID (RNS) — Pope Leo XIV made an appeal to cast aside polarization in his address on Saturday (June 6) to political and diplomatic heads in Madrid, the first leg of his 6-day papal visit to Spain. The pope encouraged Europeans to become proponents of a more nuanced political and social discourse. “Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fanning the flames of polarization seems to have grown rather than diminished, and human dignity continues to be violated,” he said, calling for “culture, interiority and free quality of education.” “For the love of truth, I invite everyone to set aside the divisive and polarizing narratives of your societal reality and history, so as to overcome sterile simplifications through the fruitful appreciation of complexity,” he said. Leo said “appreciating and studying complexity” is “a vocation particularly suited to Europe,” which can allow it to escape a logic centered on “the enemy.” He warned that new technologies are increasing prejudice and weakening critical thinking. “Nevertheless, goodness can prevail and spread,” he added. The pope chose to deliver …

Peace Talks Stall: U.S. Denies Iranian Claims Of Warning Shots At Destroyers

Peace Talks Stall: U.S. Denies Iranian Claims Of Warning Shots At Destroyers

Published by Jenni Sidey

Summary: U.S. CENTCOM Denies Report  Iran Military Fires “Warning Missiles” At US Destroyers In Gulf of Oman Iran FM Warns American Bases Are Legitimate Targets, Cites ‘No Tangible Progress’ In Talks Polymarket  US x Iran permanent peace deal by June 30, 2026?Yes 25% · No 76%View full market & trade on Polymarket Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by end of June?Yes 18% · No 83%View full market & trade on Polymarket Iran Military Fires “Warning Missiles” At US Destroyers In Gulf of Oman AFP is reporting that Iranian military forces fired “warning missiles” at two U.S. Navy destroyers transiting the Gulf of Oman, citing Iranian state media. “In continuation of operations to counter maritime misconduct and harassment, as well as the hijacking of commercial vessels and oil tankers by the terrorist naval forces of the United States, following the firing of warning missiles, the hostile destroyers DDG-103 and DDG-8 have left the Gulf of Oman towards the Indian Ocean,” Iranian military forces wrote in a statement published by state news agency IRNA. Meanwhile… …

anti-weaponization fund; primaries; U.S.-Iran peace : NPR

anti-weaponization fund; primaries; U.S.-Iran peace : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today’s top stories The Justice Department says it will abide by a federal court order that puts funds for the Trump administration’s nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization program on hold. The administration says the fund would compensate people who allege they were targeted by the federal government. The fund has faced bipartisan backlash and concerns that it would be used to pay people convicted for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a Senate appropriations hearing on May 19, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images 🎧 NPR’s Elena Moore tells Up First that the issue has elicited rare Republican pushback. Even after the DOJ stated it would abide by the court order, some Senate Republicans continued to push for the White House to end the fund. Moore says it has …

For veterans, a place where peace can take root : NPR

For veterans, a place where peace can take root : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

John Follmer prunes back plants at the Japanese garden on the West LA Veterans Affairs campus in April. Stella Kalinina for NPR hide caption toggle caption Stella Kalinina for NPR John Follmer is an Iraq war vet and an adviser to Los Angeles County on military and veterans affairs, who works with homeless vets on the tough streets of Los Angeles. But on Thursdays, he’s a gardener. “We are here in the center of the largest city in the United States, and aside from an occasional helicopter, it’s hard to imagine you’re only a quarter mile away from the 405 freeway,” Follmer says, standing in the dappled sunlight under the trees. This garden, built in 1968 on the West LA Veterans Affairs Campus, had fallen into wild disrepair when Follmer found it six years ago and started to clean it up. “It’s just such a peaceful place, and I think that this place truly is a deserving place for the veterans,” he says. There’s a chain of koi ponds with giant goldfish and some newly …

Zelenskiy’s Top Aide Says Peace Deal by Winter Is ‘Realistic’

Zelenskiy’s Top Aide Says Peace Deal by Winter Is ‘Realistic’

Published by Sam Flores

KYIV, June 1 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President ⁠Volodymyr ⁠Zelenskiy’s chief of ⁠staff, Kyrylo Budanov, said on Monday he ​believed agreeing a deal to end the war against Russia ‌by winter was a “realistic” ‌outcome. Zelenskiy said in an interview aired on ⁠Sunday ⁠that he wanted to press on with talks on ​securing peace with Russia, which have stalled in recent months, before the onset of winter to take account of Kyiv’s ​improved strategic position. Talks brokered by the United States ⁠on moving ⁠toward a peace accord ⁠have ​ground to a halt as Washington has focused on ​the conflict in ⁠Iran. Budanov said he expected a U.S. delegation to visit Moscow and Kyiv in the near future, without giving details. “This is the president’s instruction: to try ⁠to end this war as soon as possible … preferably before ⁠winter,” he told reporters at a press conference. “In my opinion, this is absolutely correct, timely, and realistic.” Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials have said the advance of Russian forces has slowed on the ground while Ukraine has …

Cheshire Police issue dispersal order after Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light protests

Cheshire Police issue dispersal order after Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light protests

Published by Sam Flores

A dispersal order has been issued following an incident at the home of a religious group in Cheshire. Officers were called to Webb House in Crewe on Sunday (May 31). Police say the order covers the Victoria Avenue area in order to reduce the “likelihood of members of the public being harassed, alarmed or distressed, or to prevent crime and disorder.” In May, ten people were released on bail pending further enquiries after they were arrested during a raid of Webb House, the base of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter Cheshire Police say they were made aware of allegations of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery, reported to have taken place in 2023. Police say the latest dispersal order is not linked to any previous investigations. The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light say the incident was caused by “approximately 30–40” protesters gathered outside Webb House, “violently shaking gates and throwing bricks and rocks over the …

Exclusive-Better China Ties Can Help Regional Peace, Security, Vietnam’s Top Leader Says

Exclusive-Better China Ties Can Help Regional Peace, Security, Vietnam’s Top Leader Says

Published by Sam Flores

SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) – Strong relations between Vietnam and its giant neighbour and territorial rival China ⁠would ⁠benefit regional peace and security, although ties with the ⁠U.S. were also important, Vietnam’s top leader has said. “We do not pick sides,” Communist Party General Secretary and President To Lam told Reuters ​late on Friday in his first interview with an international media outlet in his current role. He said there was no contradiction in seeking stronger relations with China and ensuring progress in solving the long-simmering territorial ‌disputes across the South China Sea. “If we can maintain ‌good relations and dialogue, then all disagreements can be resolved,” Lam said, speaking through an interpreter. “Having good relations with China, safeguarding our sovereignty and settlement of issues in the East Sea are mutually reinforcing, ⁠not mutually exclusive,” Lam ⁠said, using Vietnam’s name for the South China Sea. He reiterated Vietnam’s long-standing position of wanting to solve disputes on ​the basis of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. China’s claims to …

Trump issues chilling 6 word warning to Iran as peace deal on brink | World | News

Trump issues chilling 6 word warning to Iran as peace deal on brink | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

Donald Trump has sent a chilling six word warning to Iran (Image: Getty) Donald Trump has issued a new chilling six word warning to Iran as a peace deal between Washington and Tehran teeters on the edge. The US President suggested military action could resume if Tehran failed to agree to Washington’s demands over its nuclear programme. Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, the US President warned military action could resume if negotiations with Tehran fail to produce a breakthrough over Iran’s nuclear programme. Mr Trump said: “Iran very much wants to make a deal. So far they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. Either that, or we’ll have to finish the job.” The stark warning came as senior US officials insisted diplomacy remained the preferred route, despite growing fears the conflict could spiral further if talks collapse. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Cabinet meeting the administration was still pushing for a negotiated settlement with Iran and claimed “some progress” had already …

‘At peace’: Singapore pilgrims find calm and faith at Haj amid Middle East tensions

‘At peace’: Singapore pilgrims find calm and faith at Haj amid Middle East tensions

Published by Sam Flores

His wife, Ms Noraida Ramli, 53, prepared by watching videos of previous pilgrims on YouTube.  “To prepare myself for the Haj spiritually and with the knowledge of what to expect, I looked at YouTube to learn from the experience of people who have been there before,” said the visa officer at an embassy here. Ms Eliya said the scale and grandeur of Saudi Arabia’s religious sites left her speechless. It has made her journey worth it, despite the fatigue of arriving after a red-eye flight from Singapore on the first day, she said. “For some, it is an emotional journey after waiting so long,” she said, adding that she feels “at peace”. Ms Eliya said she feels fortunate to be making the Haj at a relatively young age, and that having both parents with her has eased her anxiety. Currently, about 65,000 applicants are still on the waiting list, according to MUIS. The pilgrims have also been struck by the international character of the journey.  “You can really feel the sense of unity, with pilgrims …