With caution and concern, Catholic Masses scheduled to resume in Italy
Vatican CityRNS Italian authorities on Thursday gave the go-ahead for public Masses starting on 18th May, after the government and Catholic bishops struggled to find an accord that would ensure safety measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. A protocol allowing Catholic faithful to attend Mass was signed Thursday by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte; the president of the […]
US coronavirus deaths exceed 75,000 – Reuters tally; latest on global spread
Reuters US deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 75,000 deaths on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, after the White House shelved a step-by-step guide prepared by health officials to help states safely reopen. Deaths in the United States, the epicenter of the global pandemic, have averaged 2,000 a day since mid-April despite efforts to […]
Tackling coronavirus hotspots in city slums hindered by lack of data
Bangkok, ThailandThomson Reuters Foundation Containing coronavirus hotspots in sprawling city slums has been made harder by a dearth of reliable data, urban experts said on Wednesday, calling for more extensive mapping and surveys to help deal with the global health crisis. The pandemic has infected more than 3.5 million people globally, with about 250,000 deaths […]
Australian inquiry: Pell knew of abuse by paedophile priest
Canberra, AustraliaAP Australian Cardinal George Pell knew a priest had been moved decades ago because he had sexually abused children, and should have removed an unstable priest in another parish who was also a suspected paedophile, an Australian Government inquiry concluded. A report from the inquiry on child sexual abuse had been released in 2017, […]
By video and social distance, Catholic archbishop installed in Atlanta
Atlanta, USAP Atlanta’s new archbishop was installed Wednesday in a Mass that tweaked Catholic traditions with social distancing among priests and video messages from church leaders who could not attend during the coronavirus pandemic. The Mass began with Archbishop Gregory J Hartmayer knocking three times on the large wooden doors of Christ the King Cathedral […]
Forced evictions leave 5,000 Kenyan slum dwellers at risk of coronavirus
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation Thousands of Kenyans in Nairobi are at risk of contracting the new coronavirus after authorities demolished their houses in the midst of the pandemic, human rights activists said on Wednesday. Authorities ordered bulldozers into the Kariobangi informal settlement in north-east Nairobi on Monday, demolishing some 600 homes and forcefully evicting at […]
Coronavirus pandemic is pushing up the price of illegal drugs, UN says
Vienna, AustriaReuters Coronavirus-related border controls, lockdowns and flight shortages are making illegal drugs more expensive and difficult to obtain around the world, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said in a report published on Thursday. The pandemic is having a mixed effect on drug production in different regions and on smuggling by air, […]
StrangeSights: COVID-19 motorbike (social distancing included); FaceTime an eel; and Big Kev returns…
DAVID ADAMS looks at the odder side of life…
Digital handshake: Can contact tracing deliver on its promise in coronavirus battle?
UMBERTO BACCHI, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how countries are using tracing apps to help tackle the spread of COVID-19…
In the US, National Day of Prayer, reshaped by pandemic, includes interfaith and online events
The National Day of Prayer, like most events amid the coronavirus, will have a different look this year as it is marked on Thursday, 7th May. Now in its 69th year, the observance – often predominated by evangelical Christians gathering in public places – will feature interfaith and even international voices on computer screens and […]