Five dead in hostage situation at troubled South Africa church
Johannesburg, South AfricaAP Five people are dead and more than 40 have been arrested after an early-morning hostage situation at a long-troubled church near Johannesburg, police in South Africa said Saturday. A statement said police and military who responded to reports of a shooting at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church headquarters in Zuurbekom found four […]
World Council of Churches “dismayed” over Hagia Sophia shift; Pope Francis “deeply pained”
Frankfurt, Germany/Vatican CityAP The head of the World Council of Churches has written to Turkey’s President expressing his “grief and dismay” over Turkey’s decision to change the status of Istanbul’s landmark Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque. As a World Heritage museum, “Hagia Sophia has been a place of openness, encounter and inspiration […]
Church singing ban strikes sour note with California pastor
Sacramento, California, USAP Crossroads Community Church Senior Pastor Jim Clark wants to keep his 1,500 parishioners safe during the coronavirus pandemic but he’s drawing the line at a new California ban on singing or chanting at religious services. “I said enough’s enough,” Clark said. “We will be singing and praising the Lord…We don’t chant, but […]
Seven places luring residents with cash, free homes amid coronavirus
Thomson Reuters Foundation Looking to move away from traffic and congestion and start your new working-from-home life in a roomier house in a leafy area? You might get paid to do so. As the coronavirus pandemic boosts remote working and interest in suburban living around the globe, some places are offering incentives for people to […]
After lobbying, Catholic Church won $US1.4 billion in virus aid – AP
New York City, USAP The US Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $US1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups. The church’s haul may have reached […]
China cracks down: Hong Kong’s top cop overshadows embattled leader Lam
GREG TORODE, JAMES POMFRET and DAVID LAGUE, of Reuters, report on the key role Commissioner of Police Chris Tang is playing in China’s efforts to quell unrest in Hong Kong…