Sri Lankan archbishop seeks access to Easter bombings report
Colombo, Sri LankaAP A senior Sri Lankan church official has asked President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to give him access to a presidential commission’s report on Easter Sunday bomb attacks in 2019 that killed more than 260 people, including churchgoers. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has written to Rajapaksa to make the request, […]
This Life: Learning patience leads to a mature faith
US columnist CAROL ROUND, in an article first published on ASSIST News Service, looks at how to cultivate patience in a busy life…
Myanmar general pledges again to hold new election as anti-coup protests grow
Reuters Myanmar’s military leader said on Monday his junta would hold a new election and hand power to the winner as tens of thousands of people took to the streets for a third day to protest against the coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was speaking in […]
Catholic schools in US hit by unprecedented enrollment drop
New York City, USAP Enrollment in Roman Catholic schools in the United States dropped 6.4 per cent from the previous academic year amid the pandemic and economic stresses – the largest single-year decline in at least five decades, Catholic education officials reported Monday. Among the factors were the closure or consolidation of more than 200 […]
Pope seeks “Copernican revolution” for post-COVID economy
Rome, ItalyAP Pope Francis urged governments on Monday to use the coronavirus crisis as a revolutionary opportunity to create a world that is more economically and environmentally just – and where basic healthcare is guaranteed for all. Francis made the appeal in his annual foreign policy address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, an […]
Vaccine shock: South Africa halts Astra shot on fears it does not stop mild illness
London, UKReuters South Africa halted the rollout of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccinations after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild infection from one variant, stoking fears of a much longer cat-and-mouse battle with the pathogen. The novel coronavirus has killed 2.3 million people and turned normal life upside down for billions but new variants of […]
Understanding COVID-19 origins will take years, says WHO team member
Wuhan, China Reuters A member of the World Health Organization-led team visiting the central Chinese city of Wuhan said he has been surprised by the complexity of getting to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and that years of research lay ahead. Dominic Dwyer, a microbiologist and infectious diseases expert, said the team in Wuhan […]
Saffron-robed monks join third day of street protests against Myanmar coup
Reuters Thousands of anti-coup protesters marched in towns and cities across Myanmar on Monday, witnesses said, demonstrating for a third straight day against the military’s removal and detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi a week ago. Calls to join protests and to back a campaign of civil disobedience have grown louder and more […]
Ecuador’s plantation workers pin hopes on historic slavery ruling
Bogota, ColombiaThomson Reuters Foundation Susana Quinonez was born and raised on an abaca tree plantation along Ecuador’s western coast where back-breaking work and extreme poverty were what passed for a normal childhood. For 16 years, Afro-Ecuadorian Quinonez laboured on the estate, stripping abaca fibre from the stalks of banana trees, removing the pulp then washing […]
“Dystopia Prime”: Amazon AI van cameras spark surveillance concerns
Berlin, GermanyThomson Reuters Foundation Amazon.com Inc’s announcement this week that it would be rolling out AI-powered cameras in its branded delivery vans for safety has drawn criticism from privacy advocates and workers concerned with being subjected to surveillance on the job. The world’s largest e-commerce firm said the cameras, which are developed by transportation technology […]