Myanmar coup protesters mass again, reject army’s claim it has public support
Reuters Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Myanmar on Wednesday, rejecting the army’s assertion that the public supported its overthrow of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and vowing they would not be cowed in their bid to end military rule. Opponents of the 1st February military coup are deeply sceptical of junta assurances, […]
Postcards: Dallas faith groups help shelter homeless Texans during deep freeze
BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service, reports on how, amid the big freeze in the US, in Texas, churches and Christian groups are at the forefront of helping shelter the homeless…
Carman, Christian music icon and Gospel Music Hall of Famer, dies at 65
RNS Carman Dominic Licciardello, a Christian music legend known simply by his first name, has died. He was 65. Carman had been hospitalised in Las Vegas for complications after surgery to repair a hiatal hernia, according to a press release posted on the musician’s Facebook page. “When Carman resumed touring again a few years ago, […]
Pakistan police seek arrest of two Christians over blasphemy
Police in Pakistan said on Wednesday that they were seeking arrest of two Christian men in the eastern city of Lahore on charges they allegedly used insulting remarks against Islam’s holy book and its Prophet Muhammad. The case against the two men was registered last Saturday following the complaint of a Muslim local resident Haroon […]
Facebook blocks news content in Australia as it blasts proposed law
Dallas, USReuters Facebook Inc will block news content from being read and shared in its news feed in Australia, drawing a line in the sand against a proposed Australian law that would require it and Alphabet Inc’s Google to pay the country’s news publishers for content. The move, announced in a blog post on Wednesday, […]
On Ash Wednesday, Pope Francis says Lent is an “exodus from slavery to freedom”
Vatican CityRNS Pope Francis celebrated Ash Wednesday in St Peter’s Basilica, reminding faithful the Lenten period leading to Easter celebrations is a journey and “an exodus from slavery to freedom”. “Lent is a journey of return to God,” the Pope said during his homily on 17th February, to the socially distanced faithful attending the Mass. […]
Philippine President approves amnesty program for rebels
Manila, PhilippinesAP The Philippine President has approved an amnesty program for Muslim and communist rebels who would agree to surrender their weapons as they return to normal life in the latest such attempt to tame rural insurgencies that have raged for half a century. Thousands of guerrillas belonging to two large Muslim groups in the […]
Books: A monumental undertaking – Tom Holland’s history of Christian thought
DAVID ADAMS reads historian Tom Holland’s book, ‘Dominion’…
Vatican Museums reopen, but visitors decry lack of social distancing
Vatican CityRNS Following months of lockdown, the historic collection at the Vatican Museums reopened to the public last week but drew criticism from guides and visitors for the excessive crowds and lack of social distancing. The Vatican Museums, which house one of the most well-known and largest art collections in the world, opened its doors […]
StrangeSights: World’s longest hockey game?; the ‘Stockton Kraken’ strikes; and, ‘chief mouser’ marks 10 years…
DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…