Biden, Kadhimi seal agreement to end US combat mission in Iraq
Washington DC, USReuters US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Monday sealed an agreement formally ending the US combat mission in Iraq by the end of 2021, more than 18 years after US troops were sent to the country. Coupled with Biden’s withdrawal of the last American forces in Afghanistan by […]
Tunisian democracy in turmoil after President sacks government
Tunis, TunisiaReuters Tunisia is facing its worst crisis in a decade of democracy on Monday after President Kais Saied ousted the government and suspended parliament with help from the army, a move denounced as a coup by the country’s main parties, including Islamists. Saied’s action followed months of deadlock and disputes pitting him against Prime […]
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan at record level in May-June – UN
Kabul, AfghanistanReuters Nearly 2,400 Afghan civilians were killed or injured in May and June as fighting between Taliban insurgents and Afghan security forces escalated, the highest number for those two months since records started in 2009, the United Nations said on Monday. The UN’s Assistance Mission to Afghanistan said in a report it had documented […]
South-East Asia COVID-19 cases hit new highs, Malaysian doctors protest
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaReuters Thailand reported a record number of coronavirus cases on Monday, while Malaysia has notched up more than one million infections, as the virulent Delta variant carves a deadly path through South-East Asia – now a global epicentre for the virus. Thailand had 15,376 new coronavirus cases, a daily record for a second […]
UN summit seeks to shape a food system fit for the future
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation People don’t agree on much when it comes to food. But most think how we produce it isn’t working for everyone on the planet, nor for crucial natural systems vital to food production, including soils, water and the climate. In response, an upcoming UN summit on food systems aims to curb […]
In the US, New Hampshire bishop denies allegations of past sexual abuse
Manchester, New HampshireAP The head of the Roman Catholic Church in New Hampshire “categorically denies” recent allegations that he committed sexual abuse while serving as a priest in New York in the 1980s, according to a statement issued by his lawyer on Saturday. A lawsuit filed on 14th July in a New York state court accuses […]
Canada vows to resettle Afghan interpreters, citing threat from Taliban
Toronto, CanadaReuters Canada announced it would resettle Afghan interpreters, embassy staff and their families amid a “dynamic and deteriorating” situation in Afghanistan, saying they had become targets for the Taliban. “Canada is here to support those who supported us,” Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said on Friday, adding that “several thousand” people would be eligible and […]
Dating as a Catholic: Sweet dream or not-so-beautiful nightmare?
RENÉE RODEN, of Religion News Service, looks at the role dating apps are playing in the lives of some single Catholics…
Most Australians value the idea of ethical fashion but fewer follow-through in shopping habits – report
Australian consumers are supportive of the idea of ethical purchasing but are failing to follow-through in their shopping practices, according to the findings of a new report. The Australian Ethical Consumer Report, released by Christian aid and development organisation Baptist World Aid Australia in collaboration with social research company McCrindle, found that while 87 per cent of Australians want their consumption […]
Essay: Why some younger evangelicals in the US are leaving the faith
In an article first published on The Conversation, TERRY SHOEMAKER, part of a team of US scholars who have been exploring why some younger individuals either leaving or attempting to reform evangelicalism in America, looks at what they found…