Pope says he was greatly pained by killing of French priest
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis said on Wednesday that he was greatly pained by the killing of a French priest, allegedly by a Rwandan immigrant already under investigation for setting the Nantes cathedral on fire last year. Father Olivier Maire, 60, head of the Montfortain Missionary Order at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sevre, was found dead in a room of […]
At least 65 killed in Algerian wildfires; Greece and Italy burn
Athens, Greece/Algiers, Algeria Reuters Exhausted Greek firefighters battled blazes for a ninth day on Wednesday amid sweltering temperatures that also helped stoke wildfires in Algeria, where at least 65 people died, and in southern Italy. From Turkey to Tunisia, countries around the Mediterranean have been seeing some of their highest temperatures in decades, as the […]
In the US, New Mexico diocese to sell off properties in online auction
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USAP The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe will be auctioning nearly 140 parcels of property next month as it seeks to settle a raft of sex abuse claims. Church officials announced Tuesday that an online auction will begin on 21st September. Opening bids will start as low as $US500 for vacant pieces of […]
Indonesian village turns unwanted trash into COVID helper
Tembok Gede, IndonesiaReuters A homemade robot designed by Indonesian villagers and scientists for fun has found a new use during the pandemic – bringing food, and hopefully a smile, to self-isolating residents who have contracted COVID-19. An eclectic assembly of household items like pots, pans and an old television monitor, it is now named the […]
StrangeSights: A bird’s eye view of Sao Paulo; a call-out for all Kyles; and, more Hungarians carry wives…
DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
Myanmar junta leader aims to solidify grip on power – UN
United NationsReuters The UN special envoy on Myanmar said on Tuesday the country’s military leader appears determined to solidify his grip on power following a February coup and ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party could soon be disbanded. Christine Schraner Burgener cited military ruler Min Aung Hlaing’s announcement this month that he was […]
Human rights claims undermine China’s investment abroad, report finds
Reuters China’s efforts to be seen as a responsible investor overseas are at risk from high rates of human rights abuses linked to its business operations, especially in the metals and mining sector, a report released on Wednesday found. The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, a global non-governmental organisation, logged 679 charges of human rights […]
Lebanon’s Aoun shields Patriarch after he urged halt to rockets
Beirut, GermanyReuters President Michel Aoun on Tuesday condemned criticism of Lebanon’s Christian Maronite Patriarch after he expressed opposition to the Iran-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah, warning that insults must be avoided to safeguard national unity. Following a cross-border salvo between Israel and Hezbollah, Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai was sharply critical of Hezbollah on Sunday, saying no […]
“I lived in fear”: With turmoil at home, more Nicaraguans flee to the US
GISELA SALOMON and CLAUDIA TORRENS, of Associated Press, report on why a growing number of Nicaraguans are fleeing their home for the US…
Russell Moore: Sickness, death from COVID-19 likely reducing some vaccine hesitancy
RNS Russell Moore, Southern Baptist ethicist-turned-public theologian, said that knowing people who became seriously ill or died from COVID-19 may be causing some vaccine-hesitant individuals to change their minds. “One of the things, I think, that is moving the needle a little bit, more than anything else, is the experience of seeing great suffering,” he […]