Cardinal calls for political leaders to “act according to conscience” on Afghanistan; Pope Francis sends financial aid to Haiti, Bangladesh and Vietnam
Vatican CityRNS From Haiti to Afghanistan, the Catholic Church sought to address global crises this week through financial and humanitarian aid, as well as heartfelt appeals for political leaders “to act according to conscience”. Since the Taliban rose to power in mid-August and sent Afghanistan spiraling into chaos, thousands of Afghan citizens have attempted to […]
UN rights boss says she has credible reports of Taliban executions; UN food chief says country “marching towards starvation”
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters The UN human rights chief said on Tuesday that she had received credible reports of serious violations by the Taliban in Afghanistan, including “summary executions” of civilians and Afghan security forces who had surrendered. Michelle Bachelet gave no details of the killings in her speech to the Human Rights Council, but urged it […]
Amid COVID surge, some Sri Lankans opt for cardboard coffins when cremating loved ones
Colombo, Sri LankaReuters At a factory in Sri Lanka’s Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia city, workers use staples and glue to assemble long cardboard boxes which will be used as coffins for some the country’s coronaviurs victims. The coffin is made out of recycled paper and costs a sixth of the cheapest wooden casket, according to 51-year old […]
Australia evacuates more than 50 female Afghan athletes and dependents – ABC
Canberra, AustraliaReuters Australia evacuated more than 50 female Afghan athletes and their dependents after lobbying from prominent figures from the sporting world, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday. Australia has for more than a week been evacuating its citizens and some of its former staff from its embassy after the Taliban seized control of […]
For atheists, the idea of aliens seems real. Religious people doubt it.
RNS Tom Flynn does not believe in God. He’s less willing to say the same about aliens. “Given the evidence we have now, I think it’s more likely that a dispassionate observer would conclude that intelligent life elsewhere is possible,” said Flynn, a science fiction writer and editor of the humanist magazine Free Inquiry. “Now […]
Six out of 136 abducted Islamic students die in north-central Nigeria
Minna, NigeriaReuters Six of the 136 students kidnapped from an Islamic school in the north-central Nigerian state of Niger have died of illness, the school principal told Reuters on Monday. The abductors have demanded a ransom to release the students, kidnapped in May after an armed gang on motorcycles attacked the school in the town […]
In the US, Proud Boys leader sentenced to five months for burning church banner
Washington DC, USRNS The leader of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys has been sentenced to five months in jail for setting a historic Black church’s Black Lives Matter banner on fire in December and possessing high-capacity firearm magazines when he returned to Washington days before the 6th January insurrection. According to The Associated Press, […]
Face up…or fear
When I played soccer the coach told us that when it came to heading the ball, if we hit the ball, rather than letting the ball hit us, it would hurt a lot less. The coach was right, although I couldn’t work out why. Are we hitting the ball or letting it hit us? PICTURE: […]
Slaves to deforestation: Labour abuses fuel Brazil’s Amazon destruction
FABIO TEIXEIRA, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on labour abuses which are underpinning deforestation in Brazil…
Analysis – Leaderless Lebanon on slippery slope to mayhem
Beirut, LebanonReuters Lebanon’s financial meltdown is dragging the country towards mayhem at a quickening pace, forcing its feuding leaders to face a choice between finally doing something about the crisis or risking yet more chaos and insecurity. The economic collapse that has caused Lebanese mounting hardship for two years hit a crunch point this month […]