Amnesty International says Syrian refugees tortured on return
Beirut, LebanonReuters Amnesty International said on Tuesday Syrian refugees who returned home were subjected to torture, detention and disappearance by security forces, urging governments to protect them from deportation and forcible return. In a report titled You’re going to your death the London-based human rights group documented violations by intelligence officers against 66 returnees, including […]
Pope, Patriarch and Canterbury Archbishop issue climate appeal
Rome, ItalyAP The world’s top Christian leaders – Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians – on Tuesday issued a joint appeal for delegates at the upcoming UN climate summit to “listen to the cry of the Earth” and make sacrifices to save the planet. In their first-ever joint […]
India “prepares for the worst” ahead of possible COVID-19 third wave
New Delhi, IndiaReuters As COVID-19 cases and deaths exploded in India in April and May, New Delhi’s premier Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and several others ran so short of oxygen that many patients in the capital suffocated. When Reuters visited the hospital on Friday, its last coronavirus patient was readying to leave after recovery – […]
Taliban claim control of Panjshir, opposition says resistance will continue
Reuters The Taliban claimed victory on Monday in the last part of Afghanistan still holding out against their rule, declaring that the capture of the Panjshir valley completed their takeover of the country and they would unveil a new government soon. Pictures on social media showed Taliban members standing in front of the gate of […]
Books: Of epidemics, loss and discovery in ‘African Pearl’
CHRIS GILBERT finds Dr Pamela Brown-Peterside’s memoir, ‘African Pearl’, a timely read…
Migrant families wary as El Salvador becomes first to adopt bitcoin
Colon, El SalvadorReuters Each month, Salvadoran tailor Julio Ramirez receives a small wire transfer from his two daughters in the United States, who have to pay a few dollars in commission fees for the transaction. As of this week, El Salvador’s government says its historic adoption of bitcoin as legal tender will save Salvadorans living […]
Angry families of MH17 victims accuse Russia of lying
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsReuters Relatives of the 298 victims of Malaysian Airlines flight 17 on Monday accused Russia of lying about its alleged role in the downing of the plane as they began testifying in the Dutch murder trial of four suspects. International investigators concluded that the passenger plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine with […]
Phone blackout imposed on Nigerian state amid crackdown on kidnappers
Maiduguri, NigeriaReuters Mobile telephone networks were shut down in the north-western Nigerian state of Zamfara, residents said on Monday, after authorities ordered a telecoms blackout to help armed forces tackle armed gangs of kidnappers terrorising the area. Two residents of Zamfara, reached by phone after they travelled to neighbouring Sokoto State, said their mobile networks […]
Guilt
Guilt; it’s become a dirty word in today’s world of voyeuristic values. But guilt is a healthy emotion. A normal feeling that comes from having done something wrong, hurting yourself or another. PICTURE: Eric Ward/Unsplash In fact, a symptom of a psychopath is not feeling guilt for their crimes. Is our avoidance of guilt creating […]
Rethinking church: How San Xavier del Bac Mission is reconsidering the impact of tourism
A correspondent for the Associated Press reports from the US state of Arizona on how the coronavirus pandemic has helped one mission church consider a different future…