Cold War cardinal and blind nun beatified in Poland
Warsaw, PolandReuters A Polish cardinal persecuted by communist authorities during the Cold War and a nun dedicated to helping the blind took a step towards sainthood on Sunday when they were beatified. Though shaken by child abuse scandals, the Catholic Church remains enormously important in Poland and was seen by many as a voice for […]
Poor countries say lack of vaccines may exclude them from climate talks
London, UKReuters The world’s poorest countries have asked for more help to meet vaccination and quarantine requirements and costs to ensure they can take part in next month’s global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland. The talks aim to spur bigger commitments to start reducing man-made greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keep the rise in […]
Pope to Orban’s Hungary: Open your arms to everyone
Budapest, HungaryAP Pope Francis urged Hungary on Sunday to “extend its arms towards everyone,” in a veiled critique of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s anti-migrant policies as the pontiff opened a four-day visit to Central Europe, his first big international outing since undergoing intestinal surgery in July. Francis, 84, appeared in good form during his short […]
Kuwait starts to recycle massive tyre graveyard
KuwaitReuters More than 42 million old vehicle tyres dumped in Kuwait’s sands have started to be recycled, as the Gulf state tackles a waste problem that created one of the world’s largest tyre graveyards. The massive dump site was a mere seven kilometres from a residential suburb. Residents were bothered by periodic large fires releasing noxious […]
Explainer: How Indian farmers’ protest turned into a country-wide movement
New Delhi, IndiaReuters A group of influential farmer leaders ratcheted up pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to roll back three new farm laws by organising a mammoth rally in India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh last week. After the successful mass meeting – the biggest rally yet in a months-long series of demonstrations […]
Thousands of Catalans rally for independence in Barcelona
Barcelona, SpainReuters Thousands of Catalans chanted, sang and waved flags as they marched through Barcelona on Saturday, calling for the region’s independence from Spain. The march, organised by the grassroots Assemblea Nacional Catalana, was the first since Spain’s government pardoned nine Catalan separatist leaders who had been jailed for their role in a 2017 botched […]
Papal tour: Questions on immigration, Communion loom over Pope’s trip to Hungary and Slovakia
CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ looks at the itinerary for the Pope’s trip to Hungary and Slovakia…
Twenty years on, US commemorates those lost during 9/11 attacks
New York/Shanksville, Pennsylavania/Washington DC, USAP The 9/11 anniversary commemoration at ground zero began with a tolling bell and a moment of silence, exactly 20 years after the start of the deadliest terror attack on US soil. President Joe Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, members of Congress, and other dignitaries joined a crowd […]