Pope offers hope to poor in visit to namesake’s Assisi home
Assisi, Italy AP Pope Francis travelled to the hilltop town of his namesake for the fifth time in his pontificate on Friday to honour the poorest and most marginal and urge that they be welcomed and cared for by the church. In one of his first outings in Italy since the coronavirus pandemic, Francis took […]
A million Afghan children at risk of dying amid acute malnutrition, WHO says
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Around 3.2 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in Afghanistan by the end of this year, with one million of them at risk of dying as temperatures drop, a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Friday. Aid agencies have warned of famine as a drought coincides with a failing economy […]
In eastern Poland, a fire station opens its doors for migrants
Michalowo, PolandReuters As migrants on the Polish-Belarus border face cold and hunger, people in the eastern Polish town of Michalowo have decided to help, setting up a centre in a fire station where migrants can come for warmth, food and drink. So far, out of the masses trying to gain entry to Poland and the […]
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That sinking feeling: Poor nations struggle with UN climate fund
Johannesburg, South AfricaReuters The Philippines has sought financing for seven projects from a UN environmental fund to tackle the catastrophic impact of climate change. Yet only one has secured backing since 2016, and it’s not because the $US17.3 billion fund lacks cash. Bureaucracy and a blizzard of information requests have stalled applications to the UN […]
Rock rises out of the sea as second La Palma lava flow reaches ocean
Madrid, SpainReuters New cascades of red-hot lava tumbled into the Atlantic Ocean off Spain’s La Palma on Wednesday morning, sending up plumes of white smoke and extending a platform of volcanic rock created by earlier flows. The stream of molten rock from the Cumbre Vieja volcano, which began erupting in mid-September, reached the water near […]
Diabetes problem makes Africa more vulernable to COVID-19 death, says WHO
Nairobi, KenyaReuters Death rates from COVID-19 infections are much higher in patients with diabetes in Africa, where the number of people with diabetes is growing rapidly, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. A WHO analysis of data from 13 African countries found a 10.2 per cent case fatality rate in COVID-19 patients with diabetes, […]
Brazil: As Rio’s Christ the Redeemer celebrates 90 years, plans for new giant statues push ahead
Christ the Redeemer, the monumental statue depicting Jesus Christ above the coastal city of Rio de Janeiro celebrated its 90th anniversary last month. But, as EDUARDO CAMPOS LIMA reports, it’s soon to be joined by a number of other giant statues of figures across the country…
At US cathedral, Jeff Bezos is quizzed on “emotional” rocket ride and economics of space flight
Washington DC, US RNS Jeff Bezos was a surprise guest at a Washington National Cathedral forum on “Our Future in Space” on Wednesday evening, giving an interviewer the chance to grill the Amazon founder and space flight entrepreneur about extraterrestrial colonies, alien life and his own wealth. Cathedral dean the Very Rev Randolph Marshall Hollerith […]