Ethiopia frees opposition leaders from prison, announces political dialogue
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaReuters Ethiopia has freed several opposition leaders from prison, the state broadcaster reported on Friday, as the government said it would begin dialogue with political opponents after 14 months of war when thousands of people have been arrested. The move to free leaders from several ethnic groups is the most significant breakthrough since war […]
Kazakh President gives shoot-to-kill order to quell protests
Almaty, KazakhstanReuters Security forces appeared to have reclaimed the streets of Kazakhstan’s main city on Friday after days of violence, and the Russian-backed President said he had ordered his troops to shoot to kill to put down a countrywide uprising. A day after Moscow sent paratroopers to help crush the insurrection, police were patrolling the […]
Pakistan on course to appoint first female Supreme Court judge
Islamabad, PakistanReuters Pakistan’s judicial commission on Thursday confirmed the nomination of the first female Supreme Court judge in the Muslim-majority nation’s history, an action that ruling party members and legal experts said all but ensures her appointment. A commission that decides on the promotion of judges voted to make 55-year-old Justice Ayesha Malik the first […]
Two Haitian journalists killed by gang outside Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince, HaitiReuters John Wesley Amady, one of the two Haitian journalists who was killed on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince after suspected gang members opened fire on a group of reporters, is seen in this picture obtained from social media on 7th January. PICTURE: John Wesley Amady via Instagram/via Reuters. Two Haitian journalists were killed Thursday […]
Mexico nears 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 as cases surge after holidays
Mexico CityReuters Mexico is likely to surpass 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week – the fifth highest death toll worldwide – as infections rise after the holiday season, fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant and largely unrestricted tourism. Infections have more than doubled to 20,000 during the last week when many tourists visited Mexico from […]
Canada, other nations vow action against Iran over reparations for downed jet
Ottawa, CanadaReuters Canada, Britain, Sweden and Ukraine on Thursday said they had abandoned efforts to talk to Tehran about reparations for an airliner downed by Iran and would try to settle the matter according to international law. Most of the 176 people killed when Iran shot down the Ukrainian jet in January 2020 were citizens […]
Orthodox observe Christmas amid virus concerns
Moscow, Russia AP Orthodox Christians in Russia, Serbia and other countries began Christmas observances Thursday amid restrictions aimed at dampening the spread of the coronavirus, but few worshippers appeared concerned as they streamed into churches. The majority of Orthodox believers celebrate Christmas on 7th January, with midnight services especially popular. The churches in Romania, Bulgaria, […]
Brazil: How the charcoal industry fuels illegal deforestation and slavery
FABIO TEIXEIRA, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on the plight of those working in Brazil’s illegal charcoal industry…
Interfaith vigil in DC gathers for second year, part of citywide 6th January observances
Washington DC, USRNS On the morning of 6th January, 2021, an interfaith group of religious leaders huddled together in downtown Washington. As they stood in a circle around a Black Lives Matter sign erected just outside Luther Place church, the group mustered a prayerful protest against those descending on the city to dispute the results […]
Essay: Remembering 6th January on its ‘anniversary’ is not enough
In an article published on Religion News Service, CHERYL TOWNSEND GILKES, a professor of African American studies and sociology, pastor and author, says the frightening realities exposed on that day should have our constant attention…