Cyprus Orthodox Archbishop suspends 12 unvaccinated priests
Nicosia, CyprusAP The head of Cyprus’ Orthodox Christian Church said Sunday that he will suspend a dozen priests from his diocese because they refused to heed his call to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Archbishop Chrystostomos II told state broadcaster CyBC that most of the priests are also theologians who have swayed some of the faithful […]
Postcards: Amid pandemic and protest, Olympics return to a changed China
TONY MUNROE, of Reuters, reports from Beijing where the Winter Olympics open this week…
Ireland calls for justice on 50th anniversary of ‘Bloody Sunday’
Londonderry, Northern IrelandReuters Ireland on Sunday called on Britain to ensure justice for the families of 13 peaceful protesters shot dead by its soldiers on “Bloody Sunday” in 1972 as thousands marked the 50th anniversary of one of the defining days of the Northern Ireland conflict. The British Government in 2010 apologised for the “unjustified […]
Gunmen kill priest on his way home from church in Pakistan
Peshawar, PakistanReuters Gunmen killed a Christian priest and wounded another as the clerics drove home from church in Pakistan’s north-western city of Peshawar on Sunday, police said. Two attackers on a motorcycle opened fire on the car on the city’s ring-road, killing Pastor William Siraj instantly, officers added. A relative mourns the death of priest […]
UN report says Taliban have killed scores of former Afghan officials, others; Biden calls for release of US hostage
Washington DC, USReuters A UN report seen by Reuters says the Taliban and its allies are believed to have killed scores of former Afghan officials, security force members and people who worked with the international military contingent since the US-led pullout. Afghans walk past a Humvee with a Taliban fighter on it guarding the road […]
North Korea caps month of tests with longest-range missile since 2017
Seoul, South KoreaReuters North Korea conducted its largest missile test since 2017 on Sunday, sending a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile soaring into space, seen as taking the nuclear-armed country a step closer to resuming long-range testing. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that a projectile believed to be a single ballistic missile was launched […]
Hillsong Church founder steps down to prepare defence against Australian charges
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston said on Sunday he is stepping down from all ministry responsibilities to prepare to “vigorously defend” against Australian police charges that he concealed sex abuse of a young man in the 1970s. In August, the 67-year-old Houston was charged with concealing child sex abuse by his late father, […]
Thai beach declared disaster area after oil spill
Bangkok, ThailandReuters A beach in eastern Thailand was declared a disaster area on Saturday as oil leaking from an underwater pipeline in the Gulf of Thailand continued to wash ashore and blacken the sand. The leak from the pipeline owned by Star Petroleum Refining Public Company Limited started late on Tuesday and was brought under […]
In lawsuit, Catholic lawyer claims World Relief rescinded job offer because he is gay
RNS A lawyer in Spokane, Washington, is suing an evangelical-run humanitarian organization for discrimination, alleging the organization rescinded his job offer due to his sexual orientation. Emmanuel Campos Gonzalez, a licensed attorney, filed a lawsuit against World Relief on 24th January stating that the group violated Washington’s law against discrimination. “The allegation he’s making is […]
‘Bloody Sunday’ still scars Northern Ireland 50 years on
Londonderry, Northern IrelandReuters Five decades after British soldiers killed 13 unarmed Catholic civil rights marchers on one of the defining days of the Northern Ireland conflict, relatives are still searching for the justice they believe is needed for a scarred society to heal. Family and friends of the 13 Catholics who died in Londonderry on […]