#ItalyChurchToo: Abuse survivors demand Italy church inquiry
Rome, Italy AP Advocates for victims of sex abuse by Italian clergy launched a campaign Tuesday to demand a cover-up inquiry, lamenting that deference showed the Catholic Church hierarchy in Italy has conditioned everything from criminal prosecutions to media coverage of the problem. A consortium of groups said they hoped recent national inquiries in Germany […]
This Life: The blessing of giving ourselves to others
SAMANTHA ELLEY says the “opportunities to share yourself and receive a dose of happiness are endless”…
Sri Lanka’s Archbishop speaks out against activist’s arrest
Colombo, Sri Lanka AP Sri Lanka’s top Roman Catholic bishop on Tuesday spoke out against what he said was the wrongful arrest of an activist, saying that the government was targeting those who criticised its failure to properly investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith likened to an “abduction” the […]
Pollution causing more deaths than COVID, action needed, says UN expert
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Pollution by states and companies is contributing to more deaths globally than COVID-19, a UN environmental report published on Tuesday said, calling for “immediate and ambitious action” to ban some toxic chemicals. The report said pollution from pesticides, plastics and electronic waste is causing widespread human rights violations and at least nine million […]
Biden says Russian attack on Ukraine “very much a possibility”
Moscow, Russia/Washington DC, USReuters President Joe Biden urged Russia to step back from the brink of war on Tuesday and said reports that Russia has withdrawn some forces from the Ukraine border have not been verified. “To the citizens of Russia: you are not our enemy, and I don’t believe you want a bloody, destructive […]
India’s hijab dispute reaches its most populous state
Lucknow, India Reuters A dispute over restrictions on the wearing of the hijab by female students in a southern Indian state has now reached India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, with a group of youngsters asking a college to ban the head covering. Authorities closed colleges in Karnataka in India’s south last week after […]
South Korea candidates kick off presidential race dominated by scandal, third-party challenge
Seoul, South KoreaReuters South Korea’s presidential candidates formally began campaigning on Tuesday in what is set to be the tightest race in 20 years between its two main parties, dominated by scandals that have allowed a third challenger to potentially play the role of kingmaker. Polls say voters are looking for a president who can […]
Enrolment in US Catholic schools rebounds after sharp drop
AP Enrolment in Catholic schools in the United States rose 3.8 per cent from the previous academic year, rebounding from a sharp drop caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Catholic education officials reported Monday. The National Catholic Educational Association said nationwide enrolment increased by 62,000 to about 1.68 million students, marking the first increase in two […]
Turk sets unenviable COVID record by testing positive for 14 straight months
Istanbul, TurkeyReuters When Muzaffer Kayasan first caught COVID-19, he thought he was destined to die since he was already suffering from leukemia. Fourteen months and 78 straight positive tests later, he is still alive – and still battling to shake off the infection. Kayasan, 56, has Turkey’s longest recorded continuous COVID-19 infection, doctors say, possibly […]
Liberia kicks off bicentennial celebrating arrival of Black Americans
Monrovia, LiberiaReuters President George Weah on Monday called on Liberians to embrace unity and reconciliation as he launched year-long celebrations of the bicentennial of the arrival of the first free Black Americans in 1822. The former slaves arrived in Providence Island, now the capital Monrovia, in 1822, as part of a mission by the American […]