Wow!: A “different form” – how technology has opened the door to ‘virtual pilgrimages’
ANGELA YOUNGMAN speaks with Victoria Preston about the inspiration behind her book, ‘We are Pilgrims: Journeys in search of ourselves’…
Nigeria’s looted Benin bronzes returned, more than a century later
Benin City, Nigeria Reuters Two Benin bronzes were returned on Saturday to a traditional palace in Nigeria, more than a century after they were pillaged by British troops, raising hopes that thousands more artefacts could finally be returned to their ancestral home. The artefacts, mostly in Europe, were stolen by explorers and colonisers from the […]
Pope hails healthcare workers as heroes for COVID service
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis on Sunday hailed healthcare workers as heroes for their service every day, not just during the pandemic, asking the public in St Peter’s Square to join with him in applause. Francis clapped his hands in what he said was a “great thank you” for health workers, including volunteers, who care for the […]
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II catches COVID
Windsor, England Reuters Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, sharpening concerns about the health of the world’s longest-reigning monarch two weeks after she marked 70 years on the British throne. The 95-year-old Queen, who has been fully vaccinated against coronavirus, quipped just four days ago to palace staff that she could not […]
Greece reports first fatality after blaze on ferry, 10 still missing
Corfu, Greece Reuters Firefighters battling for a third day a blaze on a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy recovered on Sunday the body of a passenger listed as missing, Greek authorities said. It is the first reported fatality after rescuers managed to take at least 281 out of 292 passengers and crew to safety […]
Spain’s animal rights bill targets zoos and pet shops but not bullfighting
Madrid, SpainReuters Spain plans to ban the sale of pets in shops, convert zoos into wildlife recovery centres and impose prison sentences for abusers as part of its first animal-rights bill, which notably does not target bullfighting, for now. The government said on Friday the draft law, which will face a public hearing, another reading […]
In the US, families sue West Virginia school district over Christian assembly
Charleston, West Virginia, USAP A group of parents and students are suing a West Virginia school district for allowing an evangelical preacher to hold a religious revival assembly during the school day earlier this month that some students were required to attend. The suit, filed in a US District Court in West Virginia on Thursday on behalf […]
Malawi detects polio, first wild case in Africa in over five years
Johannesburg, South AfricaReuters Malawi has declared a polio outbreak after a case was detected in a young child in the capital Lilongwe, the first case of wild poliovirus in Africa in more than five years, the World Health Organization said. Laboratory analysis showed the strain detected in Malawi was linked to one that has been […]
COVID-19 vaccines: Could Novavax win over some religious sceptics?
Novavax’s CEO has framed his company’s vaccine as an alternative for those who object to the use of fetal cell lines in the development of existing popular vaccines. JACK JENKINS, of Religion News Service, reports…
Canadian police arrest dozens to sweep protesters from parliament area
Ottawa, CanadaReuters Canadian police on Saturday used pepper spray and stun grenades, and made dozens of arrests as they cleared demonstrators from the street in front of parliament, where they have been camping for more than three weeks to protest against pandemic restrictions. There have been a total of 170 arrests in two days, Ottawa’s […]