Pope gave green light to secret deal to free kidnapped nun, court told
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis approved a secret million-euro operation to free a Colombian nun who was held captive for more than four years by an Islamist militant group in Mali before she was released in 2021, a cardinal told a Vatican court on Thursday. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 73, the only cardinal among 10 defendants at […]
Civilians trapped in Ukrainian plant; UN says evacuation efforts under way
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine Reuters Scores of Ukrainian civilians including women and children remained trapped on Thursday in a Mariupol steel works that has been rocked by heavy explosions as Russian forces fight for control of Ukraine’s last stronghold in the ruined port city. The United Nations said a new operation was underway to evacuate more people […]
COVID led to 15 million deaths globally, not the five million reported – WHO
Reuters Almost three times as many people have died as a result of COVID-19 as official data show, according to a new World Health Organization report, the most comprehensive look at the true global toll of the pandemic so far. There were 14.9 million excess deaths associated with COVID-19 by the end of 2021, the […]
Pope uses wheelchair in public for first time since knee pain flare-up
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis used a wheelchair in public on Thursday for the first time since a new flare-up of pain in his knee that has limited his ability to walk. At an audience with a group of nuns in the Vatican’s general audience hall, Francis was wheeled to his seat on the stage. An […]
Heavy rain and floods in Afghanistan kill 22, destroy hundreds of homes
Kabul, AfghanistanReuters Heavy rain and flooding has killed 22 people, destroyed hundreds of homes and damaged crops in Afghanistan, which is already facing a humanitarian crisis, a disaster management official said on Thursday. The Taliban government, struggling to cope with the disaster that has affected more than a third of its provinces, will approach international […]
Australia wants calm in ties with Solomon Islands after “invasion” claim
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Australia will respond calmly to the Solomon Islands after it signed a security pact with China, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, dismissing a furious response by the leader of the Pacific nation to Western criticism of the deal. In a fiery speech to parliament on Tuesday, Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said “we […]
Sri Lankan tea pickers’ dreams shattered by economic crisis
Bogawantalawa, Sri Lanka Reuters On a lush plantation in Sri Lanka, Arulappan Ideijody deftly plucks the tips of each tea bush, throwing them over her shoulder into an open basket on her back. After a month of picking more than 18 kilograms of such tea leaves each day, she and her husband, fellow picker Michael […]
A Sustainable Life: Here’s one way to burn less fossil fuel – use human energy to heat buildings instead
In an article first published on The Conversation, AMIN AL-HABAIBEH, a professor of intelligent engineering systems at Nottingham Trent University, looks at how body heat could play a role in heating buildings…
Wall drawings in Rome church recall secret refuge of Jews, anti-Fascists
Rome, ItalyReuters The church of San Gioacchino in Rome is full of frescoes, mosaics, and intricate stained glass windows, but perhaps its real masterpieces are charcoal wall drawings hidden away in its attic. The drawings were done by one of 35 men – including Jews, anti-Fascist Christians, and military defectors – who were hidden in […]
North Korea mobilises office workers to fight drought amid food shortages
Seoul, South KoreaReuters North Korea’s office workers and factory labourers have been dispatched to farming areas around the country to join a fight against drought, state media reported on Wednesday, amid concerns over prolonged food shortages. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had called for measures to improve a tense food situation caused by the coronavirus […]