Cougar mauls nine-year-old at church camp in US
Spokane, Washington, US AP A cougar attacked a nine-year-old girl who was playing hide-and-seek at a church camp in Washington state, seriously wounding her and sending her friends running in fear. Lily A Kryzhanivskyy and two other children were playing in the woods Saturday at the camp near the small town of Fruitland, north-west of […]
Drought threatens starvation in Horn of Africa, UN, agencies say
London, UKReuters Millions of people face severe hunger in the Horn of Africa as the worst drought in more than 40 years could extend to a fifth consecutive failed rainy season, the United Nations and humanitarian agencies warned on Tuesday. The March-May rainy season appears likely to be the driest on record, devastating livelihoods and […]
US agrees to send advanced rockets to Ukraine; Pope prays for peace
Updated: 12.30pm (AEST)Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Russian troops fought to take complete control of the eastern industrial city of Sievierodonetsk on Wednesday as the United States said it will provide Ukraine with advanced rockets to help it force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war. US President Joe Biden said Washington would provide Ukraine with more […]
Sri Lanka appeals for farmers to plant more rice as food shortage looms
Colombo, Sri LankaReuters Sri Lanka wants farmers to plant more rice as part of plans to avert a severe food shortage, a top official said on Tuesday, as experts warned of a 50 per cent drop in production that would worsen the impact of its already-severe financial crisis. Sri Lanka is in the throes of […]
Banker says he warned Vatican about London fund investor
Vatican CityAP The Vatican’s longtime investment banker testified Monday that he repeatedly voiced concerns about a fund that was investing in a troubled London property, but said the Holy See’s secretariat of state insisted on pursuing the deal even as it lost money. Enrico Crasso said he was very much on the sidelines of the […]
Wary of foreign “bad manners”, Japan cautuously eases borders to aid tourism
Tokyo, JapanReuters Japan’s easing of a two-year ban on foreign tourists seeks to balance the enormous economic importance of tourism with concerns that travellers would trigger a COVID outbreak, insiders say. Under the decision, Japan will allow in a limited number of foreign tourists on package tours starting 10th June. Last week a few “test tours”, mainly […]
Abducted prelate of Nigeria Methodist church regains freedom
Abuja, Nigeria AP The head of the Methodist Church Nigeria regained his freedom a day after being kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the country’s south-east, police told The Associated Press late Monday. Samuel Kanu Uche was kidnapped on Sunday along with two other senior clerics along a highway in the Umunneochi area in south-eastern Abia […]
Britain wants to revive imperial measurements to mark Queen’s jubilee
London, UKReuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to revive Britain’s traditional system of imperial measurements, such as pounds and ounces, in a post-Brexit move that has divided the public and businesses. Coinciding with this week’s 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, the government will launch consultations on how to change the law on weights […]
India to provide scholarships, counselling to those orphaned by COVID-19
Mumbai, IndiaReuters India’s Federal Government will provide educational scholarships, mental health counselling and health insurance to children who have been orphaned by the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday. “For those who have lost a loved one to coronavirus, the change it has brought to their lives is so difficult,” Modi said […]
In the US, $US2 million relic stolen, angel statue beheaded at Brooklyn church
New York, USAP Police say someone busted into the altar at a New York City church, stole a $US2 million gold relic and removed the head from a statue of an angel at some point late last week. The incident happened between 6:30pm Thursday and 4pm Saturday at St Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, known as […]