Pope’s envoy is joyfully welcomed by faithful in South Sudan
Juba, South SudanAP Hundreds of people braved a scorching sun Tuesday to welcome Pope Francis’ envoy to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, where many were disappointed last month when the pontiff canceled a trip to this East African country. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, was received by religious leaders, government officials, and hundreds […]
Russia pounds Ukraine’s Donetsk region after seizing Luhansk
Sloviansk/Kyiv, UkraineReuters Russian forces struck targets across Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on Tuesday, a day after President Vladimir Putin declared victory in the neighbouring province of Luhansk after months of gruelling attritional warfare in which both sides lost many men. Donetsk and Luhansk comprise the Donbas, the industrialised eastern part of Ukraine that has seen […]
Pope hopes China deal on bishops will be renewed soon
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis said that while the Vatican’s secret and contested agreement with China on the appointment of Roman Catholic bishops is not ideal, he hopes it can be renewed in October because the church takes the long view. Relations with China was one of the many church and international topics the 85-year-old pontiff […]
Villagers killed in “massacre” in western Ethiopia, rights group says
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaReuters An unknown number of villagers have been killed in an ethnically-motivated massacre in western Ethiopia, the country’s rights body said, as federal forces attempt to stabilise the area following a mass killing in mid-June. Oromiya region, where the Amhara are a minority ethnic group, has experienced spasms of violence for many years, […]
Rusting Eiffel Tower in need of full repairs, reports say
Paris, FranceReuters The Eiffel Tower is riddled with rust and in need of full repairs, but instead it is being given a €60 million paint job ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, according to confidential reports cited by French magazine Marianne. The wrought-iron 324-metre high tower, built by Gustave Eiffel in the late […]
Dutch review government art collection for possible Nazi plunder
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsReuters For at least two decades, a painting of fishing boats under an overcast sky hung on the wall of the Dutch parliament, admired by lawmakers who gave little thought to its origins. Now, experts are looking at whether the 19th century masterpiece by Hendrik Willem Mesdag, Fishing Boats off the Coast may be […]
Sudan’s army won’t take part in political talks, leader says
Cairo, Egypt Reuters Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Monday the army would not participate in internationally led dialogue efforts to break its stalemate with the civilian opposition, and urged political and revolutionary groups to start talks to form a transitional government. Last October, Sudan’s military staged a coup, dissolving a transitional […]
Mexican bishops to put photos of dead priests in churches
Mexico City, MexicoAP Mexico’s Roman Catholic Council of Bishops called Monday on parishes throughout the country to put photos of dead nuns and priests in their churches this Sunday and to hold Masses for all those killed in gang-fueled violence. The call for special celebrations throughout July came after two Jesuit priests and a tour […]
Immediate or eternal?
During World War II, BBC radio wanted to give the British public, who were going through the Blitz, something to think about that transcended the war. A statue of CS Lewis in Belfast, Northern Ireland. PICTURE: K Mitch Hodge/Unsplash They asked a little-known academic to give some talks on Christianity, a foundation of English life. […]
Gig economy: Workers hit by high fuel prices and layoffs
RINA CHANDRAN and MENNA A FAROUK, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, report on how high fuel prices, income cuts, and a global economic slowdown have put gig workers in a precarious position…