Canada leaders tell Pope of horrors of Indigenous schools
Updated: 10:50am (AEST)Quebec City, CanadaReuters Canada’s leaders on Wednesday pointedly told Pope Francis of the horrors of church-run residential schools for Indigenous and the pontiff lamented that many were still living in poverty in one of the world’s richest countries. Francis flew east across the country from Edmonton in the prairies of Alberta to Quebec […]
Four civilians electrocuted during Congo anti-UN protests
Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Four people protesting against a United Nations peacekeeping mission were electrocuted on Wednesday in the Congolese city of Uvira when troops fired shots which hit an electric cable that fell on them, the mission and a local official said. At least 12 civilians were killed on Tuesday in protests […]
WHO says more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox globally, most in Europe
London, UKReuters There have been more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox reported globally from 78 countries, with the majority in Europe, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Saturday. A woman holds a mock-up vial labelled “Monkeypox vaccine” and medical syringe in this illustration taken […]
Updated: Powerful 7.1 earthquake strikes Philippines; at least five dead
Updated: 8:30am, 28th July, 2022 (AEST)Manila, The PhilippinesReuters A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the northern Philippine island of Luzon on Wednesday killing at least five people, damaging buildings and sending strong tremors through the capital, Manila. At least 64 people were injured and 173 buildings damaged, officials said, many in Abra province, just 11 […]
In the US, second teen charged with killing United Methodist Church leader
Memphis, Tennessee, US AP A second 15-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the carjacking and shooting of a United Methodist Church leader in Memphis, Tennessee, police said. The teenager was charged with first-degree murder, carjacking and other offences after meeting with investigators Friday to discuss the killing of Rev Autura Eason-Williams, Memphis police told […]
At least 15 killed as anti-UN protests flare in east Congo
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Three United Nations peacekeepers and at least 12 civilians were killed during a second day of anti-UN protests in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, authorities said. The protests were spurred by complaints that the UN mission, known as MONUSCO, has failed to protect civilians against militia violence […]
StrangeSights: ‘Snake’, a kitten with a war story; Boris Johnson’s next job?; and, NASA looks at repurposing satellites in alien hunt…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
In the US, an interfaith group in Oregon is behind one of nation’s strictest gun control measures
United StatesRNS Oregonians will be voting on one of America’s strictest gun control measures on the ballot this November. If passed by voters, the gun safety initiative would ban the sale of magazines with a capacity greater than 10 rounds and would require permits and firearm safety courses to purchase any gun. Applicants would have to […]
Colombia’s next government must focus on tackling criminal groups, UN says
Bogota, ColombiaReuters Colombia’s next government must prioritise dismantling illegal armed groups and criminal gangs, a report from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday, with rising violence devastating rural communities. Violence in Colombia fell dramatically following the 2016 peace deal between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of […]
Pope: Church must take institutional blame for harm done to Indigenous Canadians
Lac Ste Anne, Alberta, CanadaReuters Pope Francis on Tuesday said the Roman Catholic Church should accept institutional blame for the harm done to Indigenous Canadians in residential schools that tried to wipe out native cultures. Francis made his comment during a visit to Lac Ste Anne, a lakeside pilgrimage site about 70 kilometres west of […]