Wow!: How daredevil drones find nearly extinct plants hiding in cliffs
DAISY CHUNG, GLORIA DICKIE and SIMON SCARR, of Reuters, report on an innovative program in Hawaii to reach places too risky for humans in a search for the last surviving individuals before it’s too late…
Catholic Church officials clear Chicago priest Pfleger of abuse claim
Chicago, USAP A prominent Roman Catholic priest known for his activism has been reinstated as leader of his Chicago parish after being cleared by church officials of allegations that he sexually abused a minor decades ago. The Chicago Archdiocese released a letter Saturday saying that a review board found “no reason to suspect” that Rev Michael Pfleger was guilty […]
Lockerbie plane bombing suspect taken into US custody
London, UK/Washington DC, US Reuters A Libyan man accused of making the bomb that killed 270 people after it blew up Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland in 1988 is in custody in the United States, Scottish and US law enforcement officials said on Sunday. Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi was taken […]
More than 500 migrants arrive in Italy as rescue ships dock
Rome, ItalyReuters Italy, which has vowed a tough line on immigration, took in more than 500 migrants on Sunday as two charity rescue ships were allowed to dock at ports in the south of the country after several days at sea in bad weather. The Geo Barents ship, operated by the Doctors without Borders (MSF) […]
Serbs in Kosovo clash with police as ethnic tensions flare
Mitrovica, Kosovo Reuters Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads for a second day on Sunday following a nighttime exchange of fire with police after the arrest of a former Serb policeman, amid rising tensions between authorities and Kosovo’s Serb minority. In recent weeks Serbs in northern Kosovo – which they believe to be […]
Ukraine port of Odesa not operating after Russian drone attack on energy facilities – minister
Kyiv, UkraineReuters The Ukrainian port of Odesa was not operating on Sunday after the latest Russian attack on the region’s energy system, Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said, but added that grains traders were not expected to suspend exports. Two other ports – Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi – authorised to export grains from Ukraine under a deal […]
Kenya’s Maasai warriors gather to celebrate “Maasai Olympics”, a rite of passage
Kimana Sanctuary, Kenya Reuters Hundreds of youths from the Maasai pastoralists in Kenya gathered on Saturday at a wildlife sanctuary to participate in “Maasai Olympics,” a ceremony promoted by conservationists as an alternative rite of passage for young men in the community. The spectacle, in which youthful morans or warriors compete in various games and […]
Devotion to Virgin Mary draws millions to Mexico City shrine
Mexico City AP It is the one of the world’s most visited and beloved religious venues – the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with a circular, tent-shaped roof visible from miles away and a sacred history that each year draws millions of pilgrims from near and far to its hilltop site in Mexico City. […]
Iran’s Raisi promises to pursue crackdown on protesters; cleric critical of execution
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesReuters A prominent dissenting Sunni cleric on Friday said the death sentence of an Iranian protester involved in anti-government unrest violated sharia law, as President Ebrahim Raisi promised to press on with a crackdown a day after the man’s execution. On Thursday, Iran hanged Mohsen Shekari, who had been convicted of injuring […]
A divided church: Friction over LGBTQ issues worsens in global Anglican church
CHINEDU ASADU and DAVID CRARY, of The Associated Press, and CATHERINE PEPINSTER, of Religion News Service, report on widening divisions among Anglican bishops over the issues of same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy…