After quake, Syrian schools silent as teachers, students perish
Jandaris, Syria Reuters An eerie silence lay over the courtyard of Ramadan al-Suleiman’s nursery in northern Syria on Sunday as he picked his way through smashed cinderblocks, twisted metal and broken plastic swings. The modest nursery in the town of Jandaris – about 70 kilometres from the city of Aleppo – once hosted 100 toddlers, […]
Postcards: In Peru’s tourist capital, protests leave small businesses reeling
ANASTASIA MOLONEY, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports that in the historic Inca city of Cusco, tour guides and entrepreneurs are feeling the pinch as violent protests keep visitors away…
Israel President floats judicial compromise to prevent “constitutional collapse”
Jerusalem Reuters Israel’s President floated a compromise plan on Sunday to spare the country what he described as a “constitutional collapse” and possible violence, over a contested judicial overhaul sought by the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The rare prime-time television speech by President Isaac Herzog, whose figurehead role is designed to unite […]
Ukraine holds defence as battles rage in Donetsk region, top commander says
Lviv Ukraine Reuters Ukraine’s forces hold defence along the frontline in Donetsk, including of the besieged town of Bakhmut, with the fiercest battles raging for the cities of Vuhledar and Maryinka, Kyiv’s top military commander said on Saturday. Ukrainian servicemen fire a mortar shell towards Russian troops at the frontline position near the Vuhledar town, […]
Pope worried about Nicaraguan bishop sentenced to 26 years
Managua, NicaraguaAP Pope Francis on Sunday expressed sadness and worry at the news that Bishop Rolando Alvarez, an outspoken critic of the Nicaraguan Government, had been sentenced to 26 years in prison in the latest move against the Catholic Church and government opponents. Hours later in Nicaragua’s capital, Cardenal Leopoldo Brenes said someone had asked […]
Death toll in Turkey, Syria quake tops 33,000; Turkey starts legal action against builders
Antakya, Turkey Reuters Rescuers pulled more survivors from the rubble on Sunday, nearly a week after one of the worst earthquakes to hit Turkey and Syria, as Turkish authorities sought to maintain order across the disaster zone and began legal action over building collapses. With chances of finding more survivors growing more remote, the toll […]
“The grass does not grow”: In Chile’s far south, the worst drought in 50 years
Punta Arenas, ChileReuters In Chile’s remote south, the country’s gateway to the Antarctic, the worst drought in half a century is hitting cattle ranchers and vegetable farmers, leaving the earth so dry in some areas that grass cannot grow for grazing. The Andean copper producing nation, currently battling deadly fires in the south-central region, is […]
Rhino, elephant numbers rising in Uganda after years of poaching – agency
Kampala, Uganda Reuters The number of endangered elephants, rhinos and other animals in Uganda’s reserves is steadily improving, reversing years of declines caused by poachers, traffickers and conflict, a state-run wildlife agency said on Thursday. The population of northern white and eastern black rhinos, that was wiped out in the early 1980s by people hunting […]
Olympics row deepens as 35 countries demand ban for Russia and Belarus
Vilnius, LithuaniaReuters A group of 35 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, will demand that Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from the 2024 Olympics, the Lithuanian sports minister said on Friday, deepening the uncertainty over the Paris Games. The move cranks up the pressure on an International Olympic Committee that is desperate […]
In the US, clergy sex abuse suits could bankrupt San Diego Catholic diocese
San Diego, US AP The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego said Friday it may declare bankruptcy in the coming months as it faces “staggering” legal costs in dealing with some 400 lawsuits alleging priests and others sexually abused children. In a letter that was expected to be shared with parishioners this weekend, Bishop Robert […]