Four Russian military aircraft shot down near Ukraine, Russian daily reports
Reuters Russian news outlet Kommersant said two Russian fighter jets and two military helicopters had been shot down on Saturday close to the Ukrainian border, in what would be a spectacular coup for Kyiv if confirmed. Kommersant said on its website that the Su-34 fighter-bomber, Su-35 fighter and two Mi-8 helicopters had made up a […]
Zelenskiy asks Pope to back Kyiv peace plan, help return children
Vatican CityReuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked Pope Francis on Saturday to back Kyiv’s peace plan, and the Pope indicated the Vatican would help in the repatriation of Ukrainian children taken by Russians. “It is a great honour,” Zelenskiy told Francis, putting his hand to his heart and bowing his head as he greeted the […]
Turkey Red Crescent head resigns following controversy over quake tents
Ankara, TurkeyReuters The head of the Turkish Red Crescent resigned on Friday, the relief association said, three months after controversy emerged over the selling of tents to a charity in the first days after devastating earthquakes in Turkey. The magnitude 7.8 quake shook a huge area in southern Turkey in February, causing more than 54,000 […]
Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan granted bail
Islamabad, Pakistan Reuters A Pakistani court ordered former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s release on bail for two weeks, his lawyer said on Friday, after his arrest in a land fraud case ignited deadly protests and a tussle with the military. Khan departed the court premises, headed towards his hometown Lahore, amidst high security. He had […]
Vatican seeks to assure Caritas that papal firings were necessary, not a criticism of work
Rome, ItalyAP A top Vatican cardinal defended Pope Francis’ “drastic” leadership firings at the Holy See’s preeminent charity, saying Friday they were necessary for the wellbeing of staff at Caritas Internationalis and not a condemnation of its work. Cardinal Michael Czerny, whose development office is responsible for Caritas, sought to explain Francis’ extraordinary decision in […]
Zelenskiy expected in Rome to meet Pope Francis, Italian officials
Rome, Italy Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected in Italy on Saturday for talks with government officials and Pope Francis, who in late April said that the Holy See is involved in a peace mission to end the war with Russia. The trip, Zelenskiy’s first to Italy since Russia invaded on 24th February, 2022, […]
US-Mexico border: Amid confusion, El Paso pastors provide migrants with shelter and counsel
GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO, of Associated Press, reports on the faith leaders who, along with prayers, are counselling migrants about the daunting challenges that await them on US soil…
Uncertainty clouds US transition at Mexico border as new rules take effect
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico/El Paso, Texas, USReuters The Biden administration began implementing a sweeping policy shift at the US-Mexico border on Friday as a COVID-era order that had allowed the swift expulsion of many migrants expired and new asylum restrictions took effect amid confusion and uncertainty. Several last-minute court actions added to questions about how President […]
Kenya unearths more bodies in search for death cult followers
Shakahola Forest, Kenya Reuters Kenyan investigators unearthed 29 more bodies on Friday in a continuing search for victims of a doomsday cult in the country’s south-east. The death toll now stands at 179. Authorities this week have searched for remains in shallow graves scattered throughout the Shakahola Forest and for any survivors as hundreds of […]
Churches aiding flood-affected in DRC’s South Kivu
Nairobi, Kenya Churches in the Democratic Republic of Congo are helping victims of deadly floods and landslides who are still in dire need of humanitarian assistance, particularly in South Kivu, a province in the east of the country. The death toll from flash floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall has risen to more than […]