German victims cycle to Rome to press Pope on church abuse
Vatican City Reuters A group of German victims of abuse on Wednesday called on Pope Francis to step up efforts against “sexual and spiritual abuse” by clergy, after completing a 900 kilometre bicycle trek from Munich to the Vatican. Abuse scandals have shredded the Catholic Church’s reputation and have been a major challenge for the […]
UN seeks $US3 billion for Sudan as fighting rages in Khartoum
Khartoum, Sudan/Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters The United Nations said on Wednesday more than half Sudan’s population now needed aid and protection, as civilians sought shelter from air strikes and sporadic clashes between rival military factions in the Khartoum area. Residents said power had been cut, food was in short supply, and drinking water scarce due to the […]
“More likely than not” world will soon see 1.5 degrees of warming – WMO
London, UKReuters For the first time ever, global temperatures are now more likely than not to breach 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming within the next five years, the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday. This does not mean the world would cross the long-term warming threshold of 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels set out in […]
Aid groups seek green light from Myanmar junta to access cyclone-hit state
Reuters Relief organisations were awaiting clearance from Myanmar’s military rulers on Wednesday to access areas of Rakhine State devastated by a deadly cyclone three days ago, and deliver food and medicine to communities in urgent need. Hundreds of people are estimated to have been killed in the impoverished region after cyclone Mocha on Sunday tore […]
Updated: Nine dead in northern Italy floods, Formula One race called off
Updated: 8:30am, 18th May, 2023 (AEST)Rome, ItalyReuters Nine people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes as torrential rain battered Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region, triggering floods and landslides, officials said on Wednesday. Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said some areas had received half their average annual rainfall in just 36 hours, causing rivers to […]
US religious attendance is shrinking but those who remain are happy – poll
United StatesRNS For American religion, the story of decline just won’t let up. A shrinking number of Americans – 16 per cent – say religion is the most important thing in their lives, down from 20 per cent in 2013. And nearly three in 10 – or 29 per cent – say religion is not […]
Two more victims of volcano eruption found in Roman ruins of Pompeii
Rome, ItalyReuters Two skeletons have been found in the ruins of Pompeii, the ancient Roman city wiped out by an eruption of volcano Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago, the Italian Culture Ministry said on Tuesday. The skeletons were recovered from a building known as the “House of the Painters at Work”, and are probably […]
StrangeSights: A Bosnian village for hobbits; dogs in Chile glow for a cause; and, meet the world’s youngest authors…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
At Hiroshima G7, bomb survivors grapple with a disarmament dream deferred
Hiroshima, Japan Reuters The last time a US President visited Hiroshima, atomic bomb survivor Shigeaki Mori was filled with hope for a future without nuclear weapons. Seven years later, he’s more sceptical. As leaders of the Group of Seven nations gather in the Japanese city this week for a summit, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants […]
Hong Kong political cartoon axed after government pressure, cartoonist says
Hong Kong, ChinaReuters A Hong Kong newspaper on Thursday scrapped a satirical cartoon after a decades-long run following a series of complaints by authorities, the cartoonist said, in what was seen as the latest blow to media freedom in the China-ruled city. The Ming Pao newspaper said in a notice it would from Sunday scrap […]