More than half a million left Germany’s Catholic Church last year as abuse scandal swirls
Berlin, GermanyAP More than half a million people formally left the Catholic Church in Germany last year, significantly higher than the previous record as the church wrestles with a long-running scandal over abuse by clergy and with calls for far-reaching reform. The German Bishops’ Conference said Wednesday that 522,821 left the church last year, up […]
After Paris suburb unrest, Macron deplores ‘inexcusable’ police killing of teenager
Paris, FranceReuters French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called the shooting dead of a 17-year-old by police during a traffic stop near Paris “inexcusable” in rare criticism of law-enforcement hours after the incident triggered unrest. A police officer is being investigated for voluntary homicide for shooting the youth, who was of North African origin. Prosecutors […]
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy calls Russian leaders “bandits”, rules out frozen conflict
Kyiv, UkraineReuters President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described Russia’s political and military leaders as bandits on Wednesday, and ruled out any peace plan that would turn the war on Ukraine into a frozen conflict. Zelenskiy made his remarks in a speech to parliament on Ukraine’s Constitution Day, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his troops […]
Air strikes and clashes puncture Eid truce pledges in Sudan’s capital
Reuters Air strikes and anti-aircraft fire rattled parts of Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Wednesday, residents said, despite both the military factions that have been battling each other since mid-April declaring truces for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Sudanese men attend Eid al-Adha prayer following the crisis in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, in the Sudanese state […]
Death toll rises to 10 in Russian attack on Ukraine’s Kramatorsk
Kramatorsk, Ukraine Reuters The death toll rose to 10 on Wednesday from a Russian missile strike on a crowded restaurant in Ukraine’s eastern city of Kramatorsk the previous evening, with two more bodies including a fourth child pulled out of the wreckage. Police said at least 61 people were wounded in Tuesday’s missile strike, which […]
Britain loses status as global climate leader, advisers say
London, UKReuters Britain has lost its position as a global leader on climate action and is not doing enough to meet its mid-century net zero target, the country’s climate advisers said on Wednesday. Britain in 2019 became the first member of the Group of Seven wealthy nations to set a target to achieve net zero […]
Germany saw 2,480 anti-Semitic incidents in 2022, monitoring group says
Berlin, GermanyAP A group tracking anti-Semitism in Germany said Tuesday that it documented 2,480 incidents in the country last year – just under seven incidents per day on average. In its annual report, the Department for Research and Information on Anti-Semitism, or RIAS, said that while it registered a slight decrease in antisemitic incidents in […]
Parliamentary inquest into ‘Vatican Girl’ mystery moves forward as Pope acknowledges family’s pain
Rome, ItalyAP Italy’s Parliament is poised to open a bicameral commission of inquiry into the disappearance of the teenage daughter of a Vatican employee, the third new investigation launched in the four decades since Emanuela Orlandi vanished on the streets of Rome. The Senate’s Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved setting up the inquest, and full […]
Mental health in spotlight in Hong Kong after violent attacks
Hong Kong, China Reuters A series of brutal attacks in Hong Kong is shining a light on mental health in a city that has suffered from particularly acute strains while lacking sufficient resources to provide proper care for all who need it, mental health groups say. Violent crime is rare in the financial hub but […]
One in seven Britons faced hunger in 2022, says food bank charity
London, UKReuters One in seven people in the United Kingdom faced hunger last year because they did not have enough money, according to a report published on Wednesday by food bank charity the Trussell Trust. It said this equates to 11.3 million people, more than double the population of Scotland, and blamed a dysfunctional social […]