Nicaraguan Catholic bishop back to jail after talks stall – local media
Reuters Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Rolando Alvarez was returned to prison on Wednesday after negotiations between the government and church representatives broke down over the terms of his possible release, according to local news outlet Confidencial. Rolando Alvarez, Bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and a critic of the Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, walks at Managua’s […]
Pope Francis asks church to identify 21st-century martyrs slain “only because they are Christians”
Rome, ItalyAP Pope Francis has set up a special commission tasked with identifying those he calls the “new martyrs” of the 21st century – Christians who have been slain in some cases simply for attending Mass or for helping the poor. The Vatican on Wednesday released a copy of a letter in which the pope […]
Scotland marks coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla
Edinburgh, Scotland, UKReuters Scotland marked the coronation of King Charles III and his wife Camilla on Wednesday with a grand procession full of pageantry and a solemn church service where he was presented with the “Honours of Scotland”, Britain’s oldest crown jewels. Charles and Camilla were crowned in London’s Westminster Abbey in May in front […]
Palestinians defiant and angry after Israel’s Jenin raid
Jenin, West Bank Reuters Palestinian militant fighters paraded in Jenin on Wednesday and angry crowds confronted senior Palestinian Authority officials, accusing them of weakness, after one of the largest Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank in years. The two-day operation, which the Israeli military said targeted infrastructure and weapons depots of militant factions […]
IAEA head Grossi meets with local residents ahead of visit to wrecked Fukushima plant
Tokyo, JapanReuters International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi met residents on Wednesday to assuage concerns over the safety of Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. In a major milestone for the decommissioning of the power plant, destroyed in the massive earthquake and […]
In French banlieues, distrust of police runs deep
Paris, FranceReuters Sports teacher Benjamin Belaidi held a banner reading “no justice, no peace” as he marched in memory of the teenager shot dead by French police, weary of what he described as repressive policing and an absent state in city suburbs. The 38-year-old Belaidi, who grew up in one of the low-income housing estates […]
StrangeSights: Joey Chestnut wins 16th hotdog title; pea ice cream; and, grandparent racing…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Alvarez freed, talks going on – source
Reuters Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Rolando Alvarez was released from prison late on Monday, a diplomatic source said, marking a possible turning point in the government’s prolonged crackdown on the Catholic Church. Rolando Alvarez, Bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and a critic of the Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, walks at Managua’s Catholic Church where he […]
Pope envoy working on “mechanism” to return children to Ukraine
Rome, ItalyReuters Pope Francis’ peace envoy for Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, said on Tuesday he is working on a “mechanism” that could ensure the return of children who according to Kyiv have been abducted to Russia. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Francis’ envoy and President of Italian Episcopal Conference, leads a mass at the Cathedral of […]
China’s Xi demands officials step up flood prevention measures during rain deluge
Beijing, ChinaReuters China’s President Xi Jinping demanded government authorities at all levels give top priority to ensuring people’s safety and property as torrential rains cause devastating floods, deadly mudslides and geological disasters in the country. Residents salvage their belongings after heavy rainfall flooded Wanzhou district of Chongqing, China, on 4th July, 2023. PICTURE: cnsphoto via […]