UN migration chief voices concern over Mediterranean deaths, pledges new solutions
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The new head of the UN migration agency on Monday voiced concern that the deaths of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean were being “normalised” and vowed to work with governments to provide options for economic migration to address the crisis. US former White House adviser Amy Pope started as head of […]
Postcards: New museum exploring faith opening in UK castle
ANGELA YOUNGMAN reports on a new Faith Museum which opens this week in County Durham…
Iraqi Christian religious leaders demand an international investigation into deadly wedding fire
Baghdad, IraqAP Christian religious leaders in northern Iraq called for an international investigation Monday into a deadly wedding fire that killed more than 100 people last week and slammed the government’s probe, which had blamed the blaze on negligence and lack of precautionary measures. An Iraqi Syriac Catholic priest, meanwhile, said widespread corruption in the country and […]
Mexico church roof collapse death toll at least 11; no more people believed buried in rubble
Ciudad Madero, Mexico AP The collapse of a church roof during a service in northern Mexico has killed at least 11 people and injured 60, and searchers said Monday that no further people were believed to be trapped in the wreckage. State police had initially estimated about 100 people were inside the church in the […]
Zimbabwe searches for mine survivors as relatives lose hope
Chegutu, Zimbabwe Reuters Zimbabwean authorities were still searching on Monday for survivors trapped underground when a disused gold mine collapsed last week, as some relatives started to lose hope their loved ones could be saved. Accidents in disused mines are common in Zimbabwe, where artisanal or small-scale miners defy authorities by mining in old shafts […]
Pope Francis hints at slight opening to blessings of same-sex couples
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis has appeared to leave open the possibility of priests blessing same-sex couples, if they are limited, decided on a case-by-case basis and not confused with wedding ceremonies of heterosexuals. Francis made his opinion known in one answer to five questions from five conservative cardinals from Asia, Europe, Africa, the United States […]
Updated: UN authorises Haiti security mission to fight gangs
Updated 5:15pm (AEST)United NationsReuters The United Nations Security Council on Monday authorised a foreign security mission to Haiti, a year after the Caribbean country asked for help to fight violent gangs that have largely overrun its capital Port-au-Prince. “More than just a simple vote, this is in fact an expression of solidarity with a population […]
Donald Trump’s business empire in peril as civil fraud trial opens in New York
Reuters Donald Trump and his family business are set to stand trial in New York on Monday in a civil fraud case that could deal a major blow to the former US President’s real estate empire. Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is accused by Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James […]
Indonesia launches China-backed ‘Whoosh’ high-speed railway
Jakarta, IndonesiaReuters Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday inaugurated a $US7.3 billion high-speed railway connecting the country’s capital with the city of Bandung, a China-backed project that has been marred with problems. Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo speaks about the planned new capital Nusantara, at Ecosperity Week in Singapore, on 7th June, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Edgar Su/File […]
Officials urge Moldova to seize opportunity for EU membership
Chisinau, MoldovaReuters Moldova launched a nationwide discussion on securing European Union membership, with senior officials and academics urging their compatriots to seize every opportunity to join the bloc or run the risk of being left behind or sinking into chaos. Ex-Soviet Moldova, led by pro-European President Maia Sandu and one of the continent’s poorest countries, […]