Postcards: Washington’s National Zoo says bye bye to beloved giant pandas
KEVIN FOGARTY and RICH MCKAY, of Reuters, report from Washington DC…
Global fashion factories in Bangladesh resigned to slimmer margins ahead of wage hike
Dhaka, Bangladesh/New Delhi, IndiaReuters Several clothing factory owners in global fashion manufacturing hub Bangladesh are asking clients that include H&M to help them pay for an almost 60 per cent government-mandated hike in wages, well aware that weaker sales might stymie their efforts. Following a week of deadly clashes between garment industry workers and police […]
El Nino rains wipe out Paraguay neighbourhoods, with more to come
Ayolas, Paraguay Reuters Heavy rains caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon has sent hundreds to shelters in the town of Ayolas in southern Paraguay, with residents bracing for more flooding on the way. At least five neighbourhoods in the town, about 300 kilometres from capital Asuncion, were left under water after storms last week […]
In wake of abortion vote in US state of Ohio, some clergy rejoice, others mourn
United StatesRNS In the wake of a sound abortion rights victory in Ohio, some faith leaders are rejoicing, others mourn and all say their efforts to mobilise around abortion are far from over. “Asking for God’s protection and mercy, we must look ahead,” Ohio’s Catholic bishops said in a statement after the state’s voters approved Issue 1, […]
Residents report gunfire in Ethiopian holy city, but government says all peaceful
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia/Nairobi, Kenya Reuters Fighting broke out on Wednesday between the army and a regional militia in Ethiopia’s medieval holy city of Lalibela, a World Heritage site, four residents told Reuters, but the government said the area was peaceful. Fano, a part-time militia in the northern Amhara region which has no formal command structure, […]
Transsexuals can be baptised Catholic, serve as godparents, Vatican says
Vatican CityReuters Transsexuals can be godparents at Roman Catholic baptisms, witnesses at religious weddings and receive baptism themselves, the Vatican’s doctrinal office said on Wednesday, responding to questions from a bishop. The department, known as the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, was vague however, in response to a question of whether a same-sex […]
Worst floods in decades kill 29 in Somalia, hit towns across East Africa
Mogadishu, SomaliaReuters The worst flooding to hit Somalia in decades has killed 29 people and forced more than 300,000 to flee their homes, the National Disaster Management Agency said on Wednesday, following heavy rains that have inundated towns across East Africa. Authorities have scrambled to rescue thousands of stranded people from the floodwater, which comes […]
This year “virtually certain” to be warmest in 125,000 years, EU scientists say
Brussels, BelgiumReuters This year is “virtually certain” to be the warmest in 125,000 years, European Union scientists said on Wednesday, after data showed last month was the world’s hottest October in that period. Last month smashed through the previous October temperature record, from 2019, by a massive margin, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) […]
Ukraine says troops repel Russian attacks along front line
Lviv, UkraineReuters Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday its troops had repelled Russian assaults in widely separated sectors of the war and braced for a fresh attempt to capture the key frontline eastern town of Avdiivka. Russia is engaged in a slow-moving campaign in eastern areas of the 1,000-kilometre front line after failing in its bid […]
A month into war and siege, Gazans endure daily grief and hardship
GazaReuters The dead body of a toddler is carried out of a bombed house. A woman weeps over a row of corpses wrapped in white. The latest casualties arrive in hospitals already overflowing with the wounded and displaced. People queue for hours to get a few litres of water to share with dozens of others. […]