Tens of thousands protest in Poland against ex-ministers’ imprisonment
Warsaw, PolandReuters Tens of thousands of opposition supporters massed outside Poland’s parliament on Thursday to protest against the new government’s changes to state media and the imprisonment of two former ministers convicted of abuse of power. The march reflects mounting tensions in the country as the new pro-European Union coalition government led by Donald Tusk […]
Wow!: Vatican launches massive restoration effort of baldachin in St Peter’s Basilica
CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ, of Religion News Service, reports that restorers plan to complete the work in time for the start of the Jubilee of 2025…
US pastors struggle with post-pandemic burnout. Survey shows half considered quitting since 2020
United StatesAP Post-pandemic burnout is at worrying levels among Christian clergy in the US, prompting many to think about abandoning their jobs, according to a new nationwide survey. More than four in 10 of clergy surveyed in fall 2023 had seriously considered leaving their congregations at least once since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and […]
Somalia says it’s working to rescue hostages from UN helicopter
Mogadishu, SomaliaReuters Somalia’s government is working to rescue the passengers of a UN helicopter that was captured by al-Shabaab militants, a spokesperson said on Thursday, but military officers said it would be difficult to access the area where they were taken. The UN-contracted helicopter was conducting an air medical evacuation when a technical problem forced […]
Families of Ecuador hostages demand action as Noboa details plans for new prisons
Quito, EcuadorReuters Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa laid out plans for two new high-security prisons on Thursday, part of his pledge to wage war on drug gangs, as the families of nearly 180 prison staff being held hostage by inmates demanded action to rescue them. A dramatic spike in violence this week – including the on-air […]
Netanyahu condemns ICJ genocide case; Gazans return to wasteland in north
Gaza/The Hague, The NetherlandsReuters Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday condemned South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in Gaza as “hypocrisy and lies”, as some Gazans returned to scenes of total devastation in the north of the enclave where Israeli forces have begun withdrawing. Three months of Israeli bombardment have laid much of the coastal enclave to […]
Hundreds dead as Congo River basin submerged by generational floods
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters The Congo River has risen to its highest level in more than 60 years, causing flooding throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo Republic that has killed more than 300 people over the past months, according to authorities. Poor urban planning and weak infrastructure have made some African countries […]
Papua New Guinea declares state of emergency after 16 killed in rioting
Updated: 12pm, 12th January, 2024 (AEDT)Sydney, AustraliaReuters Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister declared a state of emergency on Thursday, suspending government and police officials after 16 people were killed in rioting in the Pacific island nation. A police and public sector protest on Wednesday over a pay cut that officials blamed on an administrative glitch descended […]
Ukraine launches chatbot service for relatives of missing Russian troops
Kyiv, UkraineReuters Ukraine is setting up an online chatbot service which will allow Russians with missing soldier relatives in Ukraine to check if they have been confirmed killed or are being held as POWs, officials announced on Wednesday. Kyiv hopes the move will put pressure on Moscow 22 months into a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, […]
Health Insight: Six ways to look after your eyes in 2024
In an article first published on The Conversation, SHAHINA PARDHAN, professor of optometry at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, provides advice on how to look after your eyes this year…