Pope, looking healthy, begins busy four days leading to Easter
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis looked well as he began four intense days of events leading to Easter on Thursday, and renewed his own ordination vow on the day the Roman Catholic Church marks Jesus’s founding of the priesthood the night before the crucifixion. Francis, who recently curtailed his speaking engagements because of fatigue related […]
King Charles praises “hand of friendship” in Maundy Thursday message
London, UK Reuters King Charles III, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, has praised people who “extend the hand of friendship, especially in a time of need”, and echoed the pledge to serve the nation that the British monarch made at his coronation last year. Charles delivered the remarks in a recorded message which will […]
Hundreds of rights groups urge US to stop deporting Haitians fleeing gang war
Reuters Nearly 500 immigration and human rights organisations signed a letter urging the US Government to halt deportations of Haitians and expand migration protections as a devastating gang conflict escalates on the Caribbean island nation. The Haitian Bridge Alliance, a San Diego-based non-profit, published a letter on Wednesday together with 481 migration, human rights, religious […]
Health Insight: Eating some chocolate really might be good for you – here’s what the research says
As many prepare to indulge in some sweet delights for Easter, DAN BAUMGARDT, in an article first published on The Conversation, looks at some of the science behind eating chocolate…
Unaffiliated Americans are the only growing religious group – study
United States RNS Religious churn has been a key fixture of US religion for a long time, but a new survey of changes in American religion finds that motion is not so much a swirling but a one-way stream heading out. A new PRRI survey shows that religiously unaffiliated Americans are the only group that […]
Russia says it is hard to believe Islamic State could have launched Moscow attack
Moscow, Russia Reuters Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that it was “extremely hard to believe” that Islamic State would have had the capacity to launch an attack on a Moscow concert hall last Friday that killed at least 143 people. Zakharova repeated Moscow’s assertions, for which it has not yet provided […]
UN expert in Israel genocide accusation says she has been threatened
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters A United Nations expert who published a report saying there were reasonable grounds to believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza during its military campaign against Hamas said on Wednesday she had received threats throughout her mandate. Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the West Bank and […]
Myanmar junta chief calls for unity, says military holding power “temporarily”
Reuters Myanmar’s ruling general said on Wednesday the junta was holding power only temporarily with the aim of strengthening democracy, and he called for unity among the people and military to fight armed groups seeking to derail plans to hold an election. Addressing an annual Armed Forces Day parade, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who […]
Migrant crossings to UK hit new record, heaping pressure on Sunak
London, UK Reuters More than 4,600 asylum seekers have arrived in Britain on small boats so far in 2024, a record total for the first three months of the year and giving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak a fresh political headache. Provisional data from the Home Office showed on Wednesday that 4,644 people had been detected […]
After tragedy: A year after deadly Nashville shooting, Christian school relies on faith – and adopted dogs
TRAVIS LOLLER, of Associated Press, reports on the tight bonds that have developed after the shared suffering of a Christian school in Tennessee…