India’s poll panel seeks responses to complaints against Modi, Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi, India Reuters India’s Election Commission said on Thursday it has sought responses from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress on alleged violations of poll rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during an election campaign rally in Meerut, India, […]
Myanmar warlord at centre of battle for key border town
Reuters Armed soldiers loyal to a turncoat warlord patrol the streets of south-eastern Myanmar’s frontier town of Myawaddy, as troops of the ruling junta and rebels jostle for control of the outpost that handles more than $US1 billion in border trade every year. The struggle for Myawaddy has highlighted the role played by Colonel Saw […]
Church leaders in Kenya give qualified support for plan to close orphanages
Nairobi, Kenya RNS Amid a growing push among child welfare organisations to reunite families rather than keep children in institutional homes, Kenyan authorities are set to adopt a new national program that will phase out traditional orphanages over the next decade. Church leaders in the country, whose denominations run hundreds of orphanages, have expressed support […]
Indigenous people protest Brazil not protecting ancestral lands
Brasilia, Brazil Reuters Several thousand Indigenous demonstrators marched chanting to drum beats on Thursday to the seat of power in Brazil’s capital to protest against the government’s failure to protect their ancestral lands. The annual event this year focused Indigenous anger over plans to build a railway to transport grain from farm states to Amazon […]
India dismisses US human rights report as “deeply biased”
New Delhi, India Reuters New Delhi said on Thursday it does not attach any value to a US State Department report critical of human rights in India, and called it deeply biased. The annual human rights assessment released earlier this week found “significant” abuses in India’s north-eastern Manipur state last year and attacks on minorities, […]
US, 17 other countries urge Hamas to release hostages, end Gaza crisis
Washington DC, US Reuters The United States and 17 other countries on Thursday issued an appeal for Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza, but Hamas vowed not to relent to international pressure. “We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in […]
Burkina Faso army executed over 220 villagers in February, HRW says
Dakar, Senegal Reuters Burkina Faso’s military in February summarily executed about 223 villagers, including at least 56 children, as part of a campaign against civilians accused of collaborating with jihadist militants, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. The watchdog made the assertions in a report based on its own investigation into the reported execution of […]
Musical adaption: Why you might have heard Paul Simon’s ‘The Sound of Silence’ at Spanish Mass
‘The Sound of Silence’ version of the ‘Our Father’ has been widespread throughout Latin America and US Latino communities for the last few decades. ALEJA HERTZLER-MCCAIN, of Religion News Service, reports…
United Methodists endorse change that could give regions more say on LGBTQ and other issues
United States AP United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of defusing debates over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church. Delegates voted 586-164 on Thursday for the “regionalisation” proposal on the third day of their 11-day General […]
Essay: Detaining migrants in prisons violates human rights and risks abuses
JESSICA EVANS and LINDA MUSSELL, in an article first published on The Conversation, look at Canada’s plan to allow federal prisons to be used to detain “high-risk” immigrants…