Pope, in Bahrain, condemns rearmament pushing world to “the brink”
Awali, Bahrain Reuters Pope Francis on Friday appealed to religious leaders to help bring the world back from “the brink of a delicate precipice” and oppose a new race to rearm that he said was redesigning Cold War-era spheres of influence. Francis spoke on his first full day in Bahrain as he closed a forum […]
Canada agrees to resettle Afghans held in UAE facility, sources say
Dubai, United Arab Emirates/Washington DC, USReuters Canada will accept some 1,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover of their homeland and have been held for months in a makeshift refugee centre in the United Arab Emirates awaiting resettlement to the United States and elsewhere, seven sources said. Ottawa has agreed to a US request to […]
US calls for help to rehome Afghans who fled chaos of Taliban takeover
Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesReuters The United States still needs other nations to take Afghans who fled their homeland last year, a senior US State Department official said on Friday, six months after Washington’s chaotic withdrawal as the hard-line Islamist Taliban took control. Washington has been urging its partners to take Afghans who do not […]
Essay: The UAE is restoring Christian life in the Persian Gulf
KNOX THAMES, a former special envoy for religious minorities at the US Department of State, says the tiny gulf nation is supporting religious and cultural restoration to spread tolerance in the Middle East…
Trees alone can’t win fight against soaring heat, cities warned
Abu Dhabi, UAEThomson Reuters Foundation Popular projects to plant more trees and expand green space in cities may not protect residents from soaring and often deadly heat unless the efforts target those most in need of relief and bring communities closer, researchers and policymakers said. As record numbers of people move into urban areas, cities […]
Art and technology expose “hidden inequalities” in cities
Abu Dhabi, UAEThomson Reuters Foundation In South Africa’s Cape Town, an aerial photograph shows vast villas interspersed with lush greenery, blue swimming pools and the odd tennis court, while on the other side of the road, hundreds of tin-roof shacks tell a different story. The image is one of a series shot by drone in […]
A church, a synagogue and a mosque planned together for the Arabian Peninsula
New York City, USRNS When Pope Francis visited the United Arab Emirates last February, he not only became the first pontiff to step foot on the Arabian Peninsula, but he also stood next to the leading religious figure in Sunni Islam and signed a landmark document pledging all believers to work together for the good […]
Oldest Christian site in UAE opened to the public
The oldest Christian site in the United Arab Emirates was formally opened to the public last week. The church and monastery, which has been informally visited for some years, is believed to be about 1,400-years-old and was discovered in 1992 on Sir Bani Yas Island, about 200 kilometres west of the capital of Abu Dhabi. […]
POSTCARDS: A NEW ANGLICAN CHURCH IN ABU DHABI WILL BE A SYMBOL OF TOLERANCE
CLAUDE HAMMOND, in an article published by Religion News Service, reports from Abu Dhabi on the building of the largest Anglican church in the Middle East…