In pictures: Rio, New Orleans, Cologne – Carnival joy peaks around the world as Lent approaches
AP Parades, music, dancing in the streets – joyous Carnival celebrations marking the final days of revelry before Lent are peaking in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro and other locales in the Americas and Europe. A dancer from the Tom Maior samba school performs during a Carnival parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil, early on Sunday, […]
Hundreds of thousands demonstrate against right-wing extremism in Germany
Frankfurt/Berlin, Germany Reuters Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across towns and cities in Germany this weekend as the country enters a second week of nationwide protests against the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Demonstrations have gained momentum after reports emerged from investigative news website Correctiv of a meeting of […]
More than half a million left Germany’s Catholic Church last year as abuse scandal swirls
Berlin, GermanyAP More than half a million people formally left the Catholic Church in Germany last year, significantly higher than the previous record as the church wrestles with a long-running scandal over abuse by clergy and with calls for far-reaching reform. The German Bishops’ Conference said Wednesday that 522,821 left the church last year, up […]
Catholic Church in Germany: Crisis of confidence over cardinal shakes Cologne Archdiocese
KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, of Associated Press, reports from the historic centre of Catholocism in Europe – the Archdiocese of Cologne…
“A dear friend”: Syrian carves model of Cologne cathedral
Cologne, Germany AP When Syrian refugee Fadel Alkhudr arrived in Germany in 2015, the first thing he saw when he stepped out of the train in Cologne was the city’s majestic cathedral. Alkhudr, 42, became so fascinated by the famous Gothic landmark on the Rhine river with its twin spires and elaborate ornaments that he […]
STRANGESIGHTS: THE CASE OF MAURICE THE ROOSTER (AND OTHER NEIGHBOUR DISPUTES); LOCH NESS MONSTER MYSTERY SOLVED?; AND “WORLD FIRST” CONVEYOR BELT CHEESE RESTAURANT
DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…