The Interview: Former Trump official Elizabeth Neumann wants to combat Christian extremism
Gaza under siege: Criminal gangs, profiteers thrive as cash shortage worsens misery
Downsizing church: Baltimore Catholic parish closures a “punch in the stomach” with long-term impact
US universities: Amid surge of campus protests, chaplains find reason for hope in their students
Organised crime: Italy’s mafia turns to white-collar crime as murder, extortion fall out of favour
Symbols of co-existence?: After Hagia Sophia, Turkey converts a second ancient Byzantine church into a mosque
16th May, 2024
VISITING: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing early on Thursday for talks with Xi Jinping that the Kremlin hopes will deepen a strategic partnership between the two most powerful geopolitical rivals of the United States.
AGREED: In the Netherlands, a deal to form what was set to be the most right-wing government in the country decades, Dutch nationalist Geert Wilders said on Wednesday; the news comes almost six months after a major election victory.
ADDING: European Union countries on Wednesday agreed in principle to add four Russian state media outlets to the EU’s list of entities under sanctions, accusing them of propaganda, as the Kremlin vowed repercussions for Western journalists in Moscow.
16th May, 2024
Projected number of migrants expected to cross the Darian Gap this year: 800,000 people (including 160,000 children and adolescents)
Source: UNICEF
Essay: Christianity is changing in South Africa as Pentecostal and Indigenous churches grow – what’s behind the trend
DION FOSTER, professor of public theology at the Free University of Amsterdam, looks at changing religious demographics in South Africa in an article first published on The Conversation…
Essay: Haitians looking to escape violence and chaos face hostility in neighbouring Dominican Republic
EDLIN VERAS, in an article first published on The Conversation, looks at how those fleeing violence in Haiti are being received in the neighbouring Dominican Republic…
Essay: Sudan’s descent into chaos sets stage for al-Qaeda to make a return to historic stronghold
Defence policy researcher and counter-terrorism expert SARA HAMOUCH, in an article first published on The Conversation, looks at the risk of al-Qaeda gaining ground in Sudan…
16th May, 2024
“Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good. My thoughts are with PM Fico, his family.”
– European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a statement after Slovakia Prime Minister Robert Fico suffered life-threatening injuries after he was shot in what appeared to be an assassination attempt (as quoted on Reuters)
16th May, 2024
‘It’s been 100 years since the Catholic Church’s first Council in China’. Read MATTHEW SANTUCCI’s report on the Catholic News Agency website…
Jesus (the shepherd): He is the compassionate protector and guide of His sheep (believers).
Finding hope and a future
In an article marking International Women’s Day, SALLY BRUCE, of DFN (Dignity Freedom Network), looks at how the organisation is working to set women free…
Are you ready to study the Bible?
DENIS PLANT, principal of Vision Colleges in Australia, writes about the advantages of studying the Bible “at your pace from your place”…
Welcome to Sight’s new ‘Sponsored Articles’ feature
DAVID ADAMS, Sight editor and publisher, explains why Sight is now offering advertisers a sponsored articles option…
Postcards: Kids descend to the bunker at Ukraine’s first underground school
VITALII HNIDYI, of Reuters, reports from Kharkiv on the opening of Ukraine’s first purpose-built bunker school located six metres below the ground to protect them from Russian drone and missile attacks…
StrangeSights: Blinken rockin’ in Ukraine; Michael Schumacher’s watches; and, miniature poodle’s big win
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Lifestory: Jesuit scientist who bridged faith and science recounted in PBS documentary
US Catholic commentator THOMAS REESE, in an article first published on Religion News Service, looks at the life of French Jesuit scientist, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, whose story is being told in a new documentary…
Wow!: Brazilian athletes drop Olympic dreams to help flood victims
LEONARDO BENANSATTO and RICARDO BRITO, of Reuters, report from Porto Alegre…
Historically Speaking: How one 18th-century sermon triggered England’s first celebrity crush – with merchandise
In a revival of Sight‘s column looking at history and archaeology, HANNAH YIP looks at the story of Anglican clergyman Henry Sacheverell…
The Explainer: Excommunication is not the church’s equivalent of capital punishment
Amid calls for priest who abuse children to be excommunicated, US Catholic commentator THOMAS REESE, in an article first published on Religion News Service, looks at the concept of excommunication within the Catholic Church…
On the Screen: ‘Planet of the Apes’ evolves with the birth of a new storyline
DAVID ADAMS watches the fourth instalment in the rebooted ‘Planet of the Apes’ series…
On the Screen: More than a stunt, Gosling and Blunt light up the screen in ‘The Fall Guy’
MARCUS CHEONG says ‘The Fall Guy’ is a “love letter” to those behind the scenes of movie-making…
On the Screen: The ghostbusters save the world (again) in a nostalgic re-run
DAVID ADAMS watches the next instalment in the resurrected film franchise…
Great Works: Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo’s ‘Mary Magdalene’ is a powerful piece of storytelling
GABRIELE NEHER, in an article written for The Conversation to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Britain’s National Gallery, looks at one of the key work’s on show – Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo’s ‘Mary Magdalene’…
Helpdesk: How to spot fake online reviews (with a little help from AI)
In an article first published on The Conversation, NICK HAJLI and NICK JENNINGS look at how you can use AI to tell the fake from the real…
Health Insight: What your hair can tell you about your health
DAN BAUMGARDT, in an article first published on The Conversation, looks at what the condition of your hair can reveal about your overall health…
Snapshot: Church of Ayios Lazarus in Larnaca, Cyprus
See the image…
Snapshot: Kuang Si Waterfall, Laos
See SIMONE FISCHER’s image…
Snapshot: Magelanic penguins on the Falkland Islands
See HUBERT NEUFELD’s image..
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