Greece: Bishops attacked with caustic liquid, 10 hurt
Athens, Greece AP Seven senior members of Greece’s Orthodox Church and three others were hospitalised with burns Wednesday after being attacked with a caustic liquid, allegedly by a priest facing a disciplinary hearing, authorities said. The incident occurred at a meeting in Athens of senior bishops. The 37-year-old priest, who was facing the hearing for […]
Medical official: air strike kills at least 43 in Ethiopia’s Tigray
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Reuters An air strike killed at least 43 people in the town of Togoga in Ethiopia’s Tigray region on Tuesday, a medical official told Reuters, after residents said new fighting had flared in recent days north of the regional capital Mekelle. Ethiopian military spokesman Colonel Getnet Adane did not confirm or deny […]
Fires destroy two churches on Canadian Indigenous reserves
Oliver, British Columbia, Canada AP Two Roman Catholic churches on First Nations reserves in British Columbia have burned to the ground in overnight fires, Canada’s national police force said Monday. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said a patrol officer saw fire come from the Sacred Heart Church on the Penticton Indian Band reserve early Monday […]
US blasts Nicaragua “campaign of terror” as global condemnation grows
Geneva, Switzerland/Mexico City, Mexico Reuters International pressure mounted on Nicaragua on Tuesday, with President Daniel Ortega’s crackdown on the opposition described by Washington as a “campaign of terror” that the United Nations said meant November elections were unlikely to be free or fair. Ortega’s government has arrested at least 14 political opponents in recent weeks, […]
StrangeSights: Best dad joke in the UK; a stack of M&Ms; and, a deluge of packages…
DAVID ADAMS reports on the odder side of life…
UK children can stop nude photos being shared online with new tool
Thomson Reuters Foundation Children in Britain who see nude photos or videos of themselves online or are concerned about such content being uploaded can report it using a first-of-its-kind tool launched on Tuesday. Under-18s can use the service – from the Internet Watch Foundation and Childline – to flag images online for removal or prevent […]
China, Canada spar at UN body over human rights failings
Geneva, Switzerland AP Canada and 40 other countries on Tuesday urged China to allow “immediate, meaningful and unfettered access” so independent observers can visit its western Xinjiang region, while a Chinese envoy demanded that Canadian authorities “stop violations of human rights” at home. The mutual finger-pointing, which preceded admissions from Canada’s envoy about shortcomings in […]
As US Senate convenes hearing, more than 300 faith leaders declare support for DC statehood
Washington DC, US RNS More than 300 faith leaders and heads of prominent religious organisations signed a letter sent to Senate leadership on Tuesday backing the call to make Washington, DC, a state, adding religious support to the growing Democratic-led effort. “As clergy and faith leaders from across our nation, we write to express our […]
In the aftermath of a storm: In India’s battered Sundarbans, villagers have no place to call home
ANURADHA NAGARAJ, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on the plight of villages in the Sundarban delta in West Bengal…
Churches at the heart of South African battle to bridge digital divide in COVID-19 vaccination race
Johannesburg, South Africa Thomson Reuters Foundation When Esther Dhlamini went to collect her pension in Johannesburg’s Soweto township, she was surprised to find a local bishop on hand to soothe her fears about COVID-19 vaccination and register her for the jab on his mobile phone. Community “foot soldiers” like the bishop are among numerous initiatives […]