Pastor reported killed, town abandoned in Myanmar fighting; UN warns of humanitarian catastrophe
Bangkok, Thailand AP A Baptist pastor and three other men were killed and a town of 2,000 homes all but abandoned this past weekend in fighting in Myanmar’s western Chin State that escalated after a call for a nationwide uprising against the country’s military government, a resident said Thursday. People displaced by fighting in north-western […]
“Death sentence”: low-lying nations implore faster action on climate at UN
United Nations Reuters Faced with what they see as an existential threat, leaders from low-lying and island nations implored rich countries at the United Nations General Assembly this week to act more forcefully against a warming planet. The failure by developed economies to effectively curb their greenhouse gas emissions contributes to rising sea levels and […]
US Christian author Josh McDowell steps back from ministry after comments about Black, minority families
Best-selling Christian author and speaker Josh McDowell has announced he is stepping back from ministry after earlier apologising for comments in which he denounced the idea of systemic racism at a national gathering of Christian counsellors, saying Black Americans and other minorities were not raised to value hard work or education. McDowell, whose books include Evidence […]
“All we can do is cry” – La Palma volcano leaves trail of devastation
La Palma, Spain Reuters Lava flowed from an erupting volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma for a fourth day on Wednesday, forcing more people to evacuate their homes and blanketing towns in ash, while residents struggled to come to terms with the destruction. “All we can do is cry. We are a small […]
Mexico reports people-smuggling surge amid jump in migration
Mexico City, Mexico Reuters People-smuggling crimes in Mexico this year have more than tripled since 2020, the government said on Wednesday, as the country battles to cope with a sharp increase in illegal immigration at the US border. Between January and August, Mexico registered 1,232 people-smuggling crimes, a jump of nearly 228 per cent from […]
Helpdesk: ‘What is my IP address?’ Explaining one of the world’s most Googled questions
Academics PAUL HASKELL-DOWLAND and BOGDAN GHITA, in an article first published on The Conversation, explain what an IP is (and how to quickly look it up)…
US religious artifacts in new Reconstruction exhibit depict resilience, racism
RNS The pew from a church where Black people once were relegated to the balcony. A pair of stained-glass windows honoring Confederate generals that were removed from Washington National Cathedral. A Bible used during the study session at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on the night when nine people were killed. These and other religious artifacts are among […]
Americas health agency sees COVID outbreaks continuing into 2022
Brasilia, Brazil Reuters The Pan American Health Organization warned on Wednesday that countries in the region could continue to face localized COVID-19 outbreaks “well into 2022” even while deaths have fallen from their peak in January. While vaccinations are progressing, the region faces a “severe vaccine inequality problem” that will prolong the pandemic, particularly in […]
Top Southern Baptist committee funds sex abuse probe
Nashville, Tennessee, US AP A top Southern Baptist Convention committee agreed Tuesday to fund a third-party investigation into its handling of sexual abuse allegations but held off on waiving its attorney-client privilege for the probe, delaying for the future a decision seen as a key demand of the thousands of Southern Baptists who set the […]
Women in leadership: In Black denominations, women making strides amid hesitancy
ADELLE M BANKS, of Religion News Service, reports from the US on where Black denominations stand on women’s leadership…