Postcards: Toughened by war’s scars, Kyiv presses on while Russia attacks

DAN PELESCHUK, of Reuters, reports from Kyiv on the resilience of the Ukrainian population amid the ongoing conflict…
Would-be Scottish leader under fire over gay marriage stance

London, UK AP A front-runner to become Scotland’s next leader fought to keep her campaign alive Tuesday amid a backlash over her opposition to same-sex marriage. Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, who belongs to the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, said Monday that her faith would have prevented her from voting in favor of allowing […]
Pope intervenes again to restrict celebration of Latin Mass

Rome, Italy AP Pope Francis has intervened for the third time to crack down on the celebration of the old Latin Mass, a sign of continued friction with Catholic traditionalists. Francis reasserted in a new legal decree published Tuesday that the Holy See must approve new celebrations of the old rite by signing off on bishops’ […]
In the US, Southern Baptists oust Saddleback Church over woman pastor

Updated: 10am (AEST) United States AP The Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday ousted its second-largest congregation – Saddleback Church, the renowned California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren – for having a woman pastor. The vote by the convention’s Executive Committee culminates growing tension between the nation’s largest Protestant denomination – which officially […]
Six killed after latest earthquake shakes Turkey-Syria border

Antakya, Turkey Reuters Six people were killed in the latest earthquake to strike the border region of Turkey and Syria, authorities said on Tuesday, two weeks after a massive quake killed more than 47,000 people and damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes. Monday’s quake, which struck just as the rescue work from the […]
Biden says Ukraine ‘stands strong’ a year after Russian invasion

Warsaw, Poland/Moscow, Russia Reuters US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday Ukraine “stands strong” a year after the Russian invasion and that Moscow would never defeat its neighbour, speaking hours after the Kremlin suspended a landmark nuclear arms control treaty over the West’s support for Kyiv. Biden gave a speech at Warsaw’s Royal Castle in […]
Jesuits say abuse accusations against priest highly credible, restrictions tightened

Rome, Italy Reuters The Jesuit Roman Catholic religious order said on Tuesday that accusations of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse against a prominent member were highly credible and that restrictions against him have been tightened. The order said in a statement on its website it intended to start what it called an “internal procedure” against […]
UN torture prevention panel terminates visit to Australia

Sydney, AustraliaReuters A UN torture prevention panel terminated its suspended visit to Australia, saying it continued to face obstacles in getting access to some detention centres in the country. The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture on Monday said it had requested several assurances in order to resume its visit but some guarantees were not […]
Hairdresser by day, drone hunter by night helps defend skies over Ukraine

Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters A hairdresser by day and a “drone hunter” by night, Oleksandr Shamshur, 41, is among tens of thousands of volunteers helping defend the skies over Ukraine against Russian attacks. As the 24th February first anniversary of Russia’s invasion nears, Ukraine is becoming increasingly adept at shooting down Russian missiles and drones fired […]
Citing disruptions to school and town, authorities in the US town of Asbury move to end 13 days of revival

Wilmore, Kentucky, US RNS After an estimated 50,000 Christian worshippers, celebrity pastors and onlookers flocked to a rolling revival meeting at Asbury University over the past 13 days, the school’s administration announced a new, limited schedule for prayer services in hopes of restoring order to the campus in this tiny central Kentucky town. Asbury University […]