Russia OKs alternative civil service for mobilised believer
Tallinn, Estonia AP A court in Russia on Thursday affirmed the right of a man mobilised to fight in Ukraine to perform an alternative form of civil service due to his stated religious beliefs, setting a precedent that could persuade more reluctant draftees to try to get out of military service. The Leningrad Regional Court upheld a […]
Pope sought to lose “as little as possible” in London deal
Vatican City AP Pope Francis gave clear indications to get out of a disastrous London real estate deal by saying the Vatican must “start over and lose as little money as possible”, an exit strategy that eventually involved paying off a broker €15 million, the Holy See’s number three official told a court Thursday. Archbishop […]
Rising bottled water consumption signals safe drinking water goal is under threat, says UN thinktank
Reuters Surging global bottled water consumption reflects the failure by governments to improve public water supplies which is putting the UN sustainable development goal of safe drinking water by 2030 under threat, a UN academic think tank said on Thursday. The bottled water market saw 73 per cent growth from 2010 to 2020, and consumption […]
Essay: The struggle of those who have fled Afghanistan does not end across the border
ELLIS HEASLEY, of UK-based religious freedom advocacy CSW, looks at the dangers facing Afghan Christians who have been forced to flee to neighbouring nations…