After Ukraine controversy, Pope again condemns “madness of war”
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis on Wednesday issued a fresh condemnation of all wars, days after irking Kyiv and Western capitals for appearing to suggest that Ukraine should surrender and negotiate peace with its Russian invader. Francis had told Swiss broadcaster RSI that Ukraine should “show the courage of the white flag” and open talks […]
Global child mortality rates dropped in 2022 but progress slow, UN says
London, UK Reuters The number of children globally who died before their fifth birthday dropped to a record low of 4.9 million in 2022, but that still represents one death every six seconds, according to new United Nations estimates. While the mortality rate for under-5s has roughly halved since 2000, the world is still behind […]
Japan’s Space One Kairos rocket explodes on inaugural flight
Tokyo, Japan Reuters Japan’s Space One’s small, solid-fuelled Kairos rocket exploded shortly after its inaugural launch on Wednesday as the firm tried to become the first Japanese company to put a satellite in orbit. The 18-metre, four-stage solid-fuel rocket exploded seconds after lifting off just after 11:01am, leaving behind a large loud of smoke, a […]
StrangeSights: Hug an ostrich; a pancake house; and, conch shell blowing
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Texas judge temporarily blocks attempt to shut down Annunciation House
United States RNS A state judge has temporarily blocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to investigate and close Annunciation House, a volunteer-run network of Catholic migrant shelters based in El Paso. Paxton attempted to “run roughshod over Annunciation House, without regard to due process or fair play,” wrote state District Judge Francisco Dominguez in […]
Britain to quash wrongful Post Office convictions
London, UK Reuters Hundreds of innocent Post Office branch managers wrongly convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting as a result of flaws in an IT system will be exonerated by landmark legislation introduced on Wednesday, the British Government said. The self-employed sub-postmasters at the state-owned Post Office – many of them at the heart […]
Argentina’s child poverty rate on track to hit 70 per cent, UNICEF warns
Buenos Aires, Argentina Reuters Argentina’s child poverty rate could hit 70% in the first quarter of the year unless there is a change in course, UNICEF warned in a report on Tuesday, reflecting how high inflation, weakening growth and austerity is hitting the country hard. In a report, the UN Children’s Fund said the poverty […]
Biden clinches nomination, bruising presidential rematch with Trump looms
Reuters President Joe Biden won enough delegates on Tuesday to seal the Democratic Party’s nomination, with a face-off against former President Donald Trump looming in what would be the first US presidential election rematch in nearly 70 years. Biden needed 1,968 delegates to win the nomination and Edison Research said he passed that number on […]
Church of England agonises over asylum seekers’ bogus conversions row
London, UK Reuters The Church of England will not adopt a set of cast-iron criteria when deciding whether to baptise asylum seekers as it was impossible to see into someone’s heart, a bishop said on Tuesday amid a row over fake conversions to Christianity. The centuries-old church launched a review into its advice to clergy […]
Gordon Burley
Thirteen years ago, when I first suggested writing these life coaching spots for radio, there was one guy who stepped up to mentor and join me in this project. He wrote 10 of the first 50 spots and gave me valuable insights and wisdom for the task. Telecommunications towers in South Australia’s Outback. PICTURE: John […]