EU, US urge Georgia to halt ‘foreign agents’ bill as protests continue
Tbilisi, Georgia Reuters The European Union and US on Thursday condemned legislation making its way through Georgia’s parliament on “foreign agents” and thousands of protesters snarled traffic in the capital with a peaceful protest against the bill. The bill would require organisations receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to register […]
Snapshot: Kuang Si Waterfall, Laos
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Ukraine may have talks eventually with Russia, intelligence officer says
Reuters Ukraine will at some point have to enter into talks with Russia to bring an end to their more than two-year-old war, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official said in an interview published on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly ruled out talks with the Kremlin, and a decree he issued after Russia formally […]
Lebanese Christian leader says Hezbollah’s fighting with Israel has harmed Lebanon
Maarab, Lebanon AP The leader of a main Christian political party in Lebanon blasted the Shiite militant group Hezbollah for opening a front with Israel to back up its ally Hamas, saying it has harmed Lebanon without making a dent in Israel’s crushing offensive in the Gaza Strip. In an interview with The Associated Press on […]
Residents fear for safety as Indonesia’s Mount Ruang volcano erupts
Tagulandang, Indonesia Reuters Antelmus Paulus, 67, is in despair after the eruption on Tuesday of Indonesia’s Ruang volcano rendered his home on Tagulandang Island uninhabitable and prompted authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people. Antelmus’ zinc-roofed house, about seven kilometres from the 725-metre high volcano, was heavily damaged by the ejected material. A woman carrying […]
Haiti transition council walks back PM nomination, exposing divide
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Reuters The majority of Haiti’s transition council who had nominated an interim prime minister earlier this week has walked back the decision, exposing the internal turmoil of the group charged with leading the Caribbean nation out of a prolonged crisis. Late on Wednesday, four of the council’s seven voting members issued a statement […]
In the US, United Methodists vote to remove anti-gay language from their official teachings on societal issues
Charlotte, North Carolina, US AP United Methodist delegates on Thursday removed a 52-year-old declaration from their official social teachings that deemed “the practice of homosexuality…incompatible with Christian teaching” – part of a wider series of historic reversals of the denomination’s longstanding disapproval of LGBTQ activity. The historic vote came as delegates also approved a new […]
US Catholic leaders, urging ceasefire, call on Biden to halt weapons shipments to Israel
United States RNS More than 200 US Catholic leaders, including a cardinal, an archbishop and numerous nuns, have put their names on a letter urging President Joe Biden to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, secure the release of Israeli hostages and halt the shipment of weapons to Israel. “We call on President Biden, a […]
Catholic Church: Priests prepare to bring synodality from the Vatican to parishes around the world
Even as some Catholics look at the synod with scepticism, others don’t know what it means or haven’t heard of it at all. Pope Francis is tasking parish priests with changing that. CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ, of Religion News Service, reports…
Soccer star’s murder highlights South Africa’s crime problem as election nears
Johannesburg, South Africa Reuters In the South African township where Luke Fleurs grew up, some friends joined gangs before they reached high school age, but Fleurs found another path: he was so brilliant at soccer that he rose to be a professional player at South Africa’s top club. Fleurs’ success story ended abruptly last month […]