Number of days over 35 degrees Celsius surges in world’s scorching capitals
Reuters The number of days reaching a sizzling 35 degrees Celsius in 20 of the world’s largest capitals – from Delhi to Jakarta to Buenos Aires – has risen 52 per cent over the past three decades, a thinktank analysis found on Friday. More than 300 million people live in the world’s 20 most populous […]
India: Record heat, surging fires push Delhi’s firefighters to the brink
ADNAN ABIDI and CHRIS THOMAS, of Reuters, report on the unrelenting fight against blazes as India faces weeks of extreme heat – and the toll its taking on the firefighters…
Haj deaths show challenge of shielding pilgrims from scorching climate
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters Hundreds of the pilgrims who died in fierce heat at this year’s haj were not officially registered with the Saudi authorities, with the result that many had no access to vital services like air-conditioned buses and cool-off tents. The deaths highlight a looming challenge for organisers as climate change takes hold […]
Essay: Pope Francis may have surprised many by inviting comedians to the Vatican, but the value of humour has deep roots in Catholic tradition
JOANNE M PIERCE, a specialist in medieval Christian history, looks – in an article first published on The Conversation – at how Christians have long embraced the role of humour as a valuable part of Christian spirituality…
Another 400,000 people left Germany’s Catholic Church last year, but the pace slowed from 2022
Berlin, Germany AP Another 400,000 people formally left the Catholic Church in Germany last year, though the number was down from a record set in 2022 as church leaders struggle to put a long-running scandal over abuse by clergy behind them and tackle calls for reform, official figures showed Thursday. The German Bishops’ Conference said that […]
Wow!: Orphans in Congo fed palm weevil larvae in bid to beat malnutrition
ANGE KASONGO, of Reuters, reports on Farms for Orphans’ initiative to address malnutrition in the west African nation…
Church of England faces threat of split over stance on gay couples
London, UK Reuters An alliance of church leaders threatened to split from the Church of England over plans to let gay couples hold standalone services in churches, saying it would be a departure from the institution’s teaching on marriage. In a letter to the two senior-most bishops of the church, the dissenting group said the […]
Russian satellite breaks up in space, forces ISS astronauts to shelter
Washington DC, US Reuters A defunct Russian satellite has broken up into more than 100 pieces of debris in orbit, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take shelter for about an hour and adding to the mass of space junk already in orbit, US space agencies said. There were no immediate details on […]
Bolivia Government had prior intelligence of coup planning, minister says
La Paz, Bolivia Reuters The Bolivian Government had intelligence that a coup attempt could occur before the country’s top military commander and his troops forced their way into the presidential palace this week, a senior government minister said on Thursday. The failed coup on Wednesday happened over just a few hours and provoked swift condemnations […]
EU leaders pick von der Leyen for second term as Commission chief
Updated: 10am (AEST) Brussels, Belgium Reuters European Union leaders agreed on Friday to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful executive body. At a summit in Brussels, the bloc’s 27 national leaders also picked former Portuguese premier Antonio Costa as the […]