Papua New Guinea: Pope to meet Catholics who embrace both Christianity and Indigenous beliefs

ROD McGUIRK, of Associated Press, reports ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to the South Pacific Island nation…
Japan PM Kishida seeks to solidify South Korea ties on farewell visit

Seoul, South Korea Reuters Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived for a whirlwind visit to South Korea on Friday, seeking to seal a newfound partnership between the neighbours which will be tested by imminent changes of leaders in Tokyo and Washington. Prodded by US President Joe Biden, Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol […]
Snapshot: Yurt village, Mongolia

See AUDRIUS SUTKUS’ image…
US calls for renewing Haiti security mission mandate

Port-au-Prince, Haiti Reuters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called for renewing a United Nations mandate for an international security mission to help Haiti fight armed gangs that have taken over much of the country’s capital and expanded to nearby regions. The mission’s mandate, first approved for 12 months, is set to expire […]
Summer of 2024 was world’s hottest on record, EU climate change monitor says

Brussels, Belgium Reuters The world is emerging from its warmest northern hemisphere summer since records began, the European Union’s climate change monitoring service said on Friday, as global warming continues to intensify. The boreal summer of June to August this year blew past last summer to become the world’s warmest, the Copernicus Climate Change Service […]
Super Typhoon Yagi heads for southern China, shutting schools and cancelling flights

Hong Kong, China Reuters Powerful gales and heavy rain from Super Typhoon Yagi drenched southern China on Friday, with schools shut for a second day and flights cancelled as one of the strongest storms to hit Asia this year headed for landfall along Hainan’s tropical coast. Packing maximum sustained winds of 245 km per hour […]
Pope heads to Papua New Guinea after final Mass in Indonesia before an overflow crowd of 100,000

Updated: 6:10pm (AEST) Jakarta, Indonesia AP Pope Francis wrapped up his visit to Indonesia on Friday after celebrating Mass before an overflow crowd of 100,000, a final celebration before heading to Papua New Guinea for the second leg of his 11-day journey through South-East Asia and Oceania. The 87-year-old Pope had no official events Friday […]
Georgia arrests father of teen suspected of killing four at school

Atlanta, US Reuters Georgia state officials arrested the father of the 14-year-old suspected school shooter Colt Gray on Thursday in connection with Wednesday’s shooting that killed four people and wounded nine at Apalachee High School. Colin Gray, 54, was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of […]
Collaborative approach: Want to write a hit worship song? Invite a few friends to church.

When the CCLI Top 100 chart first appeared in 1988, most of the songs had one writer. Today, the average hit worship song has at least two writers. BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service, reports…
Members of shuttered Rwandan churches gather in homes as leaders quietly protest

Kigali, Rwanda RNS On a recent Sunday morning, a dozen people congregated in a home in the Nyabisindu neighbourhood of Rwanda’s capital to ponder their next steps after the government shuttered numerous churches for noncompliance with health and safety regulations. “We are appalled by the government’s denial of our freedom to worship our God,” said […]