In Spanish village, horses leap through flames in centuries-old ritual
San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain AP On a chilly January night, hundreds of people gathered on the steep and narrow cobblestoned streets of San Bartolome de Pinares – population 500 – to watch a dramatic sight: horses galloping through towering flames. It’s a centuries-old tradition in the Spanish village about 100 kilometres north-west of Madrid that […]
Syrian Christians want their identity and freedoms protected in any new constitution, envoy says
Nicosia, Cyprus AP As Syria begins recovering from 50 years of autocratic rule by the Assad family, an international envoy says Christians and other religious groups expect their rights and freedoms to be preserved under a new constitutional settlement. Salina Shambos, a senior Cypriot diplomat and the newly appointed special envoy for religious freedom and […]
At least seven people killed by army at Ghana’s AngloGold Ashanti mine
Accra, Ghana Reuters A Ghanaian small-scale miners’ association on Sunday said soldiers killed nine unarmed people at an AngloGold Ashanti mine on Saturday night, while the army said seven illegal miners had been killed in a firefight. Kofi Adams, local chairman of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners, told Reuters that nine people […]
Economic grievances fuel support for hostile actions, Edelman global survey shows
Davos, Switzerland Reuters Economic fears have escalated into grievances among 60 per cent of people, with many believing hostile actions such as violence can be necessary to bring about change, according to a global poll by communications firm Edelman. The survey of the 33,000 respondents across 28 countries showed severe levels of distrust in government […]
Pope Francis says Trump’s immigration raids would be a “disgrace”
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis on Sunday criticised President-elect Donald Trump’s reported plan to sharply intensify immigration enforcement actions across the US in the days after his inauguration. Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from his window at the Vatican, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, on 19th January, 2025. PICTURE: Vatican Media/Simone Risoluti/Handout […]
Deaths in Colombia rebel violence double to 60, ombudsman says
Bogota, Colombia Reuters The death toll from rebel-related violence in a key drug trafficking region of Colombia has doubled to 60, the government’s human rights ombudsman said on Saturday. The ombudsman’s office posted on social media that about 60 people have died violently, 32 were kidnapped and hundreds were displaced due to conflict in recent […]
From Guatemala to Minnesota: Holy feast brings migrant families hope and pride amid crackdown fears
GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO, of Associated Press, reports on how a community of Guatemalans in the US state of Minnesota celebrated an important Catholic feast day amid concerns over Trump’s mass deportation plans…
Pope welcomes Cuba’s prisoner release following talks with Vatican as part of long-standing dialogue
Rome, Italy AP Pope Francis on Sunday hailed the release of Cuban prisoners as a “gesture of great hope” that he prayed would be undertaken elsewhere, as he welcomed an agreement the Vatican helped facilitate as part of a three-way dialogue with Washington and Havana that dates back to the Cuban missile crisis. Cuba said this […]
Essay: What can a pastor say to people who have lost everything?
Rev GRACE H PARK, associate pastor of Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, says, in an article first published by Religion News Service, that after the fire, there are no words…
Hamas frees hostages, Israel releases Palestinian prisoners on day one of ceasefire
Last updated: 11:15am, 20th January, 2025 (AEDT) Cairo, Egypt/Gaza Reuters Hamas released three Israeli hostages and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, the first day of a ceasefire suspending a 15-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East. The truce allowed Palestinians to return to bombed-out neighbourhoods to begin […]