TURKEY-SYRIA QUAKES: POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR PRAYERS AND SOLIDARITY WITH THE VICTIMS

Sun 12 February 2023: Pope Francis on Sunday again called for prayers and solidarity with the victims of this week’s earthquakes that shook southern Türkiye and affected Syria. “We continue to be close, with prayer and concrete support, to the earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey,” he said during his Angelus address, the Vatican News […]

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AMID CHOLERA OUTBREAK, HEALTH FEARS GROW IN QUAKE-HIT SYRIA

Sun 12 February 2023: With the first cases detected in September, earthquake devastation risks new stresses, particularly in rebel-held areas. Aid groups and public health experts warn that a series of devastating earthquakes could exacerbate a cholera outbreak in Syria first detected last year. The warnings come as rescue operations ceased in both opposition and government-held portions of Syria […]

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OPPOSING VOICES EMERGE FROM ANGLICAN CHURCHES OVER BLESSING SAME-SEX COUPLES

Westminster Abbey, London, England. File photo Sun 12 February 2023: The Church of England had announced its decision to bless same-sex couples few days ago but there are signs that the momentous move has divided the global Anglican church. Voices from the Anglican churches, prominently from developing countries, have expressed displeasure at the decision which […]

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SOUTH AFRICA: UBUNTU AWARDS HONOUR TRAILBLAZERS

Sun 12 February 2023: South Africa has honoured the contribution made by those who have excelled in promoting the interests of the country on an international stage. “DIRCO [Department of International Relations and Cooperation] is honoured to shine a light on South Africans who have distinguished themselves in promoting our national interests, our talents, and […]

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ZELENSKY SACKS TOP OFFICIAL, SAYS CLEAN-UP DRIVE CONTINUES

Sun 12 February 2023: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday issued a decree sacking a senior security figure and said separately that his drive to clean up the government would continue. Authorities have dismissed dozens of officials in recent weeks and opened probes as part of a widespread drive against wrongdoing. The European Union says […]

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RUSSIA’S PLANS TO TAKING OVER EASTERN UKRAINE COULD TAKE TWO YEARS, SAYS WAGNER BOSS

Sat 11 February 2023: Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, has said it could take two years for Russia to fully control the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, two regions whose capture Moscow has stated as a key goal of the war.  Prigozhin, who has emerged from the shadows to become a […]

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AMAZON DEFORESTATION DROPS AFTER LULA TAKES OFFICE

Sat 11 February 2023: Deforestation in Brazil’s section of the Amazon rainforest dropped by 61 percent in January, the first month in office for left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has promised to relaunch environmental protection efforts. Preliminary satellite data collected by the government’s space research agency Inpe and released on Friday showed 167sq km […]

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HUNDREDS OF CHILD SEX ABUSE LAWSUITS COULD TRIGGER BANKRUPTCY FOR US CHURCH

San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy. Sat 11 February 2023: In the United States, the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego said on Friday that it may soon declare bankruptcy due to “staggering” legal costs in nearly 400 lawsuits that allege priests and church functionaries sexually abused children over the decades. A diocese refers to a […]

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