Pope Francis’ physicians have asked him not to undertake his scheduled journey to Dubai to participate in the COP28 Summit, and he has accepted their advice “with great regret.” A statement to participants in a seminar on “Ethics in Health Management” Francis indicated that his health has improved, he not longer has a fever. He Read more
The incoming finance minister has admitted that New Zealand’s world-first smokefree laws have been scrapped to fund tax cuts. National’s coalition deal with New Zealand First – released yesterday – says it will repeal amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 and regulations before March 2024 These changes would remove requirements for Read more
A group tracking antisemitism in Germany said that it documented a drastic increase in antisemitic incidents in the country in the month after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7. The RIAS group said it recorded 994 incidents, which is an average of 29 incidents per day and an increase of 320% compared to the same Read more
A coroner has issued a warning about the risks of the contraceptive pill combined with an often unknown underlying condition after two women died in the same month in similar circumstances. On a morning in September 2021, a 24-year-old Auckland make-up artist sent a text to her flatmate and to her father to say she Read more
Russia’s extensive drone attack on Kyiv Nov 25 damaged the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. Russia launched close to 75 Iranian-made Shahed drones at Ukraine’s capital as Ukrainians marked Holodomor Remembrance Day. The day commemorates the 7 million to 10 million victims of an artificial famine waged by Soviet dictator Read more
Asians who are not affiliated with a religion tend to support legalizing same-sex marriage, according to the results of a new survey done by the Pew Research Center. Close to half of Asians or a median of 49 percent of adults in 12 Asian countries, favor legalizing gay and lesbian marriage, the survey report released on Nov. Read more
Some German Synodal Path suggestions for change won’t be happening, says the Vatican. Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has written an official note to the German Bishops’ Conference secretary general, Beate Gilles to clarify the Vatican’s stance on the German Synodal Path reform proposals. Non-negotiable issues Some issues are “non-negotiable”, Parolin told Gilles, Read more
When Gabrielle Carman was invited to a friend’s place for lunch last week she had no idea it was a setup. Her host said he would invite some other people, but when Carman got there she was surprised to find out just how many other people there were, she said. Most of them from Vincent Read more
Chinese authorities have demolished, closed and converted hundreds of mosques in the northwestern Ningxia region and Gansu province as part of the government’s efforts to restrict Islam, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on Wednesday. Police have also removed domes, minarets, and other Islamic architectural features from other mosques as part of Beijing’s Read more
The New Zealand catholic Bishops’ Conference has announced what it describes as “joyous news”. Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa, our Apostolic Nuncio, has been moved to Kenepuru Hospital from Wellington Hospital to begin his rehabilitation proper, following the stroke he suffered last month. Because of the intense rehab work Archbishop Novatus is doing, we have been asked Read more