Pope Francis rejected war and exhorted all sides to put an end to hostilities and seek peace in Syria. “No more wars. The use of violence never leads to peace. War calls for war, violence calls for violence,” the pope said over the weekend as the United States and its allies prepared to attack Damascus. Read more
Coptic Christians in the Upper Egyptian city of Minya are managing to restrain their anger despite a wave of devastating attacks on their churches and institutions by enraged Islamists, news reports said. Tensions are still running high more than two weeks after the attacks in the city some 250 kilometres (155 miles) south of Cairo Read more
Pope Francis on Sunday called for a solution to the civil war in Syria as he admitted being disturbed by “terrible images” of atrocities in the country. The pope told people gathered in St. Peter’s Square that Syrian and rebel forces must put down their arms. He urged the international community to “put all its Read more
A 58-year-old Vietnamese monk on the premises at the time was assaulted and then handcuffed before the offenders fled. Police currently investigating the “particularly nasty” assault were asking the public for assistance to help identify the three offenders involved. Three suspects are being searched for. Continue reading
The escalation in student violence is a major crisis for the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, its General Secretary Rev Dr Tevita Havea says, and he is suggesting that closing the rival boarding schools of ‘Atele and Toloa for ten years might be a way forward for the schools and the country. He was commenting Read more
The first XVs from Newlands and Bishop Viard colleges have been suspended from playing rugby this weekend after two vicious brawls that resulted in the referee calling off their game last Saturday. Six players – two from Newlands College and four from Bishop Viard College – have also been separately charged with offences contrary to Read more
The horrific photographs of Charles Saatchi apparently strangling his celebrity chef wife Nigella Lawson have rekindled memories for Timaru Herald features editor Claire Allison. It was his explanation that was just about the end of the iPad. Charles Saatchi explained, suavely and confidently, that the photographs were misleading. That he and his wife, Nigella Lawson, Read more
The United Nations wants more Pacific nations to sign up to a convention against torture. The UN Human Rights Office regional representative, Nancy Robinson says only four nations in our region have ratified the convention so far – Australia, New Zealand, Nauru and Vanuatu. Palau has signed on, but hasn’t ratified it yet. Ms Robinson Read more
“A playful tiff”? Give us a break, Charles Saatchi. The hand around the throat, the pinching of a nose – in public view in a big city – you can’t help wondering what Mr Saatchi’s last wife meant when she divorced him for “unreasonable behaviour”. As painful as it must be for Nigella Lawson to Read more
As a United Nations commission debates violence against women, the Holy See has found itself lumped together with Iran and Russia as alleged opponents of efforts to reduce such violence. The reason is that these states oppose a strong drive to use the issue of violence against women as a means to establish abortion in Read more