Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Cabinet on Aoril 27 approved a proposed ban on wearing full-face veils including Muslim burqas in public, citing national security grounds, despite a U.N. expert’s comment that it would violate international law. The Cabinet approved the proposal by Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera at its weekly meeting,Continue Reading
Vatican City: Unknown armed men have shot and wounded the Bishop-elect of South Sudan’s Rumbek Catholic Diocese. The Italian-born Fr. Christian Carlassare, a Comboni Missionary, was attacked on Sunday night in Rumbek. The gunmen went to his residence, shot at his bedroom door till it opened, and when Fr. CarlassareContinue Reading
Vatican City: Pope Francis on May 1 will lead a rosary to begin a month-long prayer marathon for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pope’s rosary will be broadcast live from the Gregorian Chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica at 6 p.m. Rome time on May 1. Situated directly toContinue Reading
Plodding through the desert in remote southwest Pakistan, Roshan the camel carries priceless cargo: books for children who can no longer go to school because of coronavirus lockdowns. The schoolchildren, who live in remote villages where the streets are too narrow for vehicles, put on their best clothes and rushContinue Reading
AS India struggles with a record surge in COVID-19 deaths, Indian priests in Brisbane are praying for the sick and suffering, and for the work of the Church to continue in their homeland. “Even if the situation is terrible there is hope,” Fr Dantus Thottathil, parish priest at Manly andContinue Reading
Steubenville: The Franciscan University of Steubenville is conducting a research study to better understand COVID-19 and herd immunity. Through its School of Natural Applied Sciences, the university plans to evaluate 500 students and faculty by the end of April. The study is led by biology professor Dr. Kyle McKenna. TheContinue Reading
Three replicas of a cross carved by a prisoner during the Korean War are to be blessed by the Bishop of Gloucester. The original – known as the Carne Cross – was made by Lt Col James Power Carne of the Gloucestershire Regiment and is housed in Gloucester Cathedral. OneContinue Reading
Dhaka: At least four people, including a woman, were killed and 23 others injured after a fire broke out at a chemical warehouse here in the Bangladeshi capital early April 23, according to media reports. The fire started at the ground floor of the building in Old Dhaka’s Armanitola areaContinue Reading
By Paul Kane Washington: The US Senate on April 22 overwhelmingly passed legislation designed to more forcefully investigate hate crimes, particularly those against Asian Americans after the March 16 shootings at three Atlanta spas and a wave of violence following the spread of the coronavirus from China last year. “ToContinue Reading
Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted April 20 of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man’s neck in a case that touched off worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S. Chauvin, 45,Continue Reading
