Vatican City: Pope Francis issued a new law Dec. 28 reorganizing Vatican finances following a series of scandals. In a document issued Dec. 28, the pope formalized the transfer of financial responsibilities from the Vatican’s Secretariat of State to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), whichContinue Reading
Beijing: A Chinese citizen journalist who covered Wuhan’s coronavirus outbreak has been jailed for four years. Zhang Zhan was found guilty of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a frequent charge against activists. The 37-year-old former lawyer was detained in May, and has been on hunger strike for several months. HerContinue Reading
Beijing: At least seven people were killed and another seven injured in a knife attack in northeastern China, state media reported on December 27. The attack in the city of Kaiyuan in Liaoning province was carried out outside a sauna and bathhouse. The suspect, identified by the media by hisContinue Reading
PANIQUI, Philippines: Hundreds on December 27 attended the funeral of a woman and her son shot dead by an off-duty policeman in the Philippines, a week after a video of the incident went viral on social media, sparking public outrage over police brutality. Members of the public joined as relativesContinue Reading
Police say they have found the body of a Pakistani dissident living in the Canadian city of Toronto on refugee status, with rights group Amnesty International and others calling for a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. The body of 37-year-old Karima Mehrab Baloch was foundContinue Reading
ROME: The Vatican’s doctrinal office issued a note Dec. 21 saying it is “morally acceptable” for Catholics to take vaccines against the coronavirus, in what appears an unprecedented effort to convince believers to inoculate themselves to help end the global pandemic. Addressing concerns that some of the new vaccines wereContinue Reading
South Carolina: A Catholic priest in the US state of South Carolina has taken his own life just a day after testing positive for Covid-19. Michel Bineen Mukad, administrator of St. Mary Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church in Georgetown, had sent an email to parishioners the day before heContinue Reading
Islamabad: Members of Parliament are taking a stand against forced marriage and religious conversion of young Christian and Hindu girls in Pakistan. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Pakistani Minorities said every week girls are abducted, forced to convert to Islam and then marry their abductor in the country.Continue Reading
Vatican: A Paris criminal court on Dec. 16 sentenced Archbishop Luigi Ventura, to an eight-month suspended prison sentence for sexual harassment of several men. The 76 year-old prelate will also have to pay €13,000 to the victims, as well as €9,000 in legal fees. Archbishop Ventura served as Apostolic NuncioContinue Reading
Beijing: A citizen journalist detained in China after reporting from the Covid-19 ground zero of Wuhan will face trial later this month, her lawyer said December 18, as fears grow for her health. The coronavirus first emerged in central China late last year, and Beijing has faced accusations that itContinue Reading
