NEWS OF THE WEEK
A delegation of top Yazidi religious leaders came to the US this week seeking help for their besieged community in Iraq. ISIS has particularly targeted the ancient religious minority, which ISIS calls pagan. More than 300,000 Yazidis have been displaced … More
This week the group Human Rights Watch issued a new report documenting kidnappings, forced marriages, and sexual abuse of girls and young women in Nigeria by the Islamist group Boko Haram. The report says more than 500 women have been … More
The Catholic Archdiocese of New York plans to merge 14 percent of its parishes with others, according to Cardinal Timothy Dolan. In a newspaper column, the New York archbishop said it was not feasible to keep so many parishes open … More
Christians honor saints and martyrs on All Saints Day (November 1), followed by All Souls Day (November 2), when Catholics and some Protestants pray for loved ones who have died. On Wednesday (November 5), Shiite Muslims observe Ashura, which recalls … More
This week the World Health Organization, WHO, said the Ebola death toll has risen to over 4800 people worldwide. Most infections have been in West Africa, where hospital beds and food are in short supply. In Liberia, Doctors Without Borders … More
Heavy fighting continued in Syria as Kurdish forces sought to defend the border town of Kobani from ISIS. The US led a series of airstrikes against ISIS and attempted to drop supplies for the Kurdish fighters. UN Secretary General Ban … More
US Cardinal Raymond Burke confirmed that he will be removed from his position as chief justice of the Vatican’s Supreme Court. Burke is known for his outspoken conservative views on a number of issues, including same-sex marriage. Last week he … More
An emotional homecoming this week for the family of American Jeffrey Fowle, who was released after spending five months as a prisoner in North Korea: While visiting there, the 56-year-old Fowle was arrested for leaving a Bible in a sailors’ … More
For several years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been using its website to explain some of its misunderstood practices. The latest effort is a four-minute video about Mormons’ sacred undergarments. It likens them to Judaism’s prayer … More
Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains began their five-day celebration (October 21-25) of Diwali, the festival of lights. Protestants observe Reformation Sunday (October 26), which commemorates the day in 1517 when tradition says Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to a church … More
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