Pope overcomes health concerns to preside over Easter Mass and appeal for peace in Gaza, Ukraine
Francis appeared in good form, despite having celebrated the two-and-half-hour nighttime Easter Vigil just hours before. The pontiff, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been battling respiratory problems all winter and his full participation in Easter services was not entirely guaranteed, especially after he skipped the traditional Good Friday procession.
PEPFAR: Pioneer of embattled global HIV programme recalls the hope after years of despair
Opponents say the HIV/Aids funding could be indirectly supporting abortion abroad, although the Biden administration and PEPFAR’s defenders say there is no evidence that it does. After a handful of conservative lawmakers threatened for months to block the funding unless restrictions were attached, a compromise was struck in late March that extends the funding for a year.
Why ‘Conscious Ugandans’ are wary of presidents Museveni and Kagame entrenching Tutsi feudalism in East Africa
Paradoxically in the initial period of colonisation, the Catholic church played midwife to Tutsi privileges. However, during the 1950s the church became solid supporter of the Hutus. The volte face of the church began in the late 1930s with the change in the character of the Belgian priests then coming into Rwanda. They were mainly from the region of Belgium called Wallonia.
Thousands rally against Netanyahu in Jerusalem as the PM prepared for hernia surgery
The protesters also want a more equal share in the burden of army service that binds most Israelis. Around 600 soldiers have been killed so far since the Hamas attack of October 7 and the ensuing war in Gaza, the military’s highest casualty toll in years.
Bank of Israel governor calls for more clarity on future defence spending
Israel intends to add some 20 billion shekels ($5.4 billion) of spending towards defence a year going forward. The amended budget also allows for compensation payments to households and businesses hurt by the war, which was sparked by Hamas’ shock attack on Israel on October 7.
European football grapples with irony of Black players dominating the game, but can’t be hired to coach
Racism has long permeated the world’s most popular sport, with players subjected to racist chants and taunts online. While soccer governing bodies such as Fifa and UEFA have taken steps to combat the abuse of players, the lack of diversity in the upper ranks at major clubs remains an unsolved problem.
Canada to train troops from Caribbean nations in addition to $60 million for Haiti mission
The troops are due to stay in Jamaica for an initial period of a month and will train around 330 troops from Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas.
American R&B icon Bruce Springsteen becomes first international songwriter to be made fellow of Britain’s Ivors Academy
Over the last half century, the Born to Run musician has sold more than 140 million records worldwide — from his 1973 debut Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ to his most recent studio album Only the Strong Survive in 2022, with a liberal dusting of top honours along the way, including 20 Grammys, an Oscar and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Pop star Shakira revisits how she turned pain into ‘tears of triumph and tears of self-recognition’ in new album
In reality, the last few years haven’t been kind to Shakira. In 2022, after 11 years and two children together, she separated from soccer player Gerard Piqué, leading to what she’s called the “dissolution of my family.” She faced charges of tax evasion in Spain; in November 2023, she received a suspended three-year sentence and paid a fine of €7.3 million ($8 million) in addition to previously unpaid taxes and interest.
A cycle of extreme weather, drought in southern Africa leaves some 20 million facing hunger
The drought in Zimbabwe, neighbouring Zambia and Malawi has reached crisis levels. Zambia and Malawi have declared national disasters. Zimbabwe could be on the brink of doing the same. The drought has reached Botswana and Angola to the west and Mozambique and Madagascar to the east.
