Egypt Tries to Coax Dollars Back With Higher Savings Returns
Egypt’s biggest state-owned lenders are dangling higher returns on dollar-denominated certificates of deposit to foreigners and locals, in
2023-07-26 19:17
Ukraine Recap: NATO-Ukraine Council to Discuss Black Sea Ports
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a Wednesday meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of ambassadors will
2023-07-26 18:55
UK Energy Efficiency Policy At Risk in Tory Net Zero Retreat
The energy industry is warning that efficiency targets are likely to be on the chopping block as Conservative
2023-07-26 18:52
‘God loves us as we are’: Pope says in latest message of outreach to LGBTQ community
Pope Francis told a young transgender person that “God loves us as we are”, comments that are being seen as his latest outreach to members of the LGBT+ community. The pope’s comment was in response to Giona, a young Italian individual “torn by the dichotomy between (their Catholic) faith and transgender identity”. The pope was responding to audio messages from young people in a podcast organized ahead of a Catholic youth festival in Portugal, which he is set to attend next week. The pontiff said “the Lord always walks with us.... Even if we are sinners, he draws near to help us. The Lord loves us as we are. This is God’s crazy love.” Pope Francis’s position on the LGBTQ community and gay marriage has been a subject of interest and discussion since he became the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013. While the pope has emphasised the importance of treating LGBTQ individuals with respect, dignity, and love, he upholds the traditional Catholic teaching that marriage is a sacred between a man and a woman. He garnered praise from the LGBTQ community in 2013 when he was asked about a gay priest in 2013 and he replied, “Who am I to judge?” During the course of his pontificate, he has met individually and in groups with transgender people. But at the same time, he has strongly opposed the so-called “gender theory” and upheld the teachings that hold that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered”. In 2021, Pope Francis authorized the release of a Vatican document asserting that the Catholic Church is unable to bless same-sex unions because it is believed that "God cannot bless sin". In an interview with Associated Press, he declared that laws criminalising homosexuality were “unjust” and that “being homosexual is not a crime”. He later clarified that he was merely referring to official Catholic moral teaching that teaches that any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin. In a note in Spanish, Francis reaffirmed that homosexuality “is not a crime,” adding that he spoke out “in order to stress that criminalisation is neither good nor just.” “When I said it is a sin, I was simply referring to Catholic moral teaching, which says that every sexual act outside of marriage is a sin,” he said. Read More Vatican abuse investigators begin their audit of secretive Peru-based Catholic society The pope's Ukraine peace envoy heads to Washington with the plight of children top of his agenda Pope says he knows what non-binary means, welcomes LGBT people to church: ‘All persons are children of God’ Vatican abuse investigators begin their audit of secretive Peru-based Catholic society Jesuits confirm expulsion of priest artist and lament Vatican norms preclude further sanction Vatican is moving ahead with plan to reunite Ukrainian children taken to Russia with their families
2023-07-26 17:59
Former Greek defence minister calls for help from Russia to fight fires
A former Greek defence minister has urged the Greek government to seek help from Russia to fight the devastating wildfires. Panos Kamennos claims it is impossible to cope with the fires without the support of the Russian Be-200 amphibious aircraft. “Without Beriev, nothing happens. Let’s bow out heads and ask for help now. We will be given...” he said in a social media post. Read our live coverage of the Greece wildfires Russian aircraft manufacturer Beirev specialises in amphibious aircrafts that can take off and land on both solid ground and water. Its giant planes have proved to be a devisive weapon in extinguishing flames during the Greek fire season. In particular, the Beriev Be-200 Altair is said to be designed for such a task as well as search and rescue, cargo, maritime patrol and passenger transportation. The plane can also scoop up 12 tonnes of water in just 14 seconds and its tanks can also be filled on the ground. Its enormous potential will be missed from Greece’s arsenal of fire fighting services. Dangerous wildfires have been ravaging the country for almost two weeks, spread by high winds. Thousands of tourists, including 10,000 UK holidaymakers, have been evacuated from the country and its islands. Rhodes and Corfu are bracing for at least another 48 hours of inferno as forecasters predict temperatures in southern Europe will not peak until Wednesday. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of tough days ahead, with conditions possibly improving after Thursday. “All of us are standing guard. In the face of what the entire planet is facing, especially the Mediterranean which is a climate change hot-spot, there is no magical defence mechanism,” he said. Other areas affected by wildfires include Evia and the Peloponnese region. Russia’s Beriev Be-200 can empty its water tanks over an area engulfed by flames in 0.8 to 1.0 seconds when flying above the minimum drop speed of 140mph. The aircraft was used in Greece to fight the forest fires of 2007 and again during the summer of 2021. This summer, the Greek Fire Brigade has been battling more than 500 fires countrywide without the use of the aircraft. Weather maps show the latest heatwave to hit Europe is set to peak on Wednesday when temperatures will surpass 44C in some parts of Greece. Last weekend, the island of Rhodes saw the biggest evacuation in Greek history, with more than 20,000 people forece to flee homes and hotels. In Corfu, 2,500 people have already been evacuated in the face of dozens of blazes on the island. France, Portugal, Turkey and Croatia are among other European countries that have been battling wildfires in recent days. Extreme weather conditions on the continent are being mirror worldwide, from the US to Asia. Read More Wildfires: Is it safe to travel to Greece right now? Evacuation from Rhodes was ‘hell’, say family from Northern Ireland Are Greece wildfires caused by climate change? The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-07-26 17:58
UK Should Reform Abused and Expensive Tax Reliefs, MPs Say
The UK Treasury should review hundreds of billions of pounds worth of tax breaks, according to a report
2023-07-26 16:22
Premier League Chief Expects More Foreign Bids for English Clubs
Richard Masters, chief executive of the Premier League, sees no letup in the number of bids for teams
2023-07-26 15:26
Danone Asserts That It Still Owns Business Seized in Russia
Danone SA said that the French company remains the legal owner of its Russian dairy operations even after
2023-07-26 15:22
South Africa Electricity Minister Slams Climate Finance Pact
South Africa’s electricity minister attacked the country’s groundbreaking $8.5 billion climate finance pact with some of the world’s
2023-07-26 14:29
Deadly Mediterranean wildfires kill more than 40
Wildfires have claimed most lives in Algeria, but blazes are also widespread in Greece and Italy.
2023-07-26 14:00
Israelis Protesting Reforms Say Netanyahu Has Declared ‘War on Women’
Most conspicuous among the hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters waving blue and white Israeli flags outside parliament
2023-07-26 12:24
Greece fires – live: Tourists in Rhodes and Corfu evacuated as Croatia also battles wildfires
Croatia is battling wildfires as thousands of tourists have fled Rhodes and Corfu amid blazes ravaging Greece. A firefighting plane is dropping water on a mountainside in Župa DubrovaÄka in Croatia after a wildfire broke out last night. Almost 100 firefighters are on the scene and several vehicles, according to reports. It comes as 20,000 people had to leave homes and hotels in Rhodes over the weekend as the inferno that began a week ago spread, while over 2,000 holidaymakers returned home by plane on Monday. After the blaze in Rhodes prompted “the biggest evacuation” in Greek history, civil protection authorities warned of “extreme risk” of wildfires on the island of Crete, while around 2,500 people have already been evacuated from Corfu, which has been enduring dozens of blazes. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament on Monday the country was “at war” and said on Tuesday the next days would be difficult, with conditions possibly improving after Thursday. Read More Are Greece wildfires caused by climate change? Wildfires: Is it safe to travel to Greece right now? Britons tell of ‘terrifying’ and ‘traumatic’ experiences amid Rhodes wildfires Firefighters killed in Greece plane crash as yet more record temperatures are forecast
2023-07-26 11:52