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Civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit record high - UN
Civilian casualties of the war in Afghanistan rose to record levels for the seventh year in row in 2015, as violence spread across the country in the wake of the withdrawal of most international troops, the United Nations reported on Sunday. At least 3,545 non-combatants died and another 7,457 were injured by fighting last year in a 4-percent increase over 2014, the international organization said in its annual report on civilian casualties. "The harm done to civilians is totally unacceptable," Nicholas Haysom, the head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said in a statement. Fighting between Western-backed government forces and insurgent groups meant more non-combatants are being caught in the crossfire. Heavy fighting in the northern city of Kunduz, which briefly fell to the Taliban in late September, and a wave of suicide bombs which killed and wounded hundreds of people in the capital Kabul last year were the main factors behind the rise, while elsewhere casualties fell.
Church lauds Uhuru for rejecting religion regulation laws
The Catholic Church has applauded Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to reject the proposed Religious Societies Rules 2015 that were intended to regulate Churches.
The rules attracted widespread condemnation for infringing on Kenya’s constitution, with the Catholic Church leading calls for self-regulation.
In a statement sent to media houses on 28th, January, 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta rejected the proposals and directed that a new process driven by religious stakeholders with the participation of the government and the general public take place.
In an interview with Waumini News Today, Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) General Secretary Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Rono said President Kenyatta’s decision to withdraw the proposed rules was reached after a successful consultative deliberation between religious leaders and the government.
While acknowledging the government’s concern about misuse of the freedom to worship by fraudulent religious leaders who extort money from worshi
Auschwitz: Eucharist for former prisoners with the participation of the Presidential Couple
The truth about what happened behind the wires of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau should not divide us in any way. Let us make an effort to build unity wherever we are” - said Bishop Piotr Greger, auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Bielsko-Żywiec, in the homily of the Holy Mass celebrated at the Center for Dialogue and Prayer in Oświęcim, on the eve of the official celebration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Rights group welcomes Pakistan law against violence on women
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Thursday welcomed a landmark law passed by the country's most populous province to stop violence against women, but said it would make a difference only if there was "efficient enforcement". The Protection of Women against Violence Bill 2015, passed on Wednesday by Punjab, criminalises all forms of violence against women, including domestic, sexual, psychological, emotional, economic and verbal. Under the new law, the provincial government will establish district protection centres, residential shelters and a toll-free helpline for victims of violence. The law also says family courts must hold hearings within seven days of a complaint being made, and a decision must be taken on all complaints within 90 days. For serious offences, courts can order defendants to wear GPS-linked bracelets to monitor their movements.
Pope Francis meets Prime Minister of East Timor
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday received Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor), His Excellency Rui Maria de Araújo, who subsequently met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was accompanied by the under-secretary for Relations with States, Msgr. Antoine Camilleri.
