“Two more Catholic churches burned down in indigenous communities in western Canada early on Saturday. The fires at St Ann's Church and the Chopaka Church began within an hour of each other in British Columbia. Officers said both buildings were completely destroyed, and they were treating the fires as "suspicious". Last Monday two other Catholic churches in the province were destroyed in fires, as Canada marked National Indigenous People's Day. "The investigations into the previous fires and these two new fires are ongoing with no arrests or charges," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt Jason Bayda said. It comes after hundreds of unmarked graves were discovered at sites of former residential schools in Canada. The government-funded compulsory schools were run by religious groups in the 19th and 20th centuries with the aim of assimilating indigenous youth. Indigenous groups have demanded a nationwide search for more graves. Lower Similkameen Indian Band Chief Keith Crow told public broadcaster CBC he had received a call early in the morning saying that the Chopaka Church was on fire. It had burned to the ground by the time he arrived half an hour later. "I'm angry," the chief told CBC. "I don't see any positive coming from this and it's going to be tough." Many in the community are Catholic Church members and are very upset about the blaze, he said. Destruction of buildings of worship are a very sad reflection on the community where God is served.”
“Sajid Javid has said he wants to see a return to normal "as quickly as possible" after replacing Matt Hancock as health secretary. Speaking on Sunday, Mr Javid said he would do all he could to "deliver for the people of this great country". His appointment comes after Mr Hancock stood down on Saturday for breaching Covid rules by kissing a colleague. Mr Javid, who has had several key government roles, said his predecessor had worked "incredibly hard". His return to the cabinet comes 16 months after his shock resignation as chancellor. But Labor criticized the appointment, saying he had been an "architect of austerity" that weakened the NHS. Mr Hancock announced his resignation after pressure had been building for him to quit following the publication by the Sun of pictures and a video of him and Gina Coladangelo, who are both married with three children, kissing. The newspaper said the images had been taken inside the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on 6 May. Following the revelations, a number of Conservative MPs, as well as Labor and the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, had called for Mr Hancock to go. Ms Coladangelo is also leaving her role as a non-executive director at the DHSC. Mr Hancock has ended his 15-year marriage to his wife, Martha, and the relationship with Ms Coladangelo is understood to be a serious one. Power does corrupt but the truth is exposed where wrongs are being perpetrated.”
“Rescuers are desperately searching for any survivors trapped in the rubble of a collapsed 12-storey residential building north of Miami. At least one person has been killed and 99 are still missing, officials say. As families desperately wait for news, search teams have been working around the clock and have reported hearing people banging beneath the debris. What caused the 40-year-old building to collapse early on Thursday morning remains unclear. At least 102 people have now been accounted for, but it is uncertain how many were in the building when it came down. Dozens of survivors have been pulled out of the rubble. President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Florida, meaning the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help state agencies with the relief effort. As night fell, hundreds of rescuers were using sonar cameras and specially trained dogs as they scoured the rubble for survivors. Teams were tunneling from an underground car park below the building in an effort to reach victims. Man makes disasters while God is left to clear up the mess.”
“Astronomers have worked out when the first stars began shining. They say that this period, known as the "cosmic dawn," occurred between 250 to 350 million years after the Big Bang. The results indicate that the first galaxies will be bright enough to be seen by Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope, which is set to be launched later this year. The study is published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Discovering when the cosmic dawn began has been the life's work of Prof Richard Ellis, from University College London, UK. He told BBC News: "The Holy Grail has been to look back far enough that you would be able to see the very first generation of stars and galaxies. And now we have the first convincing evidence of when the Universe was first bathed in starlight." The team analysed six of the most distant galaxies. They were so far away that even with the world's most powerful telescopes they appeared as just a few pixels on the computer screen. They are also among the earliest to have emerged in the Universe and so, by the time their images are captured by telescopes on Earth, they are seen not long after the Big Bang. By working out their age, the team calculated the start of the cosmic dawn - when the first stars formed. Dr Nicolas Laporte, from the Kavli Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge led the analysis. What a privilege to be shown the exact moment when God’s finger touched the night sky of this world.”
“The Great Barrier Reef should be put on a list of World Heritage Sites that are "in danger" due to damage caused by climate change, UNESCO says. The UN's cultural body says the world's biggest coral reef system should be downgraded to the list at a meeting next month. It has urged Australia to take "accelerated action" on global warming. But the Australian government said it would "strongly oppose" the recommendation. The latest row is part of an ongoing dispute between UNESCO and the Australian government over the status of the iconic site. The reef, stretching for 2,300km (1,400 miles) off Australia's north-east coast, gained World Heritage ranking in 1981 for its "enormous scientific and intrinsic importance". After UNESCO first debated its "in danger" status in 2017, Canberra committed more than A$3 billion (£1.bn; $2.2bn) to improving the reef's health. However, several bleaching events on the reef in the past five years have caused widespread loss of coral. Scientists say the main reason is rising sea temperatures as a result of global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels. But Australia remains reluctant to commit to stronger climate action. It is one of the few OECD outliers still resisting pressure to sign up to a net zero emissions target by 2050. The country, a large exporter of coal and gas, has not updated its climate goals since 2015. Its current emissions reduction target is 26-28% of 2005 levels by 2030. God gave us good and bad things to show us what needs to be done. Here the greed of Australians threatens us all.”
“Hundreds of people attended the summer solstice at Stonehenge despite official advice asking them not to travel to the site in line with Covid restrictions. As a result, English Heritage pulled a live feed of the sunrise at the Neolithic monument in Wiltshire at 04:52 BST due to safety concerns. People were seen climbing over a low fence to access the stones. Wiltshire Police said the event was peaceful but added the number of people at nearby Avebury had caused issues. Thousands of people tuned in to the live stream for the solstice but ended up watching per-recorded footage of the stones until the feed returned at around 05:00 BST, showing largely cloudy skies. Video from the scene showed about a hundred people inside the stone circle and a banner reading "Standing for Stonehenge". When will people learn to behave and respect the greater good.”
“A man in a pick-up truck drove into cyclists taking part in a charity bike ride in Arizona, leaving six of them in a critical condition. The incident happened at about 07:25 (14:25 GMT) in Show Low, a city about 180 miles north-east of Phoenix. Police said the suspect, described as a 35-year-old white male, fled the scene and was pursued by officers. Police then shot him behind a hardware store over a mile away, leaving him in a critical but stable condition. Kristine M Sleighter, a spokeswoman for the Show Low Police Department, told reporters: "Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families at this time." The department added that the Navajo County Sheriff's Office was assisting them, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety was investigating the shooting of the suspect. Six cyclists were rushed to hospital after the crash, four of whom are in a critical condition, while the other two are critical but stable. Police said another two or three victims took themselves to hospital and are in a stable condition. Local cycling shop owner Mike Godwin, who sponsored the race, told the New York Times that the group of cyclists who were hit by the vehicle were in the men's master class group, aged 55 and above. The race, Bike the Bluff, is a 58-mile (93 km) cycle ride through eastern Arizona to raise money for Mountain Christian School, a religious primary school in Show Low. Ask for God’s protection before you go. Not when it is too late.”
“US Catholic bishops are on a potential collision course with President Joe Biden after voting to commission a document that may call for him to be barred from Holy Communion. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) clashed online over whether to draw up a teaching document on politicians who support abortion. Holy Communion is the most important ritual in the Catholic Christian faith. The Catholic president regularly attends Church services. Responding to news of the bishops' vote, he said: "That's a private matter and I don't think that's gonna happen." The Vatican has already indicated its opposition to the bishops' move. After the debate on Thursday, the Most Reverend Allen H Vigneron, vice-president of the USCCB, announced the move had passed by 168 to 55, with six abstentions. The US clergy is deeply divided on the issue. The Most Rev Robert McElroy, bishop of San Diego, warned such a document would lead to the "weaponization" of the Eucharist (the more formal name for Holy Communion). However, the Most Rev Liam Cary, the bishop of Baker, Oregon, said the Church was in an "unprecedented situation", with "a Catholic president who is opposed to the teaching" of the Church. The document will return for debate at the next bi-annual US Catholic Bishops Conference in November. Let the women decide how to use their bodies and not be told by men who have no idea about birth. God gave us free will, so let the women decide.”
“A new species of the ancient giant rhino - among the largest mammals to walk on land - has been discovered in north-western China, researchers say. The Paraceratherium linxiaense, which lived some 26.5 million years ago, weighed 21 tonnes - the equivalent of four large African elephants. The hornless creature's head could also reach 23ft (7m) to graze treetops, making it taller than a giraffe. The new findings were concluded from fossils discovered in Gansu Province. In a study published in Communications Biology journal on Thursday, scientists said that analysis of the fossils - found near the Wangjiachuan village in 2015 - pointed to an entirely new species that was different to other known giant rhinos. A completely preserved skull and jawbone, for example, indicated that the animal had featured a slender skull, as well as a prehensile nose trunk similar to that of the modern tapir, according to the study led by Dr Deng Tao of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing. God’s creations never cease to astound us.”
“An activist whose efforts to protect land sacred to her indigenous group resulted in the creation of Peru's Yaguas National Park has been awarded a prestigious environmental prize. Liz Chicaje Churay is one of six activists worldwide to win the annual Goldman Prize, which recognizes grassroots activism. The Park protects more than two million acres of Amazon rain forest. It is rich in unique wildlife and considered key to conservation efforts. The area is rich in freshwater fish and home to the giant river otter. The 38-year-old was nominated for the award along with BenjamÃn RodrÃguez, a leader from the Huitoto indigenous group, who died last year from complications after contracting the coronavirus. Liz Chicaje is a member of the Bora indigenous community which lives just outside what is now Yaguas National Park, in the north-eastern Loreto region of Peru, near the border with Colombia. Some good news as God motivates the conservation of His planet.”
“A colony of rare orchids has been discovered growing on the rooftop of an office building in the City of London. It is the first time the small-flowered tongue-orchid has been seen in the UK since arriving in Cornwall in 1989. Serapias parviflora is generally found in the Mediterranean basin and Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal. The 15 plants growing in Nomura International's 11th-floor garden represent the entire known wild UK colony of the species. The joy of the previous colony's discovery, at Rame Head in Cornwall in 1989, was in sharp contrast to the pain felt when it disappeared 20 years later. At this point, the small-flowered tongue-orchid was thought to have become extinct as a wild plant in the UK. God had a special reason for giving a new place for it to grow safely and unharmed.”
“NATO leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels have warned of the military threat posed by China, saying its behavior is a "systemic challenge". China, they said, was rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, was "opaque" about its military modernization and was co-operating militarily with Russia. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned China was "coming closer" to NATO in military and technological terms. But he stressed the alliance did not want a new Cold War with China. NATO is a powerful political and military alliance between 30 European and North American countries. It was established after World War Two in response to the threat of communist expansion. In recent years, the alliance came under strain as leaders debated its purpose and funding. Tensions grew during the presidency of Donald Trump, who complained about his country's financial contributions to the alliance and questioned the US commitment to defend European partners. So, now the world is awakening to the yellow peril that has been seen spreading, largely unnoticed, for decades.”
“Israel's new Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, has promised to unite a nation frayed by years of political stalemate. He said his government would "work for the sake of all the people", adding that the priorities would be reforms in education, health and cutting red tape. The right-wing nationalist will lead an unprecedented coalition of parties that won a confidence vote by a razor-thin margin of just one seat on Sunday. He succeeds Benjamin Netanyahu, who was forced out of office after 12 years. Mr Bennett, the leader of Yamina party, will be prime minister until September 2023 as part of a power-sharing deal. He will then hand power over to Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, for a further two years. Mr Netanyahu - Israel's longest-serving prime minister - will remain head of the right-wing Liked party and become leader of the opposition. During Sunday's debate in the Knesset (parliament) in Jerusalem, a defiant Mr Netanyahu promised: "We'll be back." The new coalition was approved by 60 votes to 59, with one abstention. After all the right-wing aggression we pray for a united Israel, who in their hearts want peace and not war.”
“An elderly California nun will plead guilty to stealing from the Catholic school where she worked for decades in order to support her gambling, according to US prosecutors. Mary Margaret Kreuper, 79, allegedly stole more than $835,000 (£590,000) while working as the principal of a school in suburban Los Angeles. She is now facing 40 years in jail. A plea agreement released on Tuesday says that she will admit to diverting funds to pay off large gambling debts. Sister Kreuper, who had taken a vow of poverty, ran the St James Catholic School in Torrance, California, for 28 years. Officials say she began stealing in the 10 years leading up to her retirement in. "The community of faith at St James was shocked and saddened by these actions and the parish, school and the archdiocese reported the matter and fully cooperated with authorities in the criminal investigation," the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said in a statement, according to The Los Angeles Times. Her lawyer told the newspaper that she was "very remorseful” and that mental illness had clouded her judgement. Sworn to poverty, no one should be tempered without supervision”.
“A sculpture of the G7 leaders shaped like Mount Rushmore made of electronic waste has been erected in Cornwall ahead of the G7 Summit. It has been named "Mount Recyclemore" and bids to highlight the damage caused by the disposal of electronic devices. Sculptor Joe Rush said he hoped it would show they needed to be made more easily reusable or recyclable. He said: "It needs to be repairable or made to last longer because the stuff is going into landfill." According to a United Nations report, more than 53 million tonnes of e-waste was generated worldwide in 2019 - over 9 million tonnes more than five years earlier. Lets hope his hard work and his message recalls some action by the industrial world.”
“A 92-year-old nun, who took a vow of silence, solitude and poverty, has died at the monastery where she lived for the past three decades - however the full story of Sister Mary Joseph's life is far from traditional. Until she dedicated herself to a life of prayer she was known as Ann Russell Miller, a wealthy San Francisco socialite who hosted lavish parties, had season tickets to the opera and was the mother of ten children. Born in 1928, Ann had dreams of becoming a nun, but she fell in love instead. At 20, she married Richard Miller, who became vice president of Pacific Gas and Electric, a utility company. "By age 27 she had five kids," her youngest son, Mark Miller, wrote in a series of tweets at the weekend. "She went on to have five more - a basketball team of each sex. Planned Parenthood she called it. She had a million and one friends. She smoked, she drank, she played cards. She became an open water diver. She drove so fast and recklessly that people got out of her car with a sore foot from slamming on the imaginary brake. She gave up smoking, alcohol and caffeine on the same day and somehow managed to not commit homicide as a result." God calls us all when we are ready to serve and atone.”
“A study that dug into the history of the Amazon Rainforest has found that indigenous people lived there for millennia with "causing no detectable species losses or disturbances". Scientists working in Peru searched layers of soil for microscopic fossil evidence of human impact. They found that forests were not "cleared, farmed, or otherwise significantly altered in prehistory". Tropical Research Institute in Panama Dr Dolores Piperno, from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Balboa, Panama, who led the study, said the evidence could help shape modern conservation - revealing how people can live in the Amazon while preserving its incredibly rich biodiversity. Dr Piperno's discoveries also inform an ongoing debate about how much the Amazon's vast, diverse landscape was shaped by indigenous people. We have so much to learn from our ancestors, who were not greedy but who shared God’s gifts to survive.”
“A landmark deal struck by rich nations to make multinational companies pay more tax has been criticised by campaigners for not going far enough. G7 finance ministers meeting in London agreed to battle tax avoidance by making big companies pay more tax in the countries where they do business. Tech giant firms likely to be impacted have welcomed the new rules. But the charity Oxfam says an agreed 15% global minimum corporate tax rate is "far too low" to make a difference. The deal announced on Saturday between the G7 group of wealthy nations - US, the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan, plus the EU - could see billions of dollars flow to governments to pay off debts incurred during the Covid crisis.UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, who hosted the summit, said the agreement would create "a fairer tax system fit for the 21st Century". International common sense coming in at last!”
“Five teenagers have been arrested in Belgium over the alleged gang rape of a 14-year-old girl, who died less than a week later. According to Belgian media, images of the attack were shared online. The victim took her life four days later. Prosecutors say that three of the suspects, who are minors, are in a youth facility, while two men aged 18 and 19 have been arrested and are due to appear in court on Wednesday. The prosecution has only confirmed that they are being investigated for "acts that occurred shortly before the death of the victim". According to Belgian media reports, the girl had arranged to meet a male friend at a cemetery in Ghent on 15 May. However, he allegedly arrived with the four other suspects and assaulted the victim. Images from the attack were also uploaded to social media. "These images were the last straw for her... her entire world collapsed," her father told Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. Is there no responsibility left? The Law of God had to be applied to stop immoral freedom of anything goes if you can get away with it.”
“A chemical-laden cargo ship is sinking off the coast of Sri Lanka, sparking fears of an environmental disaster. The Singapore-registered X-Press Pearl had been on fire for almost two weeks before the blaze was put out this week. Hundreds of tonnes of oil from fuel tanks could leak into the sea if it sinks, devastating nearby marine life. The Sri Lankan and Indian navies had worked jointly over the past days in an attempt to put out the fire and prevent the ship from breaking up and sinking. But rough seas and monsoonal winds hampered the operation, just outside the port of Colombo. "The ship is sinking. Salvers are trying to tow the ship to deep sea before it sinks to minimize the marine pollution, but the rear area of the ship has drifted," Sri Lanka Navy spokesman Captain Indika Silva told the BBC. When will people take responsibilities for man’s bad behavior towards God’s treasures and put their own greed aside?”
“US President Joe Biden's administration will suspend oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge pending an environmental review. The move reverses former President Donald Trump's decision to sell oil leases in the refuge to expand fossil fuel and mineral development. The giant Alaskan wilderness is home to many important species, including polar bears, caribou and wolves. Arctic tribal leaders have welcomed the move, but Republicans are opposed. In January, Mr Trump pushed ahead with the sale for the rights to drill for oil on around 5% of the refuge, just days before his presidential term ended. Covering some 19 million acres (78,000 sq. km) the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is often described as America's last great wilderness. Thank God for some sanity coming back to America after the devil’s actions brought about by the despite Trump for recognition. He can’t see that he is a failure to all men and women of spiritual substance.”
“At 106, Eileen Kramer seems more productive than ever. She writes a story a day from her Sydney aged-care facility, publishes books and has entered Australia's most prestigious painting competition. After decades living abroad, Ms Kramer returned to her home city of Sydney aged 99. Since then, she's collaborated with artists to create several videos that showcase her primary talent and lifelong passion: dancing. Ms Kramer still dances - graceful, dramatic movements mostly using the top half of her body. In more recent years, she has also choreographed. "Since returning to Sydney I've been so busy - I've performed three big dance pieces at NIDA [the National Institute for Dramatic Art] and independent theaters. "I've participated in two big dance festivals in Adelaide and Brisbane, I've been in a film, given many smaller performances, written three books, and today I'm having a free day talking to you!" she says from her home. If you never admit to old age, how can you ever become it!”
“I know, you probably haven't even driven one yet, let alone seriously contemplated buying one, so the prediction may sound a bit bold, but bear with me. We are in the middle of the biggest revolution in motoring since Henry Ford's first production line started turning back in 1913. And it is likely to happen much more quickly than you imagine. Many industry observers believe we have already passed the tipping point where sales of electric vehicles (EVs) will very rapidly overwhelm petrol and diesel cars. It is certainly what the world's big car makers think. Jaguar plans to sell only electric cars from 2025, Volvo from 2030 and last week the British sportscar company Lotus said it would follow suit, selling only electric models from 2028. But will this be in time to save the world?”
“China has announced that it will allow couples to have up to three children, after census data showed a steep decline in birth rates. China scrapped its decades-old one-child policy in 2016, replacing it with a two-child limit which has failed to lead to a sustained upsurge in births. The cost of raising children in cities has deterred many Chinese couples. The latest move was approved by President Xi Jinping in a politburo meeting, state media said. It will come with "supportive measures, which will be conducive to improving our country's population structure, fulfilling the country's strategy of actively coping with an ageing population and maintaining the advantage, endowment of human resources", Xinhua said. God needs to decide not governments.”
