Latest society news, social issues, education, family affairs, public initiatives, community developments, and expert analysis from the Arab World and beyond. Follow comprehensive coverage of the social trends and challenges shaping communities and everyday life.
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia el-Kassis, apostolic nuncio to the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, as the Holy See’s new permanent observer to the United Nations in New York. The Lebanese-born archbishop, who is also apostolic delegate to the Arabian Peninsula, succeeds Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, who is now the papal nuncio to the United…
Pradhan announced his resignation on X in a post in Hindi saying he “respected the aspirations, dreams, and expectations of the youth” and was “pained by the events” of the past few days. “Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country – with the aim of preventing anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving…
Weight loss jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have boomed in popularity, and so have reports of myriad side-effects. This week researchers have suggested GLP-1 medications could be associated with hair loss. It can be hard to keep tabs on which of these unintentional outcomes have been the subject of expert scrutiny and which remain…
Days after the United States ramped up its war with Iran, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark issued a forceful reflection on war and Catholic teaching, describing armed conflict as “always evil,” even when undertaken in circumstances the church considers morally justified. Tobin also urged Christians to reject the romanticization of warfare in favor of peacemaking. “War is…
At least 15 people have been killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine, including 10 dead in ballistic missile strikes on an exhibition near Kyiv showcasing drone technology. Writing on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said some 100 people had been injured in the daytime attack on the exhibition, attended by prominent members of the…
(RNS) — When Pamela Ayo Yetunde began hospice volunteering with an organization that utilizes mindfulness to help patients confront their own deaths, she was already far removed from her Methodist upbringing and on a quest for “peace of mind.” At the same time, she was reading the book “Touching Peace” by the influential Buddhist monk…
NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — After nearly two months of sustained anti-migrant unrest across parts of South Africa, Christian leaders are intensifying efforts to calm tensions, support displaced communities and discourage vigilante violence that has pushed more than 160,000 foreign nationals to leave the country. The violence, which began weeks ago and has persisted in waves…
If you were asked to summon up images of the coastline of England and Wales, you might think of sunny days, buckets, spades and carefree holidays. But for many young people growing up by the sea, decades of evidence tell a very different story. For them, rather than a picture-perfect horizon full of hope, the…
After a pair of earthquakes struck the mountainous region of Junín in Peru, the Catholic Church in the country expressed solidarity with victims’ families and is coordinating humanitarian aid to help victims, as well as efforts to preserve damaged historic churches. “We join in the grief of the families mourning their loved ones, raising our prayers for the eternal…
During Trump’s first term as US president, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords, resulting in a historic normalisation of relations between Israel and two Arab nations – the first in decades. Sudan, Morocco and Kazakhstan have since also signed them, too. Saudi Arabia has previously said it will not do…
