People
Jurors weigh fate of Afghan refugee charged with murder in a case that shocked Muslim community
By Susan Montoya Bryan — March 18, 2024
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Muhammad Syed is charged with three counts of murder and four charges of tampering with evidence.
Bulgarians pay their last respects to the late Orthodox patriarch
By Associated Press — March 18, 2024
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first head of the Bulgarian church to be chosen after the fall of Communism in 1989.
Caribbean musician Sherwin Gardner’s viral hit song surpasses 1 billion TikTok views
By Adelle M. Banks — March 15, 2024
ROCKVILLE, Maryland (RNS) — ‘It's like a prayer,’ Gardner said of his hit song. ‘God already kind of answered that — within the first two weeks of the year.’
Pope acknowledges criticism and health issues but says in his new memoir he has no plans to retire
By Nicole Winfield — March 15, 2024
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been battling bronchitis, the flu and a cold on and off this winter and for the past two weeks has asked an aide to read most of his speeches.
The British government wants to define extremism. Critics say it risks creating more division
By Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui — March 15, 2024
LONDON (AP) — The move is in response to a surge in reports of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate speech and what authorities call an increase in radicalization in Britain since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
In ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ film, what’s his faith? And why is marijuana deemed holy to the Rastafari?
By Luis Andres Henao — March 14, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — The Rastafari message was spread across the world in the 1970s by Marley and Peter Tosh, another Jamaican reggae legend and globally known Rastafari.
Yeezy shoe sales lead Adidas to plan to donate $150 million to anti-hate groups
By Associated Press — March 14, 2024
LONDON (AP) — The company has made donations to the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change.
US-mandated religious freedom group ends Saudi trip early after rabbi ordered to remove his kippah
By Jon Gambrell — March 13, 2024
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Displaying any religious symbols other than Islamic ones remains criminalized in Saudi Arabia.
Mexico’s presidential candidates sign commitment for peace with church leaders concerned by violence
By MarÍa Teresa HernÁndez — March 12, 2024
MEXICO CITY (AP) — According to the church leaders, Mexico suffers from a “deep crisis of violence and social decomposition.”
Afghan refugee stands trial in first of 3 killings that shocked Albuquerque’s Muslim community
By Susan Montoya Bryan — March 12, 2024
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — While some court documents remain sealed, others shed no light on a possible motive, leaving Albuquerque's Muslim community struggling to understand why the men were targeted.
Florida public schools could make use of chaplains under bill going to DeSantis
By Brendan Farrington — March 11, 2024
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The only requirements of a chaplain participating in a school program would be a background check and having their name and religious affiliation listed on the school website.
The Netherlands opens a Holocaust museum as protesters oppose Israeli president’s presence
By Barbara Surk and Molly Quell — March 11, 2024
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Herzog hailed the Netherlands's initiative to create a new Holocaust museum amid what he said was raising antisemitism around the world.
Putin’s crackdown casts a wide net, ensnaring the LGBTQ+ community, lawyers and many others
By Dasha Litvinova — March 7, 2024
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Prominent rights groups in Russia have been outlawed or classified as agents of foreigners.
Pope appears unable to climb a few steps as respiratory and mobility problems take their toll
By Associated Press — March 7, 2024
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Last Wednesday, Francis went to the hospital for unspecified diagnostic tests, the results of which have not been released.
Catholic news site Church Militant agrees to pay $500k in defamation case and is expected to close
By Peter Smith — March 5, 2024
(AP) — Church Militant and its sleek newscasts drew a loyal following for years with a mix of fiercely right-wing politics and radically conservative Catholicism in which many of America’s bishops were viewed with suspicion and disgust.
