(SRN NEWS)- ) A British Episcopal bishop is raising concerns about Christians caught in Sudan’s ongoing civil war. Bishop of Winchester Philip Mounstephen has told the House of Lords that churches are sheltering civilians from airstrikes while both sides have used religious buildings for military purposes. The bishop questions whether aid is reaching vulnerable religious communities, particularly […]
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(SRN NEWS)- ) A British Episcopal bishop is raising concerns about Christians caught in Sudan’s ongoing civil war. Bishop of Winchester Philip Mounstephen has told the House of Lords that churches are sheltering civilians from airstrikes while both sides have used religious buildings for military purposes. The bishop questions whether aid is reaching vulnerable religious communities, particularly those in the Nuba (NOO-bah) Mountains. Sudan has been engulfed in fighting between its military and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. British officials say the government provides 146 million-pounds annually in humanitarian aid to Sudan, including through religious organizations.
( ) Displaced Christian families in southern Lebanon are hoping the olive harvest will help pave the way for their return home. Aid to the Church in Need says Alma Al-Chaab residents have been displaced for more than six months following Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel and the ensuing war. About a dozen farmers have received permission from the Lebanese Army to tend their olive groves but they still need approval to harvest. A local pastor says around 100 residents are ready to return, though security restrictions and limited access to essential supplies remain obstacles. Church leaders say faith and prayer are helping families endure.
( ) Strengthened by a blue wave in Tuesday’s elections, some Democratic governors are planning new abortion laws. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey says she is considering whether to declare a new abortion statute an emergency measure so it can take effect immediately. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker says he will also look to promote abortion in new ways in his state. At the national level, the Democratic Party has vowed to pursue legislation in Congress that would force all 50 states to legalize abortion, essentially replacing the Supreme Court’s 1972 Roe versus Wade decision, which was repealed in 2022.
( ) One day after the man who championed it lost the race for governor, a ban on transgender athletes has been overturned in New York’s Nassau County. An appeals court has overturned the ban on male athletes participating in girls’ and women’s sports at facilities owned by Nassau County. In June 2024, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman pushed the ban through the county legislature, and signed it the following month. Blakeman lost the race for governor to Kathy Hochul Tuesday, both statewide and in Nassau County. Similar battles over males in female sports are playing out in courts and legislatures across the U.S.