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ROME (AP) — Italian police divers have cleaned one of the biggest underwater attractions of the Mediterranean, using pressurized water hoses to remove crustaceans from the “Christ of the Abyss” statue that was placed on the seabed off Italy’s northern coast in 1954. The 2.5-meter (8-foot) tall bronze statue, depicting Christ with his hands raised in blessing, was made using the melted-down medals of Italy’s fallen soldiers, canons and ships and was designed as a memorial to those who died at sea. It is appreciated here as a potent symbol of sacrifice in World War II, and ...

In Kenya’s capital, a new Rastafari temple shows the movement’s endurance

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — At a recent opening of the newest Rastafari place of worship just outside Kenya’s capital, some of the faithful gathered to sing rhythmic songs, read Scripture and exchange teachings on the appropriate way to live. The rare event — opening a tabernacle made of wooden poles and roofed with iron sheets — illustrated the community’s expanding ranks in a country where until recently Rastafari was not considered a legitimate religion. Things changed in 2019 with a court ruling in favor of a petitioner who cited discrimination when her school demanded that ...

Never complain that God is unfair; just ask for mercy

By Mark Wilmoth Barry Bonds sits atop the list of All-Time MLB Home Run Leaders, with 7 more homers than Henry Aaron. Most baseball fans, however, won’t honor Bond’s achievement as much as they do Aaron’s, because Bonds was caught using performance-enhancing drugs while Aaron’s record is clean. Bonds cheated, but Aaron played the game fairly. Most people develop a sense of fair play early in life. In a New Yorker article entitled The Psychology of Inequality, Elizabeth Kolbert describes a study conducted with 3-year-olds. The kids were paired off and given blocks for play and ...

Hundreds of Buddhist monks in Cambodia gather to praise ceasefire with Thailand and mourn the dead

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Hundreds of Buddhist monks in Cambodia on Friday held a religious ceremony to honor soldiers killed in recent border clashes with Thai forces and to pray for peace. They marched from the country’s main religious school near the Royal Palace in the capital, Phnom Penh, to a nearby temple, where they were joined by nuns and laymen and women. The monks chanted and prayed to honor the souls of the dead soldiers. A board inside the temple displayed the photographs of more than 40 men in uniform. It wasn’t clear whether these images were of soldiers ...