Calais ‘Jungle’ to be demolished

The southern half of the “Jungle” migrant camp in Calais, northern France, will be demolished tomorrow (24 Feb.), as French authorities seek to move migrants into converted shipping containers outside the camp or refugee centres across the country. It will affect between 1,000 and 3,000 people; thousands of migrants currently . . . Read More

Uncertain future for Canada religious freedom post

Canada’s ambassador for religious freedom has had his contract extended for another month, but the post may still be abolished. Andrew Bennett became Canada’s first ambassador for religious freedom when he was appointed three years ago, but Canada’s new Foreign Affairs Minister, Stéphane Dion, said religious freedom should not be . . . Read More

Report: Christianity contracting in MidEast, Africa

Report: Christianity contracting in MidEast, Africa
Christianity is fast disappearing from entire regions, most notably a huge chunk of the Middle East, and could vanish from Iraq within five years, according to a new report by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Released in the UK’s House of Lords on Tuesday, the report, “Persecuted and . . . Read More

West doesn’t understand terrorist ideology

Speaking at New York’s 9/11 museum yesterday, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has appealed to the West to understand how terrorists are driven by jihadist ideology. Delivering a speech published by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, Blair said: “we have spent the years since 9/11 trying to make sense . . . Read More

UK and US must ‘do God’ together

The UK and US must better respond to a “stubbornly and pervasively religious world”, says a report by the British University of Leeds. ‘Toward Religion-Attentive Foreign Policy’ suggests former Prime Ministerial adviser Alastair Campbell’s quip that “We [Tony Blair’s governing Labour Party] don’t do God” is outdated, now that the . . . Read More