Latest news with #ChurchWorldService
News24
2 days ago
- Automotive
- News24
Maponya Mall clashes; New SA team heads to Washington: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes
News24 brings you the top 7 stories of the day. Graphic: Sharlene Rood News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech embassy delegates Afrikaner 'refugee resettlement' project to a Kenyan church - The US government is delegating its refugee resettlement project, linked to claims of genocide against Afrikaners in South Africa, to Church World Service in Nairobi, Kenya. - This shift comes as the US government increases its claims against South Africa, which Pretoria has criticised as being based on lies. - The US embassy states that RSC Africa manages refugee processing in South Africa, but the US Citizenship and Immigration Services decides on refugee status. Soweto mall forced to close following protest, murder of e-hailing driver - Maponya Mall in Soweto closed after residents blocked roads due to taxi violence. - The closure follows an attack on e-hailing drivers that resulted in one death and two injuries. - Residents feel unsafe due to escalating tensions between e-hailing and other taxi drivers. Pieter du Toit | Fires everywhere: Rogue general courting Iran must be reined in - South Africa faces international and domestic crises due to diplomatic failures, including a rogue general's visit to Iran and strained relations with the US. - The US State Department issued a critical human rights report, and a bill to review relations with South Africa is progressing in the US legislature. - President Cyril Ramaphosa's National Dialogue faces challenges, with key foundations withdrawing and tensions arising between his office and that of the deputy president. Govt mulls big changes to auto subsidies, as BMW boss warns of existential crisis in SA - The South African government is considering changing auto sector subsidies to encourage more local content in vehicle and component manufacturing. - Local component producers are pushing for higher tariffs on imported vehicles and components to protect the local industry, while BMW warns of an 'existential crisis' for SA car manufacturing. - The government is also working with ITAC to investigate the impact of imports on the auto sector, as cheaper cars from China and elsewhere flood the local market. Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Images New SA team heading to White House, says Mashatile, as 100k auto jobs hang in the balance - A new government delegation will be sent to the US to address trade issues and potential tariffs impacting South Africa's auto industry. - The Eastern Cape, a key hub for SA's auto manufacturing, faces significant job losses if trade disputes with the US are not resolved. - The delegation, led by Ministers Parks Tau and Enoch Godongwana, aims to negotiate better trade terms to maintain competitiveness in the US market. Former Springbok, legendary WP coach Dawie Snyman dies - Former Springbok Dawie Snyman, who played 10 Tests between 1972 and 1977, has died at the age of 76 after being diagnosed with leukemia. - Snyman was known for his versatility as a flyhalf and fullback, and notably featured in the Springboks' 1976 series win against the All Blacks. - After his playing career, Snyman became a successful coach for Western Province, leading them to a record five consecutive Currie Cup victories from 1982-1986. - Several major airlines are banning the use of power banks in-flight due to the risk of lithium-ion battery fires, which are difficult to manage in a sealed aircraft cabin. - While South African airlines still generally allow in-flight use of power banks, rules vary and can change, and international flights often have stricter restrictions. - To stay safely charged, passengers should check airline restrictions, charge devices before boarding, use in-seat USB power when available, and use certified power banks.
Boston Globe
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Episcopal Church says it won't help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status in US
Episcopal Migration Ministries has long resettled refugees under federal grants. Rowe said that about two weeks ago, the government contacted it and said it expected the ministry to resettle some of the South Africans under terms of its grant. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'In light of our church's steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step,' Rowe said. 'Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the US federal government.' Advertisement Another faith-based group, Church World Service, said it is open to helping resettle the Afrikaners. South Africa's government has vehemently denied allegations of discriminatory treatment of its white minority residents. 'It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years,' Rowe said. 'I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country.' Advertisement He also said many refugees, including Christians, are victims of religious persecution and are now denied entry. He said the church would find other ways to serve immigrants, such as those already in this country and those stranded overseas. The move marks the end of a ministry-government partnership that, for nearly four decades, has served nearly 110,000 refugees from countries ranging from Ukraine, Myanmar and Congo, Rowe said. It's not the first high-profile friction between the Episcopal Church and the government. Bishop Mariann Budde of Washington drew Trump's anger in January at an inaugural prayer service in which she urged 'mercy' on those fearing his actions, including migrants and LGBTQ+ children. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa includes churches in South Africa and neighboring countries. It was a potent force in the campaign against apartheid in the 1980s and 1990s, an effort for which the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. Another faith-based refugee agency, Church World Service, says it is open to serving the South African arrivals. 'We are concerned that the US Government has chosen to fast-track the admission of Afrikaners, while actively fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations who are in desperate need of resettlement,' Rick Santos, CWS president and CEO, said in a statement. Advertisement He added that the action proves the government knows how to screen and process refugees quickly. 'Despite the Administration's actions, CWS remains committed to serving all eligible refugee populations seeking safety in the United States, including Afrikaners who are eligible for services,' he said. 'Our faith compels us to serve each person in our care with dignity and compassion.' The Episcopal ministry and CWS are among 10 national groups, most of them faith-based, that have partnered with the government for refugee resettlement.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Episcopal Church says it won't help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status in US
The Episcopal Church's migration service is refusing a directive from the federal government to help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status, citing the church's longstanding 'commitment to racial justice and reconciliation.' Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe announced the step Monday, one day after 49 South Africans departed their homeland, bound for new homes in the United States. Episcopal Migration Ministries instead will halt its decades-long partnership with the government, Rowe said. President Donald Trump opened a fast-tracked refugee status to white South Africans, accusing their government of discrimination, even as his administration abruptly shut down the overall U.S. refugee program. The South Africans jumped ahead of thousands of would-be refugees overseas who had been undergoing years of vetting and processing. Episcopal Migration Ministries has long resettled refugees under federal grants. Rowe said that about two weeks ago, the government contacted it and said it expected the ministry to resettle some of the South Africans under terms of its grant. 'In light of our church's steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step,' Rowe said. 'Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government.' Another faith-based group, Church World Service, said it is open to helping resettle the Afrikaners. South Africa's government has vehemently denied allegations of discriminatory treatment of its white minority residents. 'It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years,' Rowe said. 'I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country.' He also said many refugees, including Christians, are victims of religious persecution and are now denied entry. He said the church would find other ways to serve immigrants, such as those already in this country and those stranded overseas. The move marks the end of a ministry-government partnership that, for nearly four decades, has served nearly 110,000 refugees from countries ranging from Ukraine, Myanmar and Congo, Rowe said. It's not the first high-profile friction between the Episcopal Church and the government. Bishop Mariann Budde of Washington drew Trump's anger in January at an inaugural prayer service in which she urged 'mercy' on those fearing his actions, including migrants and LGBTQ+ children. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa includes churches in South Africa and neighboring countries. It was a potent force in the campaign against apartheid in the 1980s and 1990s, an effort for which the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. Another faith-based refugee agency, Church World Service, says it is open to serving the South African arrivals. 'We are concerned that the U.S. Government has chosen to fast-track the admission of Afrikaners, while actively fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations who are in desperate need of resettlement," Rick Santos, CWS president and CEO, said in a statement. He added that the action proves the government knows how to screen and process refugees quickly. 'Despite the Administration's actions, CWS remains committed to serving all eligible refugee populations seeking safety in the United States, including Afrikaners who are eligible for services," he said. 'Our faith compels us to serve each person in our care with dignity and compassion.' The Episcopal ministry and CWS are among 10 national groups, most of them faith-based, that have partnered with the government for refugee resettlement. ___ Associated Press writer Tiffany Stanley contributed. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Associated Press
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Episcopal Church says it won't help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status in US
The Episcopal Church's migration service is refusing a directive from the federal government to help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status, citing the church's longstanding 'commitment to racial justice and reconciliation.' Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe announced the step Monday, one day after 49 South Africans departed their homeland, bound for new homes in the United States. Episcopal Migration Ministries instead will halt its decades-long partnership with the government, Rowe said. President Donald Trump opened a fast-tracked refugee status to white South Africans, accusing their government of discrimination, even as his administration abruptly shut down the overall U.S. refugee program. The South Africans jumped ahead of thousands of would-be refugees overseas who had been undergoing years of vetting and processing. Episcopal Migration Ministries has long resettled refugees under federal grants. Rowe said that about two weeks ago, the government contacted it and said it expected the ministry to resettle some of the South Africans under terms of its grant. 'In light of our church's steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step,' Rowe said. 'Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government.' Another faith-based group, Church World Service, said it is open to helping resettle the Afrikaners. South Africa's government has vehemently denied allegations of discriminatory treatment of its white minority residents. 'It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years,' Rowe said. 'I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country.' He also said many refugees, including Christians, are victims of religious persecution and are now denied entry. He said the church would find other ways to serve immigrants, such as those already in this country and those stranded overseas. The move marks the end of a ministry-government partnership that, for nearly four decades, has served nearly 110,000 refugees from countries ranging from Ukraine, Myanmar and Congo, Rowe said. It's not the first high-profile friction between the Episcopal Church and the government. Bishop Mariann Budde of Washington drew Trump's anger in January at an inaugural prayer service in which she urged 'mercy' on those fearing his actions, including migrants and LGBTQ+ children. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa includes churches in South Africa and neighboring countries. It was a potent force in the campaign against apartheid in the 1980s and 1990s, an effort for which the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. Another faith-based refugee agency, Church World Service, says it is open to serving the South African arrivals. 'We are concerned that the U.S. Government has chosen to fast-track the admission of Afrikaners, while actively fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations who are in desperate need of resettlement,' Rick Santos, CWS president and CEO, said in a statement. He added that the action proves the government knows how to screen and process refugees quickly. 'Despite the Administration's actions, CWS remains committed to serving all eligible refugee populations seeking safety in the United States, including Afrikaners who are eligible for services,' he said. 'Our faith compels us to serve each person in our care with dignity and compassion.' The Episcopal ministry and CWS are among 10 national groups, most of them faith-based, that have partnered with the government for refugee resettlement. ___ Associated Press writer Tiffany Stanley contributed. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Star
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
American values are threatened by the American president
AS the Trump administration disappears immigrants into foreign prisons and sees this as a source of American strength, I think back to when my dad was disappeared, why he came to America and, indeed, why I exist. My dad's journey through war and concentration camps teaches me that authoritarianism does not strengthen a nation and that, notwithstanding Elon Musk's warning that empathy is 'the fundamental weakness of Western civilisation,' it has been one of our national strengths – and that because of our president, it is now in peril. My father's family was Armenian. During World War II, my family members were living throughout Eastern Europe and were secretly involved in a network that was spying on the Nazis and transmitting information to the West. The Gestapo uncovered the network, and my dad's heroic cousin Izabela was arrested in Poland in 1942 and sent to Auschwitz, along with her daughter, Teresa. Izabela died in Auschwitz, and Teresa was subjected to medical experiments by the Nazis. My father and other immediate family members were arrested as well for being part of the spy network. But they were detained in Romania, where officials and the police – the 'deep state' – shielded them from the Gestapo, so they were imprisoned for a time but survived. (Bribery helped.) Izabela's son-in-law, Boguslaw Horodynski, a Pole, oversaw the spy network and survived the war. But the Soviets, seeing a freedom fighter as a potential threat to the emerging Communist bloc, arrested him and dispatched him to a labour camp in the Siberian gulag. Romania's prime minister personally asked Josef Stalin to show mercy. But Stalin wouldn't budge. Perhaps this is the prism through which Stalin saw Boguslaw: He's an immigrant in Romania, he's potentially a risk to national security, and due process is a silly concept that would slow us down, so we're sending him to a prison in another country. Sound familiar? By this period, my dad had seen multiple relatives like Boguslaw disappeared or murdered by Nazis or Communists. He was determined to escape to the West. So in 1948 he swam across the Danube River to Yugoslavia as a first step to the West – and then was disappeared himself into a concentration camp, then an asbestos mine and finally a remote timber camp. But a young French diplomat, Robert Morisset, stationed in Belgrade, found out about my dad and wrote a letter to Yugoslav authorities on his behalf. That saved his life, for my dad was released: Thank God for Western diplomats willing to speak up about human rights. Even in Communist labour camps, America shone as a beacon of liberty. So although my dad spoke no English, he dreamed of finding a path to get there. He made his way to France, and in 1952 the Cameron family in Portland, Oregon, working through Church World Service and the First Presbyterian Church in Portland, sponsored my dad to come to America. He arrived by ship in New York, and his first purchase was a Sunday New York Times to teach himself English. My dad was dazzled by America. He made his way to Oregon, where his first job was at a logging camp – where the loggers ate steak! He was thrilled to hear Americans speak freely, to learn about due process of law, to see how universities were cherished. He revelled in a land where people weren't randomly tarred as enemies of the people, where the government didn't disappear people off the streets. To my dad, fleeing genocide and repression, America seemed extraordinarily accepting of diversity. Immigrants were accepted, and so were competing opinions. His landlady returned his rent. 'I'm not going to charge a refugee,' she said. 'You need the money more than I do.' My dad recognised America's imperfections, of course, for those ideals are more lofty than our sometimes grubby reality. Yet I've seen how they inspired my relatives imprisoned in Eastern Europe and people just like them in places like Venezuela and El Salvador. Yet now American values are threatened by an American president. The Trump administration deported – it said by mistake – Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Despite an apparently unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court ordering the facilitation of his return, White House officials have shrugged. Another immigrant, Ricardo Prada Vásquez, a Venezuelan, simply vanished into the system – until my Times colleague Miriam Jordan wrote about his case. I watch all this, and I think about what is threatened today, including those values that, like a lighthouse in a raging storm, drew Ladis Kristof to these shores and made him a (heavily accented) American patriot until his death in 2010. It can take many generations to build a great edifice admired around the world and just days to destroy it. And President Donald Trump is a wrecking ball. So, Mr President, a plea: If you want to make America great again, let's start by respecting the rule of law and ending the practice of disappearing people into distant dungeons. — ©2025 The New York Times Company Nicholas Kristof is an opinion columnist for NYT. This was first published in The New York Times.
