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Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The most overcrowded tourist destinations in the world - with one European country taking the top spot
From the sandy beaches of the Bahamas, to the stunning landscapes in Iceland, it might not be surprising that such locations attract millions of tourists a year. Aside from visitors, locals impact how busy a destination may feel too, and in some cases tourists can exceed the residents. Go2Africa has ranked the 15 most crowded locations, and one European country sits at the top spot with a whopping 6,800,000 visits a year, compared to the tiny population of 882. The huge difference at Vatican City means locals are massively outnumbered by 7709.75 tourists to one. As the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, Vatican City attracts many visitors for its religious and historical importance. Andorra, which is located between France and Spain, comes second with 9,600,000 tourists a year compared to its 81,938 local population. Known for its amazing ski spots, Andorra is home to the stunning mountains and is a popular destination for winter sports. So many people visit that there's 117.16 tourists per local annually. While San Marino, near north-central Italy, sees 2,000,000 travellers each year and is home to 33,581 people. San Marino has breath-taking scenery as well as plenty of historical monuments and buildings to attract visitors. The country sees 59.56 visitors per one resident each year. The Bahamas has a huge 11,220,000 influx of tourists on an annual basis, while 401,283 live there, placing it fourth. With clear blue waters and stunning beaches, tourists flock to the Bahamas on an annual basis to soak up the sun. Some 27.96 tourists dreamy Caribbean location per one local. At fifth, Saint Kitts and Nevis attracts 875,085 guests but has a population of 46,843 locals. The tropical Caribbean island was loved by Princess Diana and is known for its stunning beaches and lush landscapes, with 18.68 tourists per local. The top 15 most overcrowded destinations: 1. Vatican City Local population: 882 Tourists per year: 6,800,000 2. Andorra Local population: 81,938 Tourists per year: 9,600,000 3. San Marino Local population: 33,581 Tourists per year: 2,000,000 4. Bahamas Local population: 401,283 Tourists per year: 11,220,000 5. Saint Kitts and Nevis Local population: 46,843 Tourists per year: 875,085 6. Antigua and Barbuda Local population: 93,772 Tourists per year: 1,154,236 7. Bahrain Local population: 1,607,049 Tourists per year: 14,900,000 8. Monaco Local population: 38,956 Tourists per year: 340,000 9. Malta Local population: 563,443 Tourists per year: 3,563,618 10. Hong Kong Local population: 7,414,909 Tourists per year: 44,500,000 11. Iceland Local population: 393,396 Tourists per year: 2,287,341 12. Croatia Local population: 3,875,325 Tourists per year: 21,300,000 13. Barbados Local population: 282,467 Tourists per year: 1,520,740 14. Switzerland Local population: 8,921,981 Tourists per year: 42,800,000 15. Grenada Local population: 117,081 Tourists per year: 504,000
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Catholic bishops call mandatory reporting law 'brazen act of religious discrimination'
Roman Catholic figures and the U.S. Justice Department are fighting to block enforcement of a law passed by the state legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) that would add clergy members to the list of people required to report child abuse and neglect — the point of contention surrounds information Catholic clergy learn from people during private confessions. Implementation of Washington's controversial law looms large this month, as it is slated to take effect on July 27. Current law — which does not include clergy among the categories of people who are required to report child abuse — notes that people at a nonprofit or for-profit organization must report child abuse or neglect by an individual they supervise if that individual regularly has unsupervised access to kids in their role at the organization. But there is a carveout stipulating that reporting is not required when the information is fully obtained via privileged communication. Catholic Bishops Vow To Resist Blue State Law Intruding On 'Sacred' Trust: 'Obey God Rather Than Men' The new law includes that same language, but the carveout is preceded by the words, "Except for members of the clergy," indicating that the carveout does not apply to them. The initial complaint in May from plaintiffs including Roman Catholic Archbishop of Seattle Paul D. Etienne and multiple other Catholic clergy members, asserted that "Washington is targeting the Roman Catholic Church in a brazen act of religious discrimination." Read On The Fox News App A motion for preliminary injunction filed in June declared, "Plaintiffs respectfully request that this Court issue a preliminary injunction blocking the investigation and enforcement of RCW § 26.44.030, as amended by Senate Bill 3575, to the extent it applies to information learned by Catholic clergy through the Sacrament of Confession." Catholic Church To Excommunicate Priests For Following Wa Law Requiring Child Abuse Confessions To Be Reported The U.S. Justice Department has also taken aim at the state's new law regarding the issue of confessions. "Senate Bill 5375 unconstitutionally forces Catholic priests in Washington to choose between their obligations to the Catholic Church and their penitents or face criminal consequences, while treating the priest-penitent privilege differently than other well-settled privileges. The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said, according to a June press release. Pope Demands Ceasefire After Gaza's Catholic Church Is Hit In Apparent Israeli Strike The U.S. government filed a motion for a preliminary injunction last article source: Catholic bishops call mandatory reporting law 'brazen act of religious discrimination' Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Catholic bishops call mandatory reporting law 'brazen act of religious discrimination'
Roman Catholic figures and the U.S. Justice Department are fighting to block enforcement of a law passed by the state legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) that would add clergy members to the list of people required to report child abuse and neglect — the point of contention surrounds information Catholic clergy learn from people during private confessions. Implementation of Washington's controversial law looms large this month, as it is slated to take effect on July 27. Current law — which does not include clergy among the categories of people who are required to report child abuse — notes that people at a nonprofit or for-profit organization must report child abuse or neglect by an individual they supervise if that individual regularly has unsupervised access to kids in their role at the organization. But there is a carveout stipulating that reporting is not required when the information is fully obtained via privileged communication. The new law includes that same language, but the carveout is preceded by the words, "Except for members of the clergy," indicating that the carveout does not apply to them. The initial complaint in May from plaintiffs including Roman Catholic Archbishop of Seattle Paul D. Etienne and multiple other Catholic clergy members, asserted that "Washington is targeting the Roman Catholic Church in a brazen act of religious discrimination." A motion for preliminary injunction filed in June declared, "Plaintiffs respectfully request that this Court issue a preliminary injunction blocking the investigation and enforcement of RCW § 26.44.030, as amended by Senate Bill 3575, to the extent it applies to information learned by Catholic clergy through the Sacrament of Confession." The U.S. Justice Department has also taken aim at the state's new law regarding the issue of confessions. "Senate Bill 5375 unconstitutionally forces Catholic priests in Washington to choose between their obligations to the Catholic Church and their penitents or face criminal consequences, while treating the priest-penitent privilege differently than other well-settled privileges. The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said, according to a June press release. The U.S. government filed a motion for a preliminary injunction last month.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Time of India
Killed in WiFi tower's fall, minor had gone to ‘faith healer' for wheat allergy
Patiala: A 16-year-old boy, Rajinder Singh, died Sunday after a Wi-Fi tower fell during a religious congregation at Sidhuwal village in Patiala district. The family has accused the organisers of negligence. Rajinder, a resident of Khusropur village, sustained critical injuries when the tower fell and later died at a hospital. The family claimed that the tower's structural support was weakened following the removal of supporting wires by a landowner recently, a fact they allege was known but concealed by the organiser of the religious gathering. On Tuesday, the officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, visited the bereaved family to offer condolences. During his visit, the family alleged that members of a religious community had influenced them by promising "miraculous healing" for Rajinder's wheat allergy if they converted. Patiala SSP Varun Sharma said a case of causing death by negligence had been registered against those responsible, and an investigation was ongoing. Authorities are probing both the tower's collapse and the family's allegations of manipulation under the pretext of faith healing. Gargaj said he personally sought details of the circumstances that led the family into the trap of such fraudulent individuals. "They came in touch with fake pastors who claimed to cure the condition through religious rituals. With hope for their son's recovery, the family began attending these gatherings, unaware that negligence in arrangements would one day lead to his untimely death. The family had remained firm in Sikh faith and Guru Granth Sahib, but the father of deceased was misled by false promises of healing, leading them toward these fraudulent religious circles," he said. Gargaj also spoke with the SSP, asking him to take strict action under appropriate sections against those responsible and justice for the suffering family. To offer spiritual support, the Jathedar recited Gurbani and prayed for peace for the departed soul and strength for the family to accept divine will. "Everyone has the right to practice and propagate their religion, but deceiving others under the guise of religion is intolerable," said the jathedar. 'Some in Christian community misusing religion' Gargaj said some individuals within the Christian community were misusing religion for personal gain, and their leaders should take responsibility to stop them. "In the past, a joint understanding had been reached between Sikh and Christian religious leaders at Akal Takht. It was mutually agreed that the term 'crusade' would not be used in Punjab for religious outreach. At that time, representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, the United Christian Front Punjab, and the Evangelical Society participated in the discussion. Catholic representatives submitted a written statement at Akal Takht, declaring that the Catholic Church prohibits the use of the word crusade. They clarified that those who use such terms are not church members but fake godmen exploiting religion for monetary gain, actions that go against Christ and the Bible," said Gargaj. MSID: 122514611 413
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
An unlikely study centre in Chennai
When Merlin Asha left her hometown in Ramanathapuram district for Chennai to pursue her civil services career, she had no idea a church in Annanagar would be her 'study centre' and the clergy and congregation would be her caretakers. The BSc. Agriculture passout from RVS Agricultural College in Thanjavur, who was determined to crack the public service exams, had to settle for group study with fellow aspirants in her hometown after coaching centres were shut due to the pandemic in 2020. Asha appeared for the Agriculture Officer examination called for in 2021. Though she cleared stage one, Asha was not able to make it through the interview. However, sheer determination and grit, along with parental support, helped her to explore newer avenues in public services, and in getting selected for the post of Agriculture Officer with the Tamil Nadu Government. With general studies and general knowledge being her core areas of strength, Asha left for Chennai in 2022, setting her sights on the 'much higher' Group 1 and UPSC. Initially, she had joined a coaching centre in Anna Nagar and found accommodation in a PG hostel in the vicinity. The physical space she found herself in not being conducive for effective exam preparation, she turned to an unconventional 'study centre'. It was in fact light years removed from being a study centre of any kind, let alone one for competitive exams. It was a church. But Asha found the Lutheran Anbunathar Church campus in Anna Nagar suffused with enough quiet for her to pursue her public service dream with focus. 'I approached the then pastor Rev. Augustin, who, along with the other church authorities, readily agreed to open the campus for me to prepare for my exams,' she recalls. Being a devout Catholic, she never skipped the Sunday Mass – be it at a faraway Roman Catholic Church, or other Parishes in the neighbourhood. The Lutheran church's congregants became something close to family. The church helpers —Nesakann and his wife Jean — would sit beyond their working hours and wait till the time I flip through the last page, and then close the gates,' says Asha. She acknowledges the monetary help provided by the church in 2023 when her family back home was struggling to make ends meet with a younger daughter to provide for. Despite all odds, her father, a health inspector, and her mother, a housewife, were determined to help their daughter pursue her public service career. Between 2022 and 2024, Asha appeared for the Group 1 and Group 1-A examinations, but could not clear the final interview. However, Asha did not lose heart. Instead, she found the experience 'progressive' as she was able to improve herself at every stage. Even as she was preparing for the Group 1 exams, Asha stayed focused on her initial career choice as Agriculture Officer, and cleared the exams held in 2024. However, this is not her final destination — the 23-year-old says she is determined to pursue her UPSC dream.
