Gangs unleash new attack on Haiti's capital as police vow to hold them back
Authorities evacuated students at a Catholic school in western Port-au-Prince as heavy gunfire continued in the area near the renowned Oloffson Hotel, which once attracted international celebrities in the 1970s and '80s.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. Catholic Church to deliver food, medicine to immigrants affected by ICE raids
Amid a wave of arrests and apprehensions of undocumented immigrants, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced plans to bolster delivery of hot meals, groceries and prescription medicines to parishioners living in fear of deportation and ongoing enforcement raids. The archdiocese's donation-funded Family Assistance Program seeks to assist some of its 4 million congregants throughout its 288 parishes in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Immigrants targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are 'good, hard-working men and women' who are 'making important contributions to our economy,' Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez said in a statement. 'Now they are afraid to go to work or be seen in public for fear that they will get arrested and be deported,' he said. Money donated directly to the Family Assistance Program will be funneled to parishes with vulnerable members. Donations can be made online or at a local church. Catherine Fraser, the archdiocese's chief development officer, said every dollar contributed would go directly to helping families in need. Most churches already have programs to serve elderly and home-bound congregants that were developed during the interruptions and limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Yannina Diaz, a spokesperson for the archdiocese. 'We're tapping into what already exists and what already works,' Diaz said. Diaz noted that St. Patrick's Catholic Church in South L.A. boasts a robust program that helps with food, clothing and medicine delivery for homebound individuals. That church's pastor, Monsignor Timothy Dyer, helped come up with the Family Assistance Program. At St. Agatha Catholic Church, also in South Los Angeles, volunteer Azalie Nickleberry founded the St. Agatha's Hands Are Reaching Everywhere, or SHARE, program. The ministry opened in 1980, providing hot meals on Christmas Day, and serves around 2,000 people annually. SHARE typically provides 70 to 80 bags of groceries — containing cereal, pancake mix, canned goods and pasta — to clients monthly. So far in July, that number has already shot up to 150. 'There's a real need for this service, and we're happy for the help,' Nickleberry said. About 2,800 undocumented immigrants have been arrested since ICE began conducting widespread raids in Los Angeles in early June. Those arrests have included hundreds of undocumented immigrants without any criminal record. Some U.S. citizens and immigrants with legal status have also been detained. Many members of the Greater Los Angeles Catholic community are immigrants or have family members who were born outside of the United States, leaving the archdiocese particularly exposed to the raids' impacts. About 58% of people living in the United States who were born abroad consider themselves Christian, according to findings from the Pew Research Center. Of those, 30% identified as Catholics, the largest share of any denomination. In Los Angeles, 28% of all Christians consider themselves Catholic, the highest of any denomination by 12 percentage points, according to Pew. Gomez's announcement of the assistance program comes after Bishop Alberto Rojas of the diocese of San Bernardino issued a dispensation allowing parishioners fearful of deportations to stay home rather than attend Mass. Rojas' decision followed a series of arrests on church property, though the Department of Homeland Security insisted that churches were not targeted — saying those apprehended had fled onto parish grounds. Diaz said she was unaware of any arrests made on L.A. Archdiocese property. She also said Gomez was not considering issuing a dispensation for its congregants. She said she was uncertain if parishes were offering Eucharistic Communion — vital for a Roman Catholic service — to those too afraid to leave their homes. In an open letter, Gomez wrote that he was 'deeply disturbed' by the detentions and called on the government to reform the immigration process. As for the Family Assistance Program, it's already received its share of donations. Businessman Rick Caruso, a former mayoral candidate, donated $50,000 and offered to match another $50,000 in contributions. 'We need to help these families and, working with the archdiocese, we can provide much needed relief at a time when many are struggling to get by,' Caruso said in a statement. The Catholic Assn. for Latino Leadership has donated $10,000, while Vallarta Supermarkets contributed $10,000 in gift cards. The Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company donated an undisclosed amount, along with stuffed animals for children coping with raids, according to the archdiocese.
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Wall Street Journal
An Impossible Choice for Priests
Washington state wants to put priests in an impossible bind: Break your vows or break the law. A new law, signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson in May, would require clergy to violate the confessional's seal of confidentiality if they hear about potential child abuse. Failing to break the seal and report suspected abuse to authorities carries a penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a fine as high as $5,000. Catholic clergy in the state sued, and U.S. District Judge David Estudillo of the Western District of Washington blocked the law with a preliminary injunction on July 18. Judge Estudillo ruled the law likely violates the First Amendment's guarantee of free exercise of religion because it denies priests the confidentiality extended to other professions. The state has until Aug. 18 to appeal.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Shooting victim was 'devoted mum to Sara and James'
A woman who was fatally shot alongside her two teenage children in County Fermanagh was a "devoted mum" and a "really lovely person", colleagues have said. Vanessa Whyte, who was 45, was killed in a gun attack at a house in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday morning. Her 13-year-old daughter, Sara Rutledge, and her 14-year old son, James Rutledge, also died as a result of the shooting. A man from the same household who sustained gunshot wounds at the scene remains seriously injured in hospital in Belfast. On Wednesday, police said that a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was "one line of inquiry" for detectives. Ms Whyte was an experienced veterinary surgeon who was originally from Barefield, County Clare, in the Republic of Ireland. At the time of her death she was employed by Stormont's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera). But before taking that role, the mother-of-two spent about eight years working at Lakeland Vets in Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh. "Vanessa was lovely. She was just such an enthusiastic, hard-working colleague," said its practice manager, Julie Wood. "She was a devoted mum to Sara and James. I used to love chatting her about them. "She was always full of what they were doing - they were doing so well in school. "They were so sporty and yeah, she was just devoted to them. It's just heartbreaking" Ms Wood told BBC News NI. Both children attended Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and were members of local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) teams and Enniskillen Cricket Club. 'Full of life and full of enthusiasm' Another of Ms Whyte's former colleagues at Lakeland Vets said she had a "great personality" and was "very friendly and down to earth". "Vanessa joined our practice in 2005," said principal vet Innes Redmond. "She was incredibly talented, hard-working, well respected by our local farming community and pet owners." His colleague Ms Wood added: "She just had a great vibe off her - full of life I would have said, and full of enthusiasm. "I just can't believe it [that] she's not here anymore. It's very hard to put into words, to be honest." Grandmother 'broken hearted,' says parish priest Ms Whyte's family in County Clare have been "shattered" by the murders, according to their local parish priest in Barefield. "It's been a terrible tragedy - a senseless tragedy," Fr Tom Fitzpatrick told Irish broadcaster RTÉ. He explained that Ms Whyte's widowed mother Mary is a Eucharist minister in his parish and a "very devout woman" who visits Barefield's church almost every day. "When I talked to her this morning, she was broken-hearted," the priest said. He said Mary Whyte had been visiting Knock Catholic shrine in County Mayo on the day of the murders and she was given the news by her son when she returned home. "The shockwaves that have gone through the parish have been palpable and felt by everybody," he said. Fr Fitzpatrick added that, even though the sun was shining in Barefield on Thursday, "a cloud of darkness has descended upon the place here". Shortly after responding to the shootings at a house on Drummeer Road, the PSNI began a murder investigation. A police cordon was still in place on Thursday and mourners have been leaving flowers and sympathy messages close by. Among them was Maguiresbridge resident Josephine Faulkner, who told BBC News NI the village is in "pure shock" over the killings. "This is so sad for all of the family and neighbours," she said. "She was so young, and the two little angels." The PSNI were alerted to the scene by an emergency call from inside the house on Wednesday and officers and paramedics were confronted with a "harrowing scene". "Everyone needs prayers at this time, including the police and ambulance workers." Ms Faulkner said. "I don't know how the services do it, I pray for them every night." 'Our community is devastated' The Reverend Lindsey Farrell, from the Church of Ireland's Clogher Diocese, said the three deaths had caused great upset among parishioners in the area. "As a community, we're devastated. We're numb, everyone is in shock," she said. "But this is a strong community here in Maguiresbridge and we stand united. "We stand together in support of this family and of all who have been impacted by this and we are keeping them all in our prayers." Mum and children killed in shooting 'valued and much loved' Mother and two children killed in Fermanagh shooting
