Cattle dying in South Africa as drought deepens

CATTMolatedi (South Africa) (AFP) – In the middle of a desiccated lake bed in South Africa’s North West province, a seven-month-old calf is too weak to get up. It is doomed to die from thirst and hunger.

A devastating drought is claiming thousands of livestock in Africa’s most developed economy and prompting many to fear famine. MORE

An ‘Un-Holy’ Endorsement of War: The Latent and Grave Consequences of of The Russian Church

ASSSADFor the last three months, almost twenty thousand innocent Syrians, mostly civilians, have been murdered by the Russian aggression. What makes the picture uglier is that both results on the ground and the U.S. satellites’ images proved that ISIS has never been the prime or even a secondary target for the Russians. The main objective has been saving an allied murderous regime of Assad from losing the war that it started against the majority of Syrians aspiring for freedom and democracy. MORE

Why is Pope Francis Insisting Once Again That the Cross of Christ is God’s Failure?

Luke 2:[34] And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted;

FRANQuote from Pope Francis:

“When you don’t understand something, when desperation hits you then look at the cross. That is the great failure of God, that is the destruction of God, and it’s a challenge to our faith. And this is hope, because history did not end in that failure. Rather it’s in the resurrection of Christ that renewed all of us. I am going to tell you something personal. It’s 12 (o’clock) are you hungry? I am going to tell you something private. In my pocket I always carry two thing: a rosary to pray something which seems odd, this is here is the history of God’s failure, it’s the way of the cross, a small way of the cross, as Jesus suffered and when they condemned him right up to where he was buried with these two things I do the best I can. And thanks to these two things, I never lose hope.” MORE

VIDEO: Christmas in Iraq

In Northern Iraq, it’s dangerous to celebrate Christmas…Many persecuted Christians celebrate Christmas in secret. As refugees, they have already sacrified so much for their faith.

Recently, a team from CitizenGO went to Northern Iraq to deliver direct aid to these persecuted refugees and to spread some Christmas cheer

Jews Are Still the Biggest Target of Religious Hate Crimes

JEWSWhen it comes to religious hate crimes, Jews and Jewish institutions were the biggest targets in America again last year, hands down.

But when it comes to hate crimes overall, the single biggest motivation by far was not religion at all; it was race—a situation that has prevailed for years.

Those are two of the takeaways the public can glean from the FBI’s recently released annual review of hate crimes for 2014. MORE

Somali workers fired at Colorado packing plant in prayer dispute

SOMALIDENVER (Reuters) – Nearly 200 workers, mostly Somali immigrants, have been fired from a meat-packing plant in Colorado after staging a walkout to protest what they said were insufficient prayer accommodations, the company and Islamic advocacy groups said on Thursday.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the workers were treated in a “discriminatory manner” by managers at the Cargill Meat Solutions [CARGIL.UL] facility in Fort Morgan, about 75 miles northeast of Denver. MORE

VIDEO: Storm ‘Unfreezes’ North Pole, Causing Temperatures to Rise 50 Degrees Fahrenheit Above Normal

GTY_north_poleA storm system that’s recently brought extreme weather across the country also caused temperatures to rise about 50 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in the North Pole today.

The North Pole “unfroze” today, experiencing a temperature high of upwards 40 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that’s “unheard of” in the area during winter months, according to ABC News meteorologist Melissa Griffin. It’s usually minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit there at this time of year. MORE

Trumped: The Donald Ties the Pope as 2nd-Most Admired Man

POPHaving both accumulated the trappings of power in a hierarchical system – entourages, chauffeurs, private aircraft – the two personalities tied for second place as 2015’s most esteemed man draw throngs of enthusiasts wherever they alight, faithful acolytes thirsting for their unique messages of redemption.

Yet that’s where the similarities between Pope Francis, the humble leader of the Catholic Church, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump – co-runners-up in Gallup’s polling measurement of the Most Admired Man living anywhere in the world – end. MORE