Select Andrew Lloyd Webber productions will stream on YouTube for 48 hours at a time

Though not as plentiful as the Perseids in summer, the Lyrids can serve up some serious fireballs

We’re really, really sorry

The snazzy search is part of the telescope’s 30th anniversary celebration

How do you select one image to represent half a century of photography and art? You don’t

“Care Package” showcases Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, writers and scholars as sources of solace during the Covid-19 pandemic

Taken during the Banpo fountain light show

The COVID-19 briefings started out as an urgent response to a public health crisis. As John Gushue writes, Premier Dwight Ball has grown comfortable in the role of hosting a program focused on government programs.

The NDP health critic says comments Premier Doug Ford made this week calling out medical officers of health for not getting enough COVID-19 testing done are uncalled for.

Tampa Bay Rays' Blake Snell claimed champion status after defeating Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox in the inaugural MLB The Show player league on Sunday.

Manitoba health officials says visits can be done via the internet, through window panes, or outside at a distance if everyone is healthy. People whose moms are in a hospital or a care home can still drop off gifts of food or clothing.

With time on their hands, many Islanders have tapped into their creative sides. Some people who are artistic had more time to create and try new things, while others discovered untapped potential as makers. 

The Canadian three-time world champion figure skater displayed his four-wheeler driving skills as part of the Americares Blades for the Brave fundraiser for front-line workers.

There's no question that COVID-19 has uprooted the lives of people across Metro Vancouver and around the world. Data can be one way to show how, exactly, the pandemic has changed the way we move and operate in our daily lives.  

Matteo Tranchellini and Moreno Monti created a coffee table book called CHICken to showcase the natural beauty of the ubiquitous birds.

The Royal Canadian Mint's newest offering features Manitoba's most famous UFO encounter, which happened in 1967 when Stefan Michalak went looking for precious metals near Falcon Lake.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there are ways to safely host NHL games in Vancouver if the league goes ahead with resuming the season in a small number of hub cities.

Flurries or rain showers are in the forecast for Hamilton on Friday, Environment Canada says.

Rome Newsroom, Apr 30, 2020 / 10:30 am (CNA).- The coronavirus pandemic is telling us that “our health counts more than the economy’s health and that true human fraternity is more valuable and noble than diplomatic success,” a Taiwanese archbishop has said.

Archbishop John Hung Shan-chuan of Taipei spoke to CNA about how the East Asian state has been at the forefront of efforts to halt COVID-19. 

Taiwan was one of the first countries to warn the international community about the risks of the pandemic, although its appeal was not heeded initially by the World Health Organization. 

The country, which has a population of 24 million, has had only 429 documented coronavirus cases and six deaths as of April 30, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.

Archbishop Hung, who has overseen the archdiocese based in the Taiwanese capital since 2007, explained that the local Church has not faced a crisis because the government has been effective in countering the virus.

Taiwan also sent medical masks and supplies to the Vatican, to be delivered to the poor. Taiwan’s ambassador to the Holy See personally brought 280,000 medical masks to the Vatican and the Italian bishops’ conference, and donated food and supplies to the Papal Almoner.

Although Taipei has been considered a model in countering the pandemic, it has been overshadowed by its powerful neighbor, the People’s Republic of China, which claims Taiwan as part of its own territory.

This shadow also extends to Taiwan-Holy See relations. On September 18, 2018, the Holy See signed a confidential agreement with China on the appointment of bishops. The agreement is scheduled to expire in August, and negotiations for its renewal are underway.

Although the Holy See and Taiwan have had uninterrupted ties for almost 80 years, the Holy See is now keeping a low profile in relation to Taiwan, likely in order not to annoy mainland China.

The Holy See press office issued a statement April 9 thanking two Chinese foundations for providing medical supplies to the Vatican Pharmacy. Despite the considerable commitment of Taiwan, the Holy See has not released any official statement thanking Taiwan.  

The archbishop of Taipei, however, emphasized the broader picture and did not complain about the Vatican’s choice.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global crisis and represents a danger to all humanity,” he said. “No nation, absolutely no nation, can extirpate it by operating alone without the help of other countries.”

“What the world badly needs now is solidarity in action, not self-interest. And it is good that China can provide material aid to other countries on a very large scale.” 

“Thanks to the donations of supplies from China, the Vatican will be able to help many, many poor people in other countries who are forgotten by the politicians and barely reported by the media.”

Archbishop Hung continued: “The Catholic Church in poor countries is waiting for help. And the Vatican will be thankful for any concrete gesture of solidarity, regardless of the political system of the countries as the Church is entrusted with the mission to proclaim the Good News to all nations promoting at the same time a culture of fraternity and peaceful co-existence.”

Turning to Taiwan, he said: “Thanks to the competence of the government authorities and the remarkable support of the population, the people in Taiwan need not deal with emergencies, such as cluster infection. Understandably, no special contribution in terms of material aid to the local population is solicited from Caritas Taiwan.”

But the archbishop highlighted the plight of migrant workers, who ran a high risk of contracting and spreading the coronavirus.

Caritas Taiwan has been very active, the archbishop reported, distributing face masks to fishermen and and-based migrant workers who would not have them otherwise because of government rationing of masks.

“Furthermore,” he said, “in collaboration with other NGOs, Caritas Taiwan also advocates for the protection of migrant workers who are vulnerable to COVID-19 and asked the government to let them overstay in Taiwan, in case their visa is due.”

Archbishop Hung applauded the government for taking preventive measures to counter the pandemic. He stressed that the local bishops’ conference reacted very quickly and “complied with the recommendations and regulations of the ministry of the interior and decided, one by one, to suspend all the indoor Church gatherings, including Mass celebration on weekdays and Sundays, to avoid at all cost any possible infection that could cause death and the closure of the church premises.”

The Catholic Church in Taiwan has livestreamed Masses, while pastors have multiplied their efforts to be close to the faithful via social media and phone.

The archbishop noted that, although Taiwan has diplomatic ties with very few countries, “the Catholic Church is present in every nation,” and therefore “the Church in Taiwan never feels isolated.” 

“On the contrary,” he said, “thanks to the apostolic nunciature and its representative, we truly feel the communion with the Holy Father and with other local churches.”

Meanwhile, the Church in Taiwan is planning for the future. 

Archbishop Hung said: “Our bishops’ conference has been preparing a national evangelization congress since last year, which was initially scheduled for August this year.”

“The congress will gather clergy and laity that will come together to pray, to reflect and to discuss different issues regarding the future of the Catholic Church in Taiwan. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the congress is now postponed to next year.”

He also noted that Taiwan could be a bridge-builder to the Chinese world.

“As a Chinese-speaking bishops’ conference in the Catholic Church, the Church in Taiwan can contribute to the evangelization of the Chinese-speaking people,” he said.

Taiwan’s bishops’ conference collaborates with the dioceses of Hong Kong and Macau to translate the pope’s messages and writings, as well as Vatican documents, into Chinese. 

“Evangelization presupposes inculturation and goes hand in hand with the teaching of the Catholic Faith,” the archbishop said, adding that his bishops’ conference was helping to make “the Catholic Faith relevant to the Chinese-speaking people all over the world.”

“We believe that the Gospel of Jesus can be preached without saying any words,” said OM worker Fredson. “But by doing, by showing love, by taking care of the old and by just being available to people.”

OM’s new Director in Hong Kong, Sonia Yip, shares why she’s passionate about seeing young people find their place in God’s kingdom.

Martin (Argentina) wasn’t sure whether short-term missions was his idea or God’s—until he went on an unforgettable 14-day outreach to Panama.

Words: Abbie Lyall

Ingrid Newkirk isn’t sure exactly how many times she has been arrested. “Definitely a few dozen,” she’ll say, if you ask. I’ve just done exactly that, so right now the British-born founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is running me through a sort of greatest hits of her law-baiting exploits and the jailtime they have brought her in the name of animal rights.

It was the highest catwalk show on earth, 300 metres above Everest Base Camp - and the Herald was the only paper in Britain to have a front row seat.

We visit the Grassroots Football Show in Birmingham, England.

Next month will bring the launch of the Homebuyer Show Scotland, an exciting new event for homebuyers looking to make their next move – and the event is set to make its debut in Glasgow. From frustrated first time buyers to struggling second steppers, and families looking for room to grow, Homebuyer Show Scotland is the first of its kind in Scotland and is designed to help any buyer find their next home, arming them with all information they need to make their next move.

Celtic Connections

Dumbarton police station has temporarily closed after a member of staff showed symptoms of Covid-19.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans has always had a gothic element. The voodoo culture dates from the African American diaspora, though it’s now mostly for tourists. But this year there was an authentically macabre dimension to Fat Tuesday.

BORIS Johnson has said Britain needs the "same spirit of national endeavour" to defeat the coronavirus as Second World War veterans demonstrated to topple Adolf Hitler.

A $59 million investment in software developer Social Solutions aims to ease the flow of data among schools and social service providers.

Suicide rates increased by 76 percent for 15- to 19-year-olds between 2007 and 2017 and nearly tripled for 10- 14-year-olds, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Neil Cooper

Neil Cooper

Brian Beacom

EVERY crime fiction fan will be familiar with the good cop-bad cop routine. One officer is friendly with a suspect to secure their cooperation, the other plays hard ball; one cop is a stickler for the rules, the other is a maverick.

HOW does an opposition oppose without appearing to oppose for opposition’s sake? That is the tricky situation in which Labour now finds itself as the death toll from coronavirus reaches a horrific new high.

Framed prints of Steven Camley's cartoons are available by calling 0141 302 6210.”

Wondering if your taste in binging matches the rest of the country? Here's a look at the most-watched shows on Netflix and beyond, according to Reelgood.com.

How should schools address learning loss from coronavirus-related closures? A new survey from the Collaborative for Student Success asked teachers, administrators, and policymakers.

WE should be wary of comparing the crisis of war with the crisis of coronavirus, but the 75th anniversary of VE Day is a reminder of what a national emergency can do to a leader. It can reveal their weaknesses and end their career, or it can highlight the qualities and skills that are needed in a time of trouble.

Leung Wai, from Hong Kong, is burned to pray for Japan after dressing as Santa Claus and being warmly greeted by passers-by last December.

Under a fifth of South Africans over the age of 60 are receiving private pensions, a new report has shown.

Just like grocery stores offer free food samples, technology companies, such as VoiceThread, offer free accounts for educators who want to try their products.

Like many in Angola, Tchipangu did not have the financial means for an education. But this changed when a company decided to invest in her.

Finance ministers meeting in Brussels will try to push forward a legislative proposal for a levy on the European sales of companies with a global annual revenue of $853m or more, such as Facebook, Alphabet and Amazon.

Unable to host their senior capstone showcase as an on-campus celebration of their work with family and friends in attendance, graduating students in the Graphic Design undergraduate program in the Stuckeman School at Penn State are turning to Instagram to highlight their design work in a creative way to an even larger potential audience during the week of May 4-8.

There’s always been massive inequality in South Africa, but those who have the money and power still aren’t getting it, says Carmen Williams.