ADVERTISEMENT
Pope Francis has discussed gun violence, discrimination and death in a new interview.
Speaking to the Associated Press news agency, the Pontiff upped his criticism of unjust treatment towards the LGBT+ community, though maintained homosexuality was still sinful.
"Being homosexual is not a crime. It's not a crime. Yes, it's a sin," said Francis. "but let's make the distinction first between sin and crime."
The Catholic Church remains opposed to same-sex relationships on moral grounds, despite their increasing social and legal acceptance in many parts of the world.
In 2021, Francis signed off on a message saying that the Church could not accept same-sex marriages, no matter how stable or positive the couple's relationship was.
The Pontiff, a frequent critic of the arms industry, also railed against the use of guns by civilians to defend themselves, saying it was becoming a "habit".
"Instead of making the effort to help us live, we make the effort to help us kill," he said, denouncing the weapons industry for peddling death.
"Please, let’s say something that will stop this."
Francis's comments come days after near back-to-back mass shootings in California, which claimed scores of lives and wounded many others.
'Tragedy upon tragedy': California hit by another mass shooting
Figures from the Gun Violence Archive -- a non-profit research database -- reveal that the number of mass shootings has gone up significantly in the US in recent years.
There are more than 120 firearms per 100 residents in the US, more than anywhere else in the world. In England and Wales for comparison, there are just under 5 guns for every 100 people.
Reporters at AP then asked the 86-year-old Pope about his own health.
“I’m in good health. For my age, I’m normal. I might die tomorrow, but I am under control. I always ask for the grace the Lord will give me a sense of humour,” he said.
His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, died in December, after becoming the first pontiff in 600 years to resign a decade before.
This created an extraordinary situation in which there was effectively two popes, breaking with protocol as one usually passes power to the other in their death.
Francis was asked about the need for rules for any future retirement, following Benedict's death.
"After some more experience ... then it could be more regularised or regulated,” he said. “But for the moment it hasn't occurred to me."
ADVERTISEMENT
Cross-Channel train operator Eurostar complained Tuesday that slower post-Brexit passport checks for travellers are forcing it to run some services almost one-third empty.
The company said that its cross-Channel routes from Paris and Amsterdam to London were being held back by longer passport checks, brought as part of the Brexit vote.
For instance, British visitors using Eurostar must now have their documents stamped as they arrive and leave the EU, slowing their passage even with UK border points in European stations. EU citizens, meanwhile, have to show they comply with British migration rules.
Post-Brexit: Chances of EU and UK changing deal 'slim', report claims
According to Eurostar, the extra time required to check all this information, along with the bottlenecked queues formed, means the rail company can’t offer enough seats.
"We haven't been able to return to 2019 levels of service because the border crossing is too slow," Cazenave said.
In 2022, passengers returned but the numbers were still lower. The Eurostar cross-Channel service carried 8.3 million passengers.
Today there are 14 return trips per day, only partly full, between Paris and London. In 2019 there were between 17 and 18 full trips.
Cazenave also added that there were not enough border staff to check passports and that she was concerned about the future introduction of a new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) for the Schengen travel area, expected to start this year.
"We used to ask clients to arrive half an hour before the train, now it's an hour," she said.
Eurostar merges with Thalys
The Eurostar Group now includes the Eurostar service from France and Belgium to London and the French-Belgian high-speed train operator Thalys, linking Cologne, Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.
On Tuesday, the group unveiled a new joint logo that will adorn trains on both route networks, along with an ambitious plan to grow to 30 million passengers a year by 2030.
Eurostar almost went bankrupt in 2021 and Thalys also sought help from its shareholders.
The new combined group has a debt of €960 million, according to Cazenave.
Watch the video in player above.
ADVERTISEMENT
Several sectors across Europe have been impacted by strikes as workers demand higher pay and better working conditions.
Here’s a look at which workers are going on strike in Europe today:
Flights cancelled due to warning strike at German airport
Around 300 flights were cancelled at the Berlin Brandenburg Airport as workers went on strike, the airport said.
Those flights would have transported some 35,000 passengers.
“Affected passengers are asked to contact their airline for information on rebooking and alternative travel options,” the airport added in a statement.
Employees in security, ground handling services and the company running the airport were striking over a pay dispute.
The airport opened in 2020 after significant delays and construction problems. Berlin Brandenburg Airport continues to struggle financially with a lot of debt but is working on becoming "financially independent," a spokesman said.
Passengers look at a display board showing all flights as canceled during a warning strike at Berlin-Brandenburg BER Airport in Schoenefeld, Germany, Jan. 25, 2023 Christoph Soeder/dpa via AP Photo
Amazon workers go on strike for the first time in the UK
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry became the first in the UK to go on strike over the company’s low pay.
The workers voted in mid-December to go on strike.
“The fact that they are being forced to go on strike to win a decent rate of pay from one of the world's most valuable companies should be a badge of shame for Amazon,” said GMB senior organiser Amanda Gearing in a press release when the vote happened.
A spokesperson for the GMB union said the workers make ￡10.50 (€11.89) as a base rate per hour but the workers are asking for ￡15 (roughly €17).
Around 300 workers went on strike on Wednesday at the Amazon warehouse.
A spokesman from Amazon said that "a tiny proportion of our workforce is involved."
"In fact, according to the verified figures, only a fraction of 1% of our UK employees voted in the ballot - and that includes those who voted against industrial action," the spokesman said. He argued that the company offers competitive pay.
France and Spain travel strikes: The dates and cities with delays and cancellations in February
Italy petrol stations on strike over 'stigmatisation' but unions divided
Italy's petrol station operators have been on strike across the country since Tuesday evening, although self-service stations remain open.
The action is taking place on both motorways and local routes.
Unions however are divided on how long the strike will last. Some operators will continue throughout Thursday while others will end it on Wednesday.
The main reason for the strike is the obligation for operators to display a panel showing the regional average fuel price. Unions say the government's measure is accusing operators of "speculating on gas prices at the expense of the consumers".
ADVERTISEMENT
Despite the strike, however, Italian law requires that at least 50% of stations in urban areas remain open. On motorways, there should be at least one station operating every 100 kilometres.
For motorways, you can find out what petrol stations are still open with this list published by the country's Conference of Regions and Autonomous provinces.
Cars line up at a petrol station in Rome on January 24, 2023. Tiziana FABI / AFP
French unions give update following massive protests over pension reform plan
The leaders of France's eight biggest unions are holding a press conference in Paris at 15:30 CET over the government's controversial pension reform, which aims to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
According to a poll conducted in January by IFOP, the reform is opposed by 68% of French people.
One million in the streets against controversial pension reform in France What to know about France's nationwide strike over pension reform
The proposal has already triggered fierce protests in the country, with opposition parties arguing the retirement age should be reduced instead.
ADVERTISEMENT
Last week, over one million people took to the streets against the planned overhaul. In Paris, police clashed with protesters, with doctors having to amputate the testicle of a young man after he was clubbed in the groin by a police officer.