Newborn babies dying needlessly, says UNICEF
NEWBORN babies in low-income, underdeveloped, or conflict-ridden countries are dying at an “alarmingly high rate”, owing to a lack of affordable, quality health-care, nutrition, and clean water, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned. In a new report, Every Child Alive: The urgent need to end newborn death, UNICEF states that 2.6 million newborn babies around the world do not survive their first month of life: of these, one million die on the day that they are born. The average mortality rate for newborn babies in low-income countries is 27 in 1000, compared with three in 1000 in high-income countries. Of the ten most dangerous places in the world to be born, eight are in sub-Saharan Africa, where pregnant women are less likely to receive assistance during delivery owing to poverty, conflict, and weak institutions, it says. www.unicef.org
Religious groups taxed by Jerusalem Municipality
THE diocese of Jerusalem may be forced to divert funding for its health-care, social-care, and education initiatives after it was billed for about £1.4 million in civic taxes, from which religious communities were previously exempt, The Times of Israel reports. It was announced this week that the Jerusalem Municipality is demanding millions of pounds from religious groups as part of an ongoing dispute with the finance ministry in the country. The Roman Catholic Church had been billed for about £2.5 million, the newspaper reported.
Church of Nigeria denies corruption: 
Anglican Church in NigeriaAnglican Church in NigeriaThe Church of Nigeria has denied claims in local media that the election of the next Bishop of Lagos, Humphrey Olumakaiye (pictured), currently Bishop of Osun North East, was “stage managed”, the Anglican News Service reports. The provincial secretary of the Church of Nigeria, Bishop David Onuoha, said on Tuesday that the “free and fair” elections at its Episcopal Synod were held in line with canon law. New bishops for Aguata, Ibadan South, Northern Izon, Ondo, Oke-Ogun, and Ijumu dioceses; archbishops for the internal provinces of the Niger and Ondo; and a new provincial Dean were also elected
Pope’s call to prayer for South Sudan and DRC welcomed
POPE FRANCIS’s call for a day of prayer and fasting for peace, on Friday, focusing on South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been welcomed by Anglican Provinces. The Acting Primate of South Sudan, Archbishop Peter Munde Yacoub of Western Equatoria, said: “There is need to pray for South Sudan, especially at this time where the leaders of South Sudanese are in Addis Ababa for peace talks.” The Primate of Congo, Archbishop Masimango Katanda, said that churches in the Province would be encouraged to take part. The Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Thabo Makgoba, has written a prayer to be used on Friday and Sunday. The secretary-general of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, said: “Conflicts continue to blight the lives of millions of people. In support of our brothers and sisters in areas of conflict, and particularly in solidarity with those in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, I join with Pope Francis.”
New Archbishop for Tanzinia elected
THE next Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Tanzania is the Bishop of Tanga, the Rt Revd Maimbo Mndolwa, it has been announced. The election took place during a special synod of the Province, last week. Bishop Mndolwa will become the seventh primate of Tanzania when he is enthroned on 20 May. He is to succeed Archbishop Jacob Erasto Chimeledya, who is retiring that month. The general-secretary of the Province, Canon Mecka Ogunde, said that the Archbishop-elect had “promised to work wholeheartedly for the benefit of the community and the Church as a whole”.