Finding a 'forever home': Church offers space to SOULS Ministry

The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man in a flashpoint city in the occupied West Bank. Monday's death was the latest bloodshed in spiraling violence that comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the region. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Palestinian authorities say the man was shot in Hebron, often a center of clashes between the Israeli military and Palestinians. Israeli-Palestinian violence has spiked in recent days. An Israeli military raid on a militant stronghold in the West Bank city of Jenin last week killed nine Palestinians, most of them militants. A Palestinian shooting attack in an east Jerusalem Jewish settlement killed seven Israelis.

Europe is cutting more energy ties with Russia. A ban on imports of diesel fuel and other products made from crude oil in Russian refineries takes effect Feb. 5. The goal is to stop feeding Russia's war chest with energy payments. But it's not so simple. Diesel prices have already jumped since the war started on Feb. 24, and they could rise again. The ban is likely to be accompanied by a price cap, and the uncertainty of how that will work has markets on edge. Depending on how the cap is applied, flows of diesel could reshuffle after temporarily higher prices, with Europe finding new suppliers in the U.S., Middle East and Asia.

Nissan and Renault have agreed to make their mutual cross-shareholdings equal at 15%, ironing out a source of conflict in the Japan-French auto alliance. Renault Group will transfer 28.4% of the Nissan shares it owns to a French trust, making its ownership level with Nissan Motor Co.'s stake in the French automaker. The companies said in a statement that voting rights would be “neutralized” for most decisions. The move had been anticipated. The Nissan-Renault alliance began in 1999, at a time when the Japanese automaker was in tough financial straits. The disparity was a cause of friction, especially after Nissan became far more profitable than Renault.

Israel's new government is moving quickly to repeal a tax on single-use plastic goods like cups, plates and cutlery. These items have become the latest weapons in a culture war between the country's secular majority and the smaller but politically powerful religious minority. The former government passed a tax on plastic goods in 2021 in what it said was a move to protect the environment. But ultra-Orthodox Jews, who have large families and use paper goods for convenience, accused the government of targeting them. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet, which relies heavily on ultra-Orthodox support, took a key step on Sunday toward repealing the tax. Green activists fear this could lead to other steps harmful to the environment.

India’s Adani Group, run by Asia’s richest man, has hit back at a report from U.S.-based short-seller Hindenburg Research, calling it “malicious”, “baseless” and full of “selective misinformation.” Shares in the conglomerate have suffered massive losses since Hindenburg issued its report alleging fraud and other malfeasance. Adani has also accused Hindenburg, which said it was betting against the group's companies, of trying to derail a share sale originally expected to bring in about $2.5 billion. Adani's 400-page rebuttal issued late Sunday accused Hindenburg of attacking India and its institutions. Hindenburg denied that and said the group’s response failed to address key questions.

Pope Francis’ long-awaited visit to Congo and South Sudan next week comes amid soaring insecurity in both war-torn countries, as desperate populations say they want his visit to quell the endless violence and bring stability and attention to two of the world’s most neglected crises. The Vatican said the violence forced the cancellation of the Pope’s trip to the regional capital Goma, which threatened not only his security but also that of the population. Throughout decades of war, the church has played a pivotal role in mitigating conflict in both countries. Religious expert say that in countries with enormously entrenched problems, people need to be lifted out of a generational sense of dread and anxiety through messages of eternal hope.

As clean water runs short, one of Africa’s fastest growing cities is struggling to balance the needs of creating jobs and protecting the environment, and the population of over 4 million feels the strain. The Nairobi River which traverses informal settlements and industrial hubs morphs from its clear waters at its origin to black waters within the city and later dark brown downstream where it is used to irrigate vegetables that are sold in the capital.