Final results – America Has voted!! Mayyas Congratulations!!   

We know that a lot of America’s Got Talent live shows tend to be dominated by and large by singers. Yet, Mayyas …

by catholicnewsagency.com -- Andrea Gagliarducci - The decision of Pope Francis to approve the new constitution of the Order of Malta, abolish positions, appoint a transitional government, and convene a general chapter to support the reform came quickly, but not suddenly. For some time, it had become evident that the pope wanted to bypass all resistance and carry out the reform of the order outlined by the men he called to that office — and to do so against any contrary opinion. At the same time, Pope Francis’ decree of Sept. 3 cannot be simply described as a “victory” of the religious side over the secular side, the latter chiefly represented by German protagonists. That would be a reductive view of the situation.

The reform of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a reform in a more spiritual sense, at least in terms of its intentions. At the same time, the reform had to be careful not to jeopardize the sovereignty of the Order of Malta while recognizing its complex reality and sometimes turbulent history. The Order of Malta’s structure includes priories, sub-priories, and 48 affiliated associations. The organization also employs some 45,000 staff, assisted by almost 100,000 volunteers. The order’s humanitarian projects budget is said to amount to $2.3 billion. At the same time, the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta — that is the full official name — has three classes of knights.

By AP -- Dozens of Lebanese and Syrian migrants stranded for days on a sinking fishing boat in the Mediterranean Sea are urging European coast guards to save them, saying that two children have died. The roughly 60 migrants told relatives and volunteer groups via satellite phone that the group has been without food, water and baby formula for the past three days. On board the boat are Syrian refugees and Lebanese from the country's severely impoverished northern provinces trying to reach Italy for job opportunities. They left the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli about 10 days ago. “They’re trying to remove water leaking into the boat with buckets, that’s all they have,” the brother of one of the Syrian passengers told the Associated Press. He asked for their names not to be disclosed for security reasons and because some of the migrants did not want to disclose the news to their families back home. “This fishing boat is meant for five people, not 60.”

Lebanon has a population of six million, including one million Syrian refugees, and has been in the grip of a severe economic meltdown since late 2019 that has pulled more than three quarters of the population into poverty. The migrants are reportedly stranded near the coasts of Malta and Italy. Authorities have not yet sent rescuers, families and activists in touch with the migrants said. Lebanese parliamentarian Ashraf Rifi urged the Italian government as well as the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Lebanese embassy in Rome to take action. Both family members and Alarm Phone, an activist network that helps bring rescuers to distressed migrants at sea, Malta has not yet authorised a rescue operation and has not given permission to a commercial cargo ship to pick up the stranded migrants.

Meanwhile, families fear the leaking boat could sink at any time. “Whenever I call, you can hear the children screaming and crying in the background,” the relative said. “I don’t know why no governments have taken action to rescue them — is it because they’re poor people trying to make ends meet for their families?”