North Korea, Eritrea have highest rates of modern slavery – report
Thomson Reuters Foundation North Korea and Eritrea have the world’s highest rates of enslaved people, said a global survey released on Thursday that focused on the roles of conflict and government repression in modern slavery. The Central African nation of Burundi also has a high prevalence of slavery, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index […]
Nelson Mandela commemorated at Westminster Abbey in London
A memorial stone commemorating Nelson Mandela was dedicated at Westminster Abbey in London on Wednesday, marking the centenary of the former South African President’s birth. Nomatemba Tambo, the High Commissioner for South Africa, and Dlamini-Mandela, grand-daughter of Mr Mandela, were among those who attended the service which was led by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend […]
New analysis of bones may shed new light on Christianity’s origins in Scotland
A study of human bones found in a mass burial ground in south-west Scotland could reveal whether Christianity had a foothold in the country before the arrival of St Columba in the middle of the 6th century. While there is already some evidence of a major Christian settlement in the Whithorn area of Scotland – […]
Jail for Iranian pastor’s son found guilty of ‘acting against national security’
World Watch Monitor The son of an influential pastor silenced by the Iranian government has been handed a four-month jail sentence for his involvement with illegal house churches, World Watch Monitor has learnt. Ramil Bet Tamraz’s lawyers were informed of the sentence for “acting against national security” on 8th July. One of the friends with […]
DEATH BY DIAMONDS: SUICIDES WIPE THE SHINE OFF INDIA’S GEM TRADE
In a special in-depth investigative report, ROLI SRIVASTAVA, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how pattern of suicides – many shrouded in silence – is blighting an industry that cuts and polishes 90 per cent of gems sold globally…
Business that lends sight to the blind wins tech award
Thomson Reuters Foundation A phone app that enables blind people to video call sighted volunteers to help them won a technology award on Tuesday, amid growing interest in businesses that support vulnerable groups. Be My Eyes – a Danish company that allows some 87,000 people who have downloaded the free app to request assistance in […]
ESSAY: WHY PRAYER IN PARLIAMENT IS JUST PART OF A MUCH BIGGER PICTURE
Uniting Church minister, radio commentator and Sight contributor PAUL CLARK looks at why, if Australia’s Federal Parliament considers removing the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer from its proceedings, the bigger picture of Parliament’s foundations should be taken into account…
SIGHT-SEEING: IT’S GOOD FOR GIRLS TO HAVE CLERGYWOMEN, STUDY SHOWS
In an article first published on Religion News Service, BENJAMIN KNOLL and CAMMIE JO BOLIN, authors of the new book, ‘She Preached the Word: Women’s Ordination in Modern America’, reflect on why its important girls see women in the pulpit…
Bullet wounds and little aid for Cameroonians fleeing Anglophone conflict
Thomson Reuters Foundation Cameroonians fleeing an increasingly bloody separatist conflict have received little aid as humanitarian agencies struggle to access the area, the United Nations said this week. More than 200,000 people have fled their homes in the volatile western regions since late last year, in addition to at least 21,000 who have fled into […]