Pentecostal pastors vow to fight proposed Uganda church regulations in court
Kampala, UgandaRNS Pentecostal pastor Amos Mugabi used fighting words recently when talking to hundreds of congregants about a proposed government policy he believes is threatening thousands of churches’ existence. “Satan is fighting the church,” prayed Mugabi. “The government wants to stop the church from spreading the good news of Christ, and we’ll not let that […]
Explainer – Key ceremonies in Japan’s imperial succession
TokyoReuters Emperor Akihito’s abdication on Tuesday, one of several ceremonies marking the transition to his heir Crown Prince Naruhito, will be a brief, relatively simple and rare event. The last abdication by a Japanese monarch was in 1817. Naruhito will become emperor on Wednesday, but his formal enthronement will take place at a more elaborate […]
Palm oil development leaves Liberians poorer, says winner of ‘Green Nobel’
Dakar, SenegalThomson Reuters Foundation Palm oil plantations in Liberia are billed as bringing jobs and development but actually leave locals poorer, said a Liberian lawyer who won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize on Monday. The US-based Goldman Environmental Foundation gives the prize – often known as the Green Nobel – to six grassroots activists each […]
Quick facts – 10 things to know about the cyclone battering Mozambique
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation Rescuers in northern Mozambique struggled on Monday to reach people stranded by flooding after a second cyclone in just over a month pounded the impoverished southern African nation, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake. It is the first time in recorded history that two strong tropical cyclones […]
TWO TYPES OF SIN
Christians talk about this thing called sin; that is, stuff that doesn’t gel with God. Weeds in your life? PICTURE: Alexandru Boicu/Unsplash Sin might have gone out of fashion, but you only have to watch the news to see that it is still an important idea. There are two types of sin, and it’s very helpful […]
WATER: THOUSANDS TO WALK SIX KILOMETRES TO RAISE MONEY – AND AWARENESS – ABOUT THE LACK OF ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER
DAVID ADAMS speaks to World Vision Australia’s Daryl Crowden about the world’s water problem…
China, two dozen other countries top USCIRF religious freedom offenders list
Washington, DCRNS With its particular focus on China’s oppression of religious and human rights, an independent watchdog group has decried in its annual report the state of religious freedom across the globe. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan organisation created 20 years ago, concludes in its Monday report that “innumerable believers and nonbelievers […]
ESSAY: ISRAEL FOLAU – THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES
PAUL CLARK argues that the rush to judgement over Australian rugby player Israel Folau’s tweets illustrates the shallowness of the current conversation around morality…
POSTCARDS: AS RAIN GROWS PATCHIER, ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLAND FARMERS ADAPT
COLIN DAILEDA, reporting for Thomson Reuters Foundation, looks at how changing rainfall patterns has changed the life of those living on India’s remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands…
Bangladesh jobs website aims to curb abuse of migrant workers
Dhaka, BangladeshThomson Reuters Foundation Bangladesh has launched an online job portal to help reduce high fees incurred by thousands of workers seeking employment abroad and curb exploitative tactics used by unscrupulous brokers. The government-run website was established by the United Nations International Organization for Migration and Bdjobs.com, a local website, and launched on Sunday. A […]