In the US, Lutheran student pastor deported amid protests
Chicago, USRNS Despite prayer vigils, a letter-writing campaign from her church and her denomination and a petition for a stay of removal from her lawyers, a student pastor was deported this week in what the head of the mainline Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is calling “an egregious case once again of family separation.” Betty […]
Millions at risk of child labour in manufacturing hubs, say researchers
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation Child labour is an “extreme risk” in one in 10 countries globally, found an index on Thursday, urging businesses to be more vigilant about abuses in their global supply chains. Little progress was recorded in key manufacturing hubs India and China, which ranked 47th and 98th out of 198 countries in the […]
KNOW IT ALL: QUEEN VICTORIA
This month marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria. DAVID ADAMS looks at some facts and figures about the woman who became synonymous with the idea of a British Empire – and the 19th century…
In Nigeria, empowering women can mean exposing them to violence
Dakar, SenegalThomson Reuters Foundation Helping women find jobs or raise their incomes in Nigeria can put them at heightened risk of violent abuse by boyfriends, husbands and the public, a World Bank study has found. The study aimed to assess the risks of the Nigeria For Women project, a $US100 million program to improve women’s […]
Critic of major gas deal becomes new Papua New Guinea PM
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Former finance minister James Marape, a critic of a major global gas development deal, was elected by parliament as the new Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea on Thursday after weeks of turmoil over the handling of the South Pacific nation’s resource riches. Marape became Prime Minister by an overwhelming majority of 101 […]
Church of England’s Alexa ‘skill’ asked more than 75,000 questions in first year
The Church of England’s Alexa “skill” was asked more than 75,000 questions during its first year, data from the church has revealed. The “skill” – which works as a function of the the Alexa app on smart phones, personal assistants or web browsers – was launched last year with the ability to answer inquiries about […]
CHURCH FINANCES: US EVANGELICAL FINANCIAL WATCHDOG FACES SCRUTINY OVER BACKING OF ERRANT MEGACHURCH
BOBBY ROSS, Jr, of Religion News Service, reports…
Religious freedom advocacy calls for re-elected Indonesian President to defend religious freedom as a “priority”
Religious freedom advocacy CSW has called on recently re-elected Indonesian President Joko Widodo to defend religious freedom as a “priority” of his second term in office and to make greater efforts to counter religious extremism and intolerance. In a report released on Wednesday, the UK-based organisation praised the smooth conduct of what was one of […]
ESSAY: HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTRALIA SOARS IN BIGGEST CITIES, DRIVEN SINCE 2001 BY RISING INEQUALITY
In an article first published on The Conversation, SHARON PARKINSON, DEB BATTERHAM and MARGARET REYNOLDS, of Swinburne University of Technology, look at what their research into homelessness in Australia found…
WOW! AFTER GRAMMY WIN, CHILDISH GAMBINO DANCER LEADS AFRICAN #DANCEFORCHANGE
Having tackled racism in the US, THIN LEI WIN, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how Rwandan-born choreographer Sherrie Silver is now tackling hunger in Africa…