Over-ruling his experts, Pompeo keeps Saudis off US child soldiers list
Washington, DCReuters US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blocked the inclusion of Saudi Arabia on a US list of countries that recruit child soldiers, dismissing his experts’ findings that a Saudi-led coalition has been using under-age fighters in Yemen’s civil war, according to four people familiar with the matter. The decision, which drew immediate […]
BOOKS: EXPLAINING THE BIBLE, ONE INFOGRAPHIC AT A TIME
DAVID ADAMS is impressed by ‘A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible’…
Prince Harry backs mine clearance in Angola, following in Diana’s footsteps
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation Britain’s Prince Harry on Monday threw his weight behind mine clearance efforts in Angola, a cause championed by his mother more than two decades ago when she made global headlines by walking through a minefield in the country. The prince welcomed an announcement that Angola will invest $US60 million in clearing mines […]
MSF reports sharp rise in sexual abuse and misconduct complaints
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation The number of complaints of sexual abuse, harassment and other unacceptable behaviour against field workers at Medecins Sans Frontieres almost doubled last year, the medical aid organisation said on Monday. MSF, which runs 43,000 field workers around the world, said it hoped the increase from 172 to 356 complaints in 2018 were […]
Joe Biden and other US presidential candidates speak to diverse faith leaders, activists
Washington, DCRNS Former Vice President Joe Biden kicked off a major forum on faith and poverty issues Monday afternoon, fielding questions from faith leaders and low-income Americans during a gathering organised by the Poor People’s Campaign. “We have the greatest income inequity…in the United States of America since 1902,” Biden told the crowd of hundreds […]
China is harvesting organs from Falun Gong members, finds expert panel
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation China is murdering members of the Falun Gong spiritual group and harvesting their organs for transplant, a panel of lawyers and experts on Monday as they invited further investigations into a potential genocide. Members said they had heard clear evidence forced organ harvesting had taken place over at least 20 years in […]
FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
When we talk about freedom being the ability to choose to do good and avoid evil – to choose to obey God rather than doing whatever we feel like, some wise people have linked responsibility to real freedom. People at the Sea of Galilee in Israel. True freedom means finding “happiness, satisfaction and freedom” in your responsibilities […]
NOTRE DAME: CATHEDRAL MORE THAN A TOURIST ATTRACTION, SAYS PARIS ARCHBISHOP, AS REBUILDING PROPOSALS FLOOD IN
TOM HENEGAN, of Religion News Service, reports on plans to rebuild Notre Dame following the April fire which destroyed its roof and spire…
In historic shift, Vatican to consider married priests for Amazon region
Vatican CityReuters A Vatican document on Monday said the church should consider ordaining older married men as priests in remote areas of the Amazon, a historic shift which some say could pave the way for their use in other areas where clergy are scarce. The recommendation, contained in a working document prepared by the Vatican […]
ESSAY: WHAT I LEARNT FROM ASKING QUESTIONS
JOHN LAMERTON, national ministry director at Alpha Australia, says having the chance to ask hard questions can change your life…