Fire hazard: Children struggle to breathe as smoke chokes Amazon city
Porto Velho, BrazilThomson Reuters Foundation When Maria Augusta Almeida, 45, heard her grandson cough incessantly, she knew what was to blame: the fires raging in the Amazon forest, some of them more than 322 kilometres away from Porto Velho. The smoke permeating the city, the capital of Brazil’s north-western state of Rondonia, is leading concerned […]
Dialogue between churches involves both truth and love, World Council of Churches’ head tells Pentecostal conference
Ecumenical dialogues are both a “dialogue of truth” and a “dialogue of love”, the head of the World Council of Churches told the 25th Pentecostal World Conference meeting in Canada last week. Speaking as a panellist during a workshop looking at “Pentecostals and Christian unity”, Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council […]
Ocean treaty needed to tackle “deep trouble”, says UN envoy
Stockholm, SwedenThomson Reuters Foundation The world’s seas are increasingly threatened by global warming, acidification and pollution, making it crucial to agree on a global treaty to protect them, the UN oceans envoy said. Peter Thomson warned in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation that the oceans were “in deep trouble”. “It is worse than […]
Don’t dismiss regenerated forests as “green deserts”, scientists say
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation Replanted forests and those left to recover after logging activities can preserve vital insect and plant life in a similar way to old-growth forests, scientists have found, as interest grows in expanding the world’s forests to curb climate change. A 13-year study led by researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in […]
THAILAND: NEW RULES, NEW DEBTS – SLAVERY FEARS FOR MIGRANT WORKERS
MATT BLOMBERG and NANCHANOK WONGSAMUTH, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, report on how Thailand is tackling labour rights for migrant workers – despite resistance from some…
Hong Kong protesters target airport but planes keep flying
Reuters Thousands of protesters blocked roads and public transport links to Hong Kong airport on Sunday in a bid to draw world attention to their fight for democracy for the Chinese-ruled city which is facing its biggest political crisis in decades. Planes were taking off and landing, with delays, but trains were suspended and approach […]
ESSAY: IT’S TIME TO RECLAIM THE PRO-WORKER HISTORY OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING
In an article first published on Religion News Service, JOHN GEHRING, author and Catholic program director at Faith in Public Life Action, calls for greater action on labour rights in the US…
South Sudan Council of Churches convenes first assembly eight years after independence
The South Sudan Council of Churches, an ecumenical body of seven members and two associate members, held its first general assembly since the independence of the largely Christian and animist country in 2011. Delegates from churches, guests and observers converged at the capital Juba from 26th to 29th August under the theme “The Power to […]
THIS LIFE: KINDNESS IS THE KEY TO A MORE PEACE-FILLED WORLD
US columnist CAROL ROUND, in an article first published on ASSIST News Service, reflects on the importance of kindness…