It’s not just the Amazon: Indonesia urged to stop deadly fires
Kuala LumpurThomson Reuters Foundation Indonesia must increase funding to detect and tackle forest fires quicker and enforce conservation laws to avoid another major haze crisis, a United Nations official said on Wednesday, as fears mount over the climate impacts of rainforest losses. Indonesia and its South-East Asian neighbours are regularly hit by thick smog from […]
Christian women leaders make “historic” visit to the Australian Parliament to advocate for Pacific Islander women and children
Forty Australian Christian women leaders made an historic visit to Canberra on Wednesday to meet with politicians to discuss issues including violence against women and children in Pacific island nations. The delegation, which included representatives from the Baptist, Anglican, Catholic, Uniting and Seventh Day Adventist churches as well as the Australian Christian Churches, Hillsong, The […]
STRANGESIGHTS: WEIRD RESEARCH PROJECTS GET REWARDED; ANIMALS AS SECRET AGENTS?; AND, THE THEFT OF THE GOLDEN TOILET
DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
Activists push US Congress to pass Hong Kong bill
Washington, DCReuters Hong Kong democracy activists urged members of the US Congress on Tuesday to pass legislation to combat human rights abuses in the city, rejecting any suggestion that such a move would be inappropriate US involvement in another country’s affairs. “This is not a plea for so-called foreign interference. This is a plea for […]
Vegetarian diets not always the most climate-friendly, researchers say
RomeThomson Reuters Foundation It may be possible to help tackle climate change while still munching on the occasional bacon sandwich or slurping a few oysters, a new study suggested on Tuesday. Scientists found that diets in which meat, fish or dairy products were consumed only once a day would leave less of a footprint on […]
Gathering of German bishops tests Pope Francis’ efforts for decentralisation
Vatican CityRNS Following an attempt by the Vatican to exercise control over its upcoming and reform-driven gathering, the Catholic Church in Germany has made it clear that it has no intention of backing down, proving to be yet another wedge in the internal church wars that have plagued Pope Francis’ six-year papacy. At the root […]
THE INTERVIEW: JULIE FAITH PARKER, “CHILDIST” BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER, of Religion News Service, speaks with pioneering US ‘childist’ Biblical scholar Julie Faith Parker…
World at risk of pandemics that could kill millions, panel warns
LondonReuters The world is facing a mounting threat of disease pandemics that could kill millions and wreak havoc on the global economy, a international expert panel has warned, and governments should work to prepare for and mitigate that risk. The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, co-convened by the World Bank and the World Health Organization, warned […]
ESSAY: MORE REFUGEES ARRIVE ON GREEK ISLANDS AMID OVERCROWDING AND WATER SHORTAGES
In an article first published on The Conversation, GEMMA BIRD, a lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of Liverpool in the UK, says an increase in refugee and migrant arrivals on Greek islands amid heightening tensions with locals demands a greater response from authorities…
WOW!: LOW-COST DNA KITS COULD DECREASE RATE OF UNREPORTED, UNPROSECUTED RAPES IN KENYA
ERIC J LYMAN, of Religion News Service, reports on how a Kenyan activist and a Canadian criminologist are working on an initiative, backed by churches and religious organisations, that they hope will change the way rape is treated in the developing world…