US, allies urge Facebook not to encrypt messages as they fight child abuse, terrorism
Washington, DCReuters The United States and allies are seizing on Facebook Inc’s plan to apply end-to-end encryption across its messaging services to press for major changes to a practice long opposed by law enforcement, saying it hinders the fight against child abuse and terrorism. The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia were planning to […]
Custom, caste system deny land rights to Asian women, Indigenous people
Udaipur, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation Women, lower-caste and Indigenous people across Asia are failing to benefit from land reform laws because of custom and deep-rooted social biases, land rights activists said on Wednesday. Globally, Indigenous communities have legal rights to only 10 per cent of land, according to Washington, DC-based advocacy group Rights and Resources Initiative. […]
Flight shaming hits air travel as ‘Greta effect’ takes off
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation One in five travellers is flying less as “flight shaming” propels travellers to shun air travel for the sake of the planet, according to a survey of 6,000 Western travellers. The survey predicted environmental concerns would keep denting air traffic, as activists such as Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg lead the way and […]
As Vatican summit on the Amazon nears, differing camps frame the debate
Vatican CityRNS As the Vatican inches closer to a gathering of bishops to discuss the Amazon region, key players vie to frame the main issues likely to emerge at the 6th to 27th October event, from the need for further involvement of women to the possibility of ordaining married men. At a news conference near […]
New Indonesian parliament urged to tackle sexual violence “emergency”
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation Lawmakers sworn into Indonesia’s parliament this week are being urged to push through a sexual violence bill to protect women from abuse that rights groups say has reached “emergency” levels. Sexual violence is prevalent in the South-East Asian country of 260 million. Tens of thousands of people in recent weeks […]
Ending statelessness is easy, says Kyrgyz winner of top UN prize
Tbilisi, GeorgiaThomson Reuters Foundation A lawyer who helped Kyrgyzstan become the first country to eradicate statelessness has urged politicians to end the plight of millions of “legal ghosts” who lack any nationality after winning a prestigious UN award on Wednesday. Kyrgyz human rights lawyer Azizbek Ashurov said combating statelessness was “simple”, but required political will, […]
EXHIBITION: “AND IT IS GOOD” – PHOTOGRAPHS CELEBRATE THE WONDER OF CREATION
A new photographic exhibition at the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, highlights how caring for creation is not just important but an emergency measure. See a gallery of some of the images here…
Franklin Graham on impeachment: “Our country could begin to unravel”
RNS Evangelist Franklin Graham issued a dire warning about the fate of the United States, should the presidential impeachment inquiry started by the US House lead to President Donald Trump’s ouster. “Our country could begin to unravel if an elected president is thrown out of office because of lies and the media,” said Graham, president […]
ESSAY: THE HISTORY OF THE CROSS AND ITS MANY MEANINGS OVER THE CENTURIES
In an article first published on The Conversation, JOANNE M PIERCE, professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross in the US, looks at the history of the cross as a symbol of the Christian faith…
SIGHT-SEEING: RELATING TO REJECTION
NILS VON KALM reflects on how Jesus and the example set by some of His followers sustains him during times of rejection…