OPEN BOOK – THE PRISONER’S LETTER: ESTABLISHING PEACE BETWEEN ALL
BRUCE C WEARNE continues his look at Ephesians, chapter two…
“Never turning back”, Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville separatists expect vote for independence
Buka, Papua New GuineaReuters Twenty years after combatants snapped arrows to signal the end of hostilities in the Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville, voters will on Saturday cast ballots in a long-awaited independence referendum. Prominent separatists say the independence movement cannot be stopped. “Bougainville is never turning back because we paid a very high […]
Without better flood protection, Venice risks loss of heritage status
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Venice could lose its status as a World Heritage Site if it does not adequately protect itself from worsening flooding, UNESCO representatives have warned, as they offered help after recent inundations. “Key buildings which are within the World Heritage area are threatened…this is of great concern to us, especially as this […]
Protesters stay holed up on Hong Kong campus, surrounded by riot police
Hong KongReuters Fewer than 100 protesters remained holed up in a Hong Kong university on Thursday as riot police encircled the campus, with some activists desperately searching for ways to escape while others hid. Some protesters told Reuters they were holding out not for a showdown with police, but because they were innocent and looking […]
Investors back global online market-place for ethical, green farmers
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation A former investment banker has raised more than $US10 million to expand a startup that helps developing-nation farmers who are using green and ethical methods to earn more by linking them directly with food buyers around the world. After a decade investing in commodity markets at Deutsche Bank and Korea […]
Major UK hotels found failing to combat threat of modern slavery
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Major hotels in Britain are failing to protect workers from debt bondage and sexual exploitation, according to a study on Wednesday that found 75 per cent of hospitality businesses were flouting anti-slavery legislation. Britain’s world-first 2015 Modern Slavery Act requires companies whose turnover exceeds £36 million to produce an annual statement […]
Quick facts – Five global deforestation hotspots as Brazil reveals Amazon spike
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation A sharp rise in deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest drew global concern this week, spotlighting the environmental impact of the loss of huge swathes of forest around the world. The world lost 12 million hectares of tropical tree cover – equal to 30 football pitches a minute – last year, researchers […]
INDIA: GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT ON ILLEGAL MICA MINES DRIVES VILLAGERS TO HIDE DEATHS
ROLI SRIVASTAVA, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports that people are still dying in illegal mica mines despite promises by authorities to clean up the sector…
Wealth alone won’t save countries from climate change
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Wealth alone will not shield economies from the impact of climate change, researchers said on Wednesday, urging governments to build flood defences and early warning systems to stem financial losses. Climate research has shown that poor people in tropical countries are most vulnerable to economic loss caused by global warming. Splinters […]
ESSAY: IN THE US, IT’S TIME FOR DEMOCRATS TO START TALKING ABOUT INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
In an article first published by Religion News Service, PETER HENNE, director of Middle East studies in the Global and Regional Studies Program at the University of Vermont, argues that the issue of international religious freedom represents an opportunity for Democractic presidential candidates…