US faith groups sue Trump administration over refugee resettlement order
RNS Three US faith-based groups that assist with refugee resettlement are suing the Federal Government, arguing a recent executive order granting state and local officials the authority to block refugee resettlement violates federal law and inhibits their ability to practice their faith. HIAS (founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), Church World Service, and Lutheran […]
SNAPSHOT: FRUIT MARKET, PORT VILA, VANUATU
See ADLI WAHID’s image…
Political row in Indian state sparks debate on land rights for Dalits
Bangkok, ThailandThomson Reuters Foundation A spat between two political parties in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu over a piece of land has cast a spotlight on the mismanagement of land earmarked for lower-caste Dalits across the country, according to human rights activists. The state secretary of India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, […]
MUSIC: BETHEL GOES ‘WITHOUT WORDS’ – PURELY INSTRUMENTAL, COMPLETELY IMMERSIVE
MARCUS CHEONG reviews Bethel’s new instrumental album, ‘Without Words: Genesis’…
Men in UK and US seen growing less comfortable with women leaders
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Less than 50 per cent of American men would be “very comfortable” with a female head of government, according to a survey published this week that found men in Britain and the US growing less comfortable with women in positions of power. The Reykjavik Index for Leadership, launched in 2018 by […]
Sydney gasps for air as Australia bushfire smoke reaches record levels
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters The Australian state of New South Wales is gasping under the worst levels of air pollution recorded as smoke from widespread bushfires causes a spike in hospital visits and hazards including poor visibility for drivers. Sydney, the country’s most populous city, woke up to a thick haze, and blood red sun, for the […]
Quick facts – 10 facts on trans murders as world marks second deadliest year
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation With 331 murders, the last year has been the second deadliest for trans people on record, activists said on Wednesday, an annual day of remembrance for homicide victims. The figure is slightly lower than for the previous 12 months, when 369 trans and gender diverse people – who define themselves as […]
PAPAL VISIT: POPE BRINGS HIS “SHOW, DON’T TELL” EVANGELISATION TO THAI CATHOLICS
CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ, of Religion News Service, reports from the Thai capital of Bangkok…
NT Wright explains the world of the New Testament in new book
Chicago, USRNS New Testament scholar NT Wright has spent most of his life teaching people how to study the New Testament. And the most important thing, he says, is getting the context right. Without that context, it’s “fatally easy for people to distort bits of Christianity”, Wright said. “If we ignore the context, we can […]
ESSAY: GOD BECAME LIKE ME?
Scripture Union in the UK have launched a campaign encouraging parents to focus on the true story of Jesus’ birth this Christmas when talking to their children. GEMMA WILLIS, author of a new Christmas storybook, ‘God Became Like Me?’, written for the campaign, explains why it’s important…