THIS LIFE: KINDNESS NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE
US columnist CAROL ROUND, in an article first published on ASSIST News Service, writes about the importance of kindness…
WHO chief says widespread travel bans not needed to beat China virus
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday there was no need for measures that “unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade” in trying to halt the spread of a coronavirus that has killed 361 people in China. “We call on all countries to implement decisions that are evidence-based and consistent,” […]
At least 20 killed in church stampede in Tanzania
At least 20 people were reportedly crushed to death and 16 others injured after worshippers at an outdoor event in Tanzania stampeded to be anointed with blessed oil, according to reports. Thousands had gathered at a stadium in the northern town of Moshi for the Saturday night service led by Pentecostal pastor Boniface Mwamposa. He invited […]
Pope plans Indonesia trip to promote inter-religious dialogue
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis will promote inter-religious dialogue this year during a trip to the world’s biggest Muslim country Indonesia and make the first papal visit to mainly Catholic East Timor since it won independence from Jakarta, diplomatic sources said. The trip, which will also include a visit to Papua New Guinea, is likely to […]
UK PM says he will toughen rules on terrorism cases after London attack; bishop calls for prayer
London, UKReuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would act to stop the early release from prison of convicted terrorists following a street attack by an Islamist militant days after he was set free half way through his jail term. Sudesh Amman, jailed in 2018 for possession of terrorist documents and disseminating terrorist publications, […]
Malaysia plans tougher penalties for illegal loggers in forest law reform
Putrajaya, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation Malaysia is set to beef up its decades-old forestry laws this year in an effort to protect its rainforests from illegal loggers, a senior minister said last week. The move would stiffen penalties, including fines and jail terms, for those found guilty of cutting down trees without permission, Xavier Jayakumar, Malaysia’s […]
Australia evacuates more than 200 people from China as virus deaths rise
Sydney/Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne said 243 citizens and permanent residents evacuated Wuhan on Monday on an Australian government-chartered aircraft, fleeing the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak which has killed 361 people. The 243 people will be quarantined in a detention centre on a remote island in the Indian Ocean off Australia’s northwest […]
Cheap as bread, girls sell sex to survive hunger crisis in Africa
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Young girls in southern Africa are selling sex – sometimes for less than the cost of bread – to survive a hunger crisis ensnaring tens of millions, aid agencies said last week. In Angola, girls of 12 sell themselves for as little as 40 cents to feed their families as the […]
Unaffordable rental housing may be “new normal” in the United States
Washington DC, USThomson Reuters Foundation A growing number of Americans cannot afford to pay their rent as rental property prices hit a record high, researchers said on Friday, amid an outcry over rising evictions and homelessness. The number of US households living in rentals also surged to 43.7 million in 2018 – up 21 per […]
DISASTER RESPONSE: BURNED BY WILDFIRE LOSSES, INSURANCE INDUSTRY RETHINKS RISKS
LAURIE GOERING, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how insurance companies are looking to the future in the face of rising economic costs from disasters…