OPEN BOOK – THE PRISONER’S LETTER: LIVING IN ANTICIPATION OF THE “BIG DAY”
BRUCE C WEARNE looks at the opening lines of Ephesians chapter six…
Trafficked ‘brides’ stuck in China due coronavirus after fleeing abuse
Phnom Penh, VietnamThomson Reuters Foundation Coronavirus travel restrictions have forced anti-trafficking groups to suspend rescue operations of Vietnamese and Cambodian “brides” from China, with some now in hiding having escaped the homes of men holding them against their will. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of South-East Asian women have been lured to China […]
United Methodist bishops ask church court to review proposal to split denomination
RNS A proposed plan to split the United Methodist Church is on its way to the denomination’s top court to decide whether the legislation that would implement it is constitutional. If the Judicial Council rules the plan is constitutional, delegates could take up the proposal, called “A Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation,” at […]
Markets suffer record meltdown as global coronavirus alarm grows
Washington DC, US/Beijing, ChinaReuters Global markets suffered record falls on Thursday as alarm over the coronavirus intensified, and governments from Ireland to Italy unveiled new measures to try to slow the spread of a disease that has infected more than 126,000 people worldwide. Travellers in Europe rushed to board flights to the United States after […]
Australian court defers sex offence appeal by ex-Vatican treasurer Pell
Canberra, AustraliaReuters Australia’s highest court on Thursday deferred ruling on an appeal to overturn the conviction of former Vatican treasurer George Pell for sexually assaulting two teenaged choirboys in the 1990s. After two days of legal arguments, the High Court of Australia said it was still considering whether to allow the appeal, the last avenue […]
Soundbite – The TCM Update: Music therapist and recording artist Anna Waters’ releases ‘Sunshine’
Anna Waters Listen to this week’s TCM Update…
ON THE SCREEN: MORE THAN A SIMPLE ROMANCE – ‘I STILL BELIEVE’ A TRUE STORY OF BOLD LOVE, PROFOUND FAITH AND INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC
MARCUS CHEONG watches the film based on US Christian singer Jeremy Camp’s autobiography…
Witchcraft beliefs blamed for halting drive to end FGM in Guinea
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Belief in witchcraft is hampering efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation in Guinea where almost all girls are cut, campaigners said on Tuesday. Aminata Bah, who underwent FGM at the age of five, said many people in the West African country believed traditional circumcisers had supernatural powers and girls feared being […]
US suspends travel from Europe as coronavirus forces Italy to tighten lockdown
Washington DC, US/Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters US President Donald Trump said the United States will suspend all passenger travel from continental Europe on Friday to limit the spread of the coronavirus after the outbreak was formally declared a pandemic, sending global markets into a tailspin. Trump announced the travel ban on live television along with emergency funds […]
Don’t let impact of coronavirus breed hate, urges EU human rights agency
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation The global outbreak of coronavirus will impinge on people’s freedom and other human rights but steps must be taken to stop “unacceptable behaviour” including discrimination and racial attacks, said the head of a European human rights watchdog. Michael O’Flaherty, director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, said he was […]