OPEN BOOK – THE PRISONER’S LETTER: BEARING THE MESSAGE
BRUCE C WEARNE looks at the closing verses of Ephesians…
Asian American Christians denounce anti-Asian racism amid coronavirus
RNS The FBI released a warning last week about a potential surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans amid the spread of the novel coronavirus. Michelle Ami Reyes was not surprised. Reyes told Religion News Service that she knows people from her church in Austin, Texas, who have been spit on. She also knows people […]
Global coronavirus cases surpass one million – Johns Hopkins tally
Updated 9.30amReuters Global coronavirus cases surpassed one million on Thursday with more than 51,000 deaths as the pandemic further exploded in the United States and the death toll climbed in Spain and Italy, according to a tally by a US university. Italy had the most deaths, more than 13,900, followed by Spain. The United States […]
India’s poor live on promises in coronavirus
Mumbai, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation No food, no work and no clue when relief will come. That’s life now for millions of informal workers in India, starved of a way to feed themselves or get the help pledged by government to survive a three-week coronavirus lockdown. Migrant workers, who work in textile looms, rest inside a […]
SIGHT HELPDESK: 10 WAYS TO SPOT ONLINE MISINFORMATION
In an article first published on The Conversation, H COLLEEN SINCLAIR, an associate professor of social psychology at Mississippi State University, looks at some tips for spotting “fake news” on the web…
Australian court to rule on ex-Vatican treasurer’s sex offences appeal on 7th April
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Ex-Vatican treasurer George Pell will learn on 7th April whether he can walk free from jail, when Australia’s highest court hands down its judgement on his appeal against historical child sex offences. The decision will likely bring to an end the long-running prosecution of the cardinal for sexually assaulting two teenaged choirboys in […]
Florida officials: Arrested pastor not exonerated by new order listing religious services as ‘essential’
RNS When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a 30 day stay-at-home order on Wednesday requiring the state’s residents to remain indoors to avoid spreading or contracting the novel coronavirus, he noted that the regulations do not apply to “essential activities” such as religious services. But while the order may pave the way for faith leaders […]
China and Australia target Pacific with coronavirus aid; Australia starts putting limits on “draconian measures”
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Beijing has ramped up its diplomatic push into the Pacific, pledging coronavirus aid and medical advice, although its efforts are being impeded as islands close borders to stop the spread of the disease from hotspots including China. Chinese embassies have held cheque presentation ceremonies in multiple Pacific islands, after Beijing pledged to provide […]
Coronavirus measures will hit women harder than men, charities warn
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Data is urgently required to highlight the different impact of coronavirus on women and men, with early signs that women face higher levels of violence and more care work, researchers said on Wednesday. Although death rates appear to be slightly higher among men, a study by aid organisations CARE International and […]
THE INTERVIEW: UNITED THROUGH GRIEF, TWO FATHERS – BASSAM ARAMIN AND RAMI ELHANAN – SHARE THEIR HOPE FOR PEACE IN THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT
JONATHAN HAROUNOFF, writing for Religion News Service, interviews two men – Rami Elhanan, an Israeli Jew, and Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian Muslim – whose story forms the heart of award-winning author Colum McCann’s anticipated new novel, ‘Apeirogon’…