United Methodists reschedule meeting – and decision on splitting – to 2021
RNS The United Methodist Church has rescheduled its General Conference for 29th August to 7th September, 2021, at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis. And it’s looking into ways to use technology to ensure delegates can participate in the quadrennial meeting, according to the Commission on the General Conference. The General Conference – during which […]
Pompeo says Hong Kong no longer warrants special US treatment
Washington DC, US/Hong Kong, ChinaReuters US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday China had undermined Hong Kong’s autonomy so fundamentally that the territory no longer warranted special treatment under US law, a potentially big blow to its status as a major financial hub. Pompeo’s certification to the US Congress follows China’s announcement of […]
A maid dodging coronavirus in a virtual world spotlights inequality in India
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation A computer game where players morph into housemaid in India who tries to dodge the new coronavirus and feed her family has opened people’s eyes to inequality, one of its creators said on Tuesday. The Survive COVID game brings to life the pandemic’s impact on poor families in India as the character tries […]
StrangeSights: A giant wave crashes over Seoul street; museum masks; and, an eight month mission of social isolation…
DAVID ADAMS looks at the odder side of life…
Riot police shield Hong Kong legislature as protests gather against anthem bill
Hong KongReuters Hong Kong deployed riot police around the Legislative Council on Wednesday as activists called for protests against a bill to criminalise disrespect of the Chinese anthem, amid soaring tensions over perceived threats to the city’s freedoms. Protests have returned to the streets of Chinese-ruled Hong Kong after Beijing proposed national security laws last […]
Hope “shattered” for Kenya’s forest people three years after landmark ruling
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation Kenya’s Indigenous Ogiek people are being harassed and threatened with eviction from the country’s largest forest, despite a landmark court ruling three years ago recognising their right over their ancestral land, activists said. The African Court on Human and People’s Rights – Africa’s highest human rights body – ruled on 26th May, 2017, […]
In pandemic, new UN envoy sees chance to rethink housing
Bangkok, ThailandThomson Reuters Foundation Housing is the “front line” of the battle against the coronavirus, the new independent United Nations expert on the issue has said, calling the pandemic an opportunity for the world to rethink its approach. Balakrishnan Rajagopal took on the role this month and with travel off the agenda, has had to […]
Uighur activists celebrate religious freedom agency’s first Uighur commissioner
RNS House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has appointed prominent Uighur American attorney and activist Nury Turkel to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent religious freedom watchdog agency funded by Congress. Turkel’s appointment has been celebrated widely by Uighur rights activists, who say the move is a clear signal to the Chinese Government that […]
Family violence (II)
While we do as a society need to come out loud and strong against family violence, one of my fears is that it will just push it further underground. PICTURE: Steve Halama/Unsplash (picture posed by a model) The perpetrators will put more pressure on their partners to hide it. We need room for redemption. If you […]
Coronavirus in the US: Meet eight pastors who pushed to keep their churches open
KATHRYN POST, of Religion News Service, reports…