US Secretary of State’s elevation of religious freedom draws criticism
AP More than two dozen faith leaders and religious advocates, most progressive-leaning, are warning that a recent draft human rights report from the State Department – which places a particular emphasis on freedom to worship – could “weaken religious freedom itself” by elevating it above other rights. In a statement organised by the Center for American Progress, […]
Vatican: In rare cases, lay faithful can lead marriage rite
Vatican CityAP The Vatican said on Monday that in very exceptional circumstances and with special permission, lay Catholics can be allowed to perform marriage rites. In a document issued by the Holy See office for clergy, the Vatican said that could only happen if there are no priests or deacons available, the nation’s bishops sign […]
Australia warns coronavirus outbreak will take weeks to tame
Sydney, AustraliaReuters A surge in COVID-19 cases in Australia’s second-biggest city could take weeks to subside despite a lockdown and orders to wear masks, Australia’s acting chief medical officer said on Monday as the country braces for a second wave of infection. Authorities in the state of Victoria, whose capital Melbourne is in partial lockdown […]
Better African heatwave data could save lives, shield economies, report says
Johannesburg, South AfricaThomson Reuters Foundation Heatwaves over the last century in sub-Saharan Africa have not been properly recorded, undermining early warning systems to save lives and prevent economic losses caused by soaring temperatures, a University of Oxford report said last week. Researchers found the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT), the world’s biggest database of extreme weather […]
Kanye West criticises Harriet Tubman at his political rally
Columbia, South CarolinaAP Rapper Kanye West, in his first event since declaring himself a presidential candidate, ranted against historical figure Harriet Tubman on Sunday, saying the Underground Railroad conductor “never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people”, comments that drew shouts of opposition from some in the crowd. West […]
Bogota’s second lockdown: normality for some, hunger for the rest
ANASTASIA MOLONEY, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports from Colombia’s capital…
Good business or digital bias? The divisive rise of ‘proptech’
New York City, USThomson Reuters Foundation When Fabian Rogers first heard that his landlord wanted to install facial recognition cameras at the entrance of his New York City building, the recent university graduate was suspicious. His flat was affordable because it was rent-stabilized by law, he said, but back in 2018 landlords could raise rents […]
Essay: The long history of how Jesus came to resemble a white European
Art historian ANNA SWARTWOOD HOUSE, in an article first published on The Conversation, looks at the history of portrayal of Christ as a white European…
This Life: God’s plans stand firm like a sycamore tree
In an article first published on ASSIST News Service, CAROL ROUND looks at God’s plans for us…
Outrage in India over Dalit farmers’ suicide attempt after police beating
Lucknow, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation A lower-caste Dalit couple in India attempted suicide after police beat them and destroyed their crops, triggering calls on Thursday for an end to brutal evictions of poor minorities. An online video showing half a dozen police officers dragging and beating the couple with sticks to evict them from government-owned land […]