What’s in a name? At the Vatican, a debate on inclusiveness
Rome, ItalyAP The Vatican responded Wednesday to criticism that the title of Pope Francis’ upcoming encyclical on the post-COVID world is sexist, saying the document, Fratelli Tutti, (Brothers All) in no way excludes women. In Italian, “fratelli” means brothers but it is also used as the inclusive, brothers and sisters. Since Francis takes pains to […]
Uganda probes killing of 10 refugees in row with locals over water
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation Uganda is investigating the deaths of 10 refugees and a local teenager in a dispute over water, a government minister said on Wednesday, urging the world to do more to help Africa’s biggest refugee host country. Violence erupted last week after a disagreement over who should have priority at a borehole […]
Fear of more coronavirus-like pandemics as land rights ‘under siege’
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation Governments’ failure to recognise the land rights of indigenous communities and their role in protecting biodiversity could lead to more coronavirus-like pandemics, researchers said on Tuesday. A study of more than 40 countries found many local people’s land claims were being ignored, amid increasing deforestation and wildlife exploitation, which may be […]
Books: Beyond the pulpit – when relaying the Gospel narrative is every Christian’s privilege
JO KADLECEK reviews Tim Keller’s 2015 book on preaching in a culture of sceptism…
Hong Kong social enterprises on the brink after protests, COVID-19
Thomson Reuters Foundation A quarter of Hong Kong’s social enterprises could go out of business by the end of the year, according to a new poll, threatening the jobs of hundreds of employees as the coronavirus pandemic takes a heavy toll on the city’s economy. COVID-19 has exacerbated the woes of the roughly 600 social […]
StrangeSights: Zoo calls for ‘godparents’; sleepover at the ‘Fresh Prince’s’ house; and, Hotdog! – a marriage proposal…
DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
Biden talks faith and poverty at Poor People’s Campaign event
Washington DC, USRNS Former Vice President Joe Biden addressed the faith-based anti-poverty group the Poor People’s Campaign at a virtual event on Monday evening, telling its members, “I want to be part of your movement.” The gathering, which operated under the theme ‘Voting is power unleashed’, focused on poverty and voter mobilization, a major thrust of […]
Brazil court rules in favor of anti-slavery ‘dirty list’
Rio de Janeiro, BrazilThomson Reuters Foundation Brazil’s so-called dirty list, one of the nation’s most powerful weapons against slave labour, is legal and can proceed, the Supreme Court ruled this week. With the ruling, the list of companies and individuals found by labour inspectors to have engaged in slave labour overcame a legal challenge by […]
Facebook launches climate science info centre amid fake news criticism
Brussels, Belgium/San Francisco, USReuters Facebook on Tuesday launched a climate science information centre to elevate credible sources on climate change, as critics question its role in the spread of misinformation on the issue. Facebook said the project is modelled on its COVID-19 Information Center, and launched a similar feature last month on voting in preparation […]
Guns and the church: Being a good guy with a gun is what God wants, say “sheepdog” evangelicals
JACK JENKINS, of Religion News Service, looks at the issue of firearms – and the arguments for whether Christians should own them for self-defence – in the light of a recent controversy over a crowd-funding campaign raising money for the defence of 17-year-old charged with killing two people…