Post-COVID plan for paid spots on Australia’s Bondi divides sunseekers
Thomson Reuters Foundation A proposal by a private club to cordon off a section of Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach has divided local residents and sparked a debate on changes to public spaces in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Amalfi Beach Club, in a petition posted online earlier this month, proposed paid access to […]
Wow!: Spurred by COVID-19, African schools innovate to close learning gap
NELLIE PEYTON and KIM HARRISBERG, writing for Thomson Reuters Foundation, report on how the rise of remote learning could change education in Africa…
Attorneys for US megachurch pastor John MacArthur denounce headlines reporting a church outbreak of COVID-19 cases
Los Angeles, USRNS Attorneys for Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church are condemning recent headlines declaring a coronavirus outbreak in the megachurch that has defied public health orders since July. The Los Angeles Times on Thursday reported that three confirmed COVID-19 cases had been tied to the church. The headline for that story read: “Coronavirus outbreak […]
United Church of Christ congregations in US raise enough to erase about $US26 million in medical debt
Boston, USAP More than 100 United Church of Christ congregations across southern New England have helped raise enough money to erase a total of $US26.2 million in medical debt for thousands of families across the Northeast and more than 12,000 first responders and medical workers nationwide. The churches in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, along […]
Holiday shoppers are coming to town with health checklist – global survey
Reuters Holiday shoppers braving the coronavirus pandemic to buy gifts in person are checking which stores are naughty or nice in terms of public health, a worldwide survey released on Monday showed. About 79 per cent of respondents want to see masks being worn, 82 per cent demand visible cleaning efforts, and 76 per cent […]
Australia’s COVID-19 lockdown also prevented about 400 deaths from other illnesses – research paper
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Social distancing and lockdowns in Australia not only slowed the spread of COVID-19, they saved the lives of about 400 people who would have been expected to died in June from respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, a research paper published on Monday showed. Examining Australia’s most recent official fatality data, the Actuaries Institute […]
Egypt’s parliamentary vote likely to tighten leader’s grip
Cairo, EgyptAP Egyptians cast ballots Saturday in the first stage of the country’s parliamentary election, a vote which is highly likely to produce a toothless lower chamber packed with supporters of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The election took place place as the Arab world’s most populous country faces a slight increase in coronavirus cases, with authorities […]
COVID-19 pandemic “greatest crisis of our age”, says UN head
AP The head of the United Nations said Sunday that “the COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest crisis of our age.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened an online session of the World Health Summit with a call for worldwide solidarity in the global crisis and demanded that developed countries support health systems in countries that are […]
World Council of Churches welcomes news of nuclear treaty ratification
The World Council of Churches has welcomed news that a UN treaty banning nuclear weapons will come into force on 22nd January. The move comes after Honduras became the 50th state to ratify the treaty – which would establish a comprehensive ban on the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of […]
Eating the leftovers: COVID-19, food crisis give new life to ancient practice of gleaning
ELIZABETH E EVANS, in an article published by Religion News Service, reports on the revival of an ancient practice…