Pandemic feared fuelling child abuse at Nigeria’s Islamic schools
Thomson Reuters Foundation Efforts to stop abuse and forced begging of pupils at Islamic schools in northern Nigeria are at risk as the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic could push more struggling families to enrol their children, according to campaigners. The Islamic schools, known locally as almajiri schools, are estimated to host about 10 […]
Sight-Seeing: Jimmy Carter taught me how to pray for a president
MAINA MWAURA, in an article first published on Religion News Service, looks at the lessons he’s learned the Christian call to pray for political leaders…
Patriarch: Pope to meet Iraqi Shiite leader Sistani in Iraq
Rome, Italy AP Iraq’s top Catholic official said Thursday that a deadly suicide bombing in Baghdad hasn’t thwarted Pope Francis’ plans to visit, and he confirmed the pontiff would meet with the country’s top Shiite cleric, Ali al-Sistani, in a significant highlight of the first-ever papal trip to Iraq. The Chaldean Patriarch, Cardinal Louis Raphael […]
Archbishops of Canterbury and York urge prayer and reflection as UK death toll passes 100,000
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York this week issued a call for the nation to remember the more than 100,000 people who have died of the coronavirus in the UK. In a letter to the nation, the two archbishops – Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell – said 100,000 wasn’t […]
WHO launches plan to tackle neglected diseases as COVID-19 strains healthcare
Thomson Reuters Foundation The World Health Organization will on Thursday launch a plan to combat 20 diseases that affect the world’s poorest people, seeking to prevent recent progress being erased by the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare systems. Many of the 20 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which range from leprosy to rabies, have been eradicated […]
US to end overseas fossil-fuel funding as rich world urged to boost climate finance
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation The United States will produce a plan to end international financing for fossil fuel projects, its special climate envoy John Kerry said Wednesday, as senior British and UN officials urged donor nations to meet a flagship climate finance promise. Speaking at an online panel organised by the World Economic Forum, Kerry […]
New Zealand, Vietnam top COVID performance ranking; US, UK languish
Sydney, AustraliaReuters New Zealand, Vietnam and Taiwan rank the top three in a COVID Performance Index of almost 100 countries for their successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with Britain and America near the bottom of the pile. The Lowy Institute said its index published on Thursday excludes China, where the first cases were identified […]
US evangelical Christian and Orthodox Jewish leaders offer spaces for vaccine distribution
Washington DC, USRNS Two national religious groups, one evangelical Christian, the other Orthodox Jewish, have teamed up to offer their sacred spaces for vaccine distribution, hoping to assist government officials and private companies in the effort to combat the ongoing pandemic. In a recent editorial, Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, and […]
Vaccine rollout a “war against time” for Amazon Indigenous groups
Bogota, ColombiaThomson Reuters Foundation Indigenous leaders in the Amazon rainforest urged governments this week to ensure vaccine rollouts reach all tribal communities as a devastating new wave of COVID-19 overwhelms the region’s health systems. Jose Gregorio Diaz, who heads the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin (COICA), said his people faced a […]
Health Insight: Needles are nothing to fear – Five steps to make vaccinations easier on your kids
In an article first published on The Conversation, THERESE O’SULLIVAN, of Australia’sEdith Cowan University, looks at some tips when it comes to having children vaccinated…