New Zealand plans national syllabus on Maori and UK colonial history
Wellington, New ZealandReuters New Zealand’s government on Wednesday proposed that all children learn the history of Maori people and British colonisation in a set course that teachers must follow, ending a system where schools choose how those subjects are taught. Supporters of the change say the country’s history as currently taught tends to gloss over […]
Postcards: In Bangladesh, a Rohingya refugee reflects on the Myanmar coup
In light of the recent coup in Myanmar, NAIMUL KARIM, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, speaks with Nurul Islam, a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar who now lives and works as a teacher in a refugee camp in Bangladesh…
Traffickers found targeting more children as COVID-19 school closures fuel danger
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Human traffickers worldwide are increasingly targeting children and will likely exploit school closures during the coronavirus pandemic to abuse the young, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Children make up a third of trafficking victims who are uncovered – a share that has tripled in the past 15 years, with girls […]
Updated: Myanmar police file charges against Aung San Suu Kyi after coup
Updated: 9.30am, 4th February, 2021Reuters Myanmar police have filed charges against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi for illegally importing communications equipment and she will be detained until 15th February for investigations, according to a police document. The move followed a military coup on Monday and the detention of Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi and […]
Cyprus Orthodox Church to restore historic homes amid outcry
Nicosia, CyprusAP The head of Cyprus’ Orthodox Church on Wednesday pledged to rebuild a row of historic homes that were partially demolished next to an under-construction cathedral amid a public outcry over what government officials described as an “unlawful” action. The office of Archbishop Chrysostomos II told The Associated Press that that the Archbishop dispatched […]
COVAX allocates first tranche of 330 million vaccine doses to poor countries
Geneva, Switzerland/London, UKReuters The COVAX vaccine-sharing facility has allocated at least 330 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for poorer countries and will aim to deliver these and many millions more in the first half of 2021, agencies leading the scheme said on Wednesday. Publishing an interim distribution plan, the COVAX Facility said distribution would cover […]
Joe Kennedy III joins Poor People’s Campaign in the US
Washington DC, USRNS Former US Representative Joe Kennedy III announced on Monday he is “honoured” to join the Poor People’s Campaign, a faith-led anti-poverty initiative. The former representative from Massachusetts will serve as a “special senior adviser” to the campaign, which is co-chaired by Rev William Barber II and Rev Liz Theoharis. Then-US Representative Joe […]
StrangeSights: Printing a house; six more weeks of winter and, settling the question of body odour
DAVID ADAMS reports on the odder side of life…
US survey: White evangelicals most likely to say they’ve been harassed online for their faith
RNS Four in 10 US adults say they have been harassed online, according to a Pew Research Center study released on Tuesday. Though people responding to the Pew survey in September cite a number of reasons for why they have been targeted, one-fifth of those who have been harassed believe it was because of their religion. Those […]
New VR game lets kids, adults face-off against Goliath
RNS When Mike Woodward was growing up, he learned about the story of David and Goliath in Sunday school with a teacher who used a felt board and puppets to bring the story to life. His sons Parker, 12, and Owen, 9, had a more high-tech experience – battling wolves, lions, a bear and finally […]