Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan agree ceasefire after border clashes
Bishkek, KyrgyzstanReuters Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed what they called a complete ceasefire on Saturday after reports of fresh shooting and troop build-ups in the aftermath of border clashes earlier this week that killed 49 people. The heads of the countries’ state security bodies announced the agreement in a joint briefing in Kyrgyzstan hours after Kyrgyzstan’s […]
Britain’s foreign aid cut: who will feel the impact?
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Britain has cut its commitment to foreign aid spending in 2021, pledging to spend 0.5 per cent of gross national income, instead of the promised 0.7 per cent. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in April outlined a breakdown of Britain’s development budget, with humanitarian aid mostly impacted. The temporary reduction in overseas aid could […]
The real threat to Chad’s military rulers: unemployed youth
N’djamena, ChadReuters When Neldjibaye Madjissem graduated with a mathematics degree in 2015, he began searching for work as a school teacher. Six years on, he is still looking – and is angry. The 31-year-old blames Chad’s government for lack of work, mismanagement of oil revenues and corruption. No wonder people are protesting on the streets […]
“A striking blow” – COVID-19 costs women $US800 billion in lost income
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation The COVID-19 crisis cost women around the world $US800 billion in lost income in 2020, Oxfam said on Thursday, as it demanded steps to tackle gender inequality. Women, overrepresented in low-paid, precarious sectors like retail, tourism and food services, lost more than 64 million jobs last year, said the charity, a […]
Building community “one cup at a time”: The beloved church coffee hour may soon return as COVID-19 fades
BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service, reports on the role coffee is now playing in US churches, whether meeting online or in the real world…
Be patient, says Spanish gallery investigating possible Caravaggio
Madrid, SpainReuters Art lovers eager to know whether a mysterious painting discovered in Spain is the work of Italian master Caravaggio must wait a few more months, said the gallery entrusted with establishing who the artist is. The oil painting of an agonised Christ, currently attributed to an unknown peer of 17th century Spaniard Jose […]
Half of Myanmar’s population risks falling into poverty by 2022: UNDP
Reuters The dual impacts of the pandemic and Myanmar’s political crisis triggered by a military coup could result in nearly half the population, or as many as 25 million people, dropping into poverty by 2022, the United Nations Development Programme warns. In a report released on Friday, UNDP said the effect of the crises could […]