Lifestory: A wing and a prayer – Australia’s bush-pilot pastor takes off again
LOREN ELLIOTT, of Reuters, travels to Broken Hill to meeting Uniting Church minister David Shrimpton…
Father of kidnapped US missionaries is grateful they’re free
Hart, Michigan, USAP The father of four Christian missionaries from Michigan who were among 12 who escaped from kidnappers in Haiti expressed gratitude Tuesday and said they’re in good shape. Two more family members were also kidnapped but were released a few weeks ago. They’re associated with Hart Dunkard Brethren Church in Hart, about 306 kilometres north-west […]
Biden calls on Americans to vaccinate to fight Omicron as Europe braces for “storm”
London, UKReuters Countries across Europe considered new curbs on movement on Tuesday while US President Joe Biden called on military medics to support hospitals and fight the Omicron variant sweeping the world days before the second Christmas of the pandemic. Omicron infections are multiplying across Europe, the United States and Asia, including in Japan, where […]
UN urges Belarus, Poland to address refugees’ “dire conditions”
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Belarus and Poland are pushing refugees back and forth across their border and leaving them with little if any food, clean water or shelter, the UN Human Rights office said on Tuesday, urging both countries to address “this appalling situation”. Refugees and migrants interviewed by a UN human rights team on a 29th […]
Food running out, Philippine typhoon survivors warn
Manila. The PhilippinesReuters Philippine officials and residents of areas that bore the brunt of Typhoon Rai pleaded for food, water, and shelter on Tuesday as damaged roads, flooding, and severed power and communication lines hampered relief efforts. Rai struck last Thursday, the strongest typhoon to hit the archipelago this year, killing nearly 400 people and […]
Spend on education, not weapons, Pope says in annual peace message
Vatican CityReuters Nations should divert money spent on armaments to invest in education, Pope Francis says in a yearly peace message, decrying growing military costs at the expense of social services. In his message issued on Tuesday for the Roman Catholic Church’s World Day of Peace, which is celebrated on 1st January, Francis also called […]
Online content moderation: Can AI help clean up social media?
Thomson Reuters Foundation Two days after it was sued by Rohingya refugees from Myanmar over allegations that it did not take action against hate speech, social media company Meta, formerly known as Facebook, announced a new artificial intelligence system to tackle harmful content. Machine learning tools have increasingly become the go-to solution for tech firms […]
UK says COVID surge “extremely difficult” as Omicron grips Europe
London, UKReuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he would tighten coronavirus curbs to slow the spread of the Omicron variant if needed, after the Netherlands began a fourth lockdown and as other European nations consider Christmas restrictions. Speaking after UK media reported Britain might impose new curbs after Christmas, Johnson said the […]
At least eight dead in Malaysia floods as rescue effort stumbles
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaReuters At least eight people have died in floods that have ravaged Malaysia, authorities said on Monday, as the government faced criticism from the public and opposition lawmakers over its rescue efforts. Floods are common on the eastern coast of Malaysia during the annual monsoon season between October and March, but unusually heavy […]
UN chief lays wreath at Beirut port, pushes for blast accountability
Beirut, LebanonReuters UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday said Lebanon needed proper accountability for the August, 2020, Beirut port explosion and that elections due to be held next year could usher in political stability in the troubled country. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lays a wreath of flowers at a memorial as he pays tribute […]