US ambassador to UN says China tried to distract with Uyghur athlete in Opening Ceremony
AP The US ambassador to the United Nations says China’s selection of a Uyghur athlete to help deliver the Olympic flame in Beijing was an attempt by Chinese officials to “distract” from global attention on its human rights violations. The United States is staging a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics, sending athletes but not the […]
Wow!: From stormwater to farms, US cities put empty lots to use
CAREY L BIRON, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how, with federal pandemic aid on offer for revitalisation, some local governments in the US are using empty parcels to respond to local needs…
Pope decries genital mutilation, sex trafficking of women; praises Moroccan efforts to rescue boy trapped in well
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis condemned female genital mutilation and trafficking of women for prostitution on Sunday, calling them humiliating affronts to women’s dignity and urging officials to do everything possible to end both. “This practice, which is unfortunately common in various parts of the world, humiliates the dignity of a woman and gravely attacks […]
Charles praises Queen Elizabeth II’s blessing for ‘Queen Camilla’ in jubilee tribute
London, UKReuters Prince Charles on Sunday thanked his mother Queen Elizabeth for publicly stating her desire that his wife Camilla becomes Queen Consort when he becomes King, acknowledging the honour on the 70th anniversary of her accession to the British throne. The request – a blessing that will likely remove the need for any discussion […]
Cyclone kills at least 10 in Madagascar, destroying homes and cutting power
Antanamarivo, Madagascar Reuters A cyclone killed at least 10 people in southeastern Madagascar, the second to hit the Indian Ocean island in just two weeks, triggering floods, bringing down buildings and cutting power, officials said on Sunday. One of the worst-hit towns was Nosy Varika on the east coast where almost 95 per cent of […]
UK’s Queen Elizabeth II wants Charles’ wife to be ‘Queen Camilla’ when he’s King
London, UKReuters Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II said on Saturday that she wants Prince Charles’ wife Camilla to be styled Queen Consort when he becomes king, cementing her place at the heart of the royal family after once being judged an outsider. In a letter written to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession to the […]
Thousands rally proclaiming “Kharkiv is Ukraine” in city near Russian border
Kharkiv, Ukraine Reuters Thousands took to the streets of Ukraine’s second-largest city on Saturday carrying banners saying “Kharkiv is Ukraine” and “stop Russian aggression”, as the country braced for a possible military offensive from Russia. Weeks of diplomacy between the West and Moscow have produced no breakthrough after Russia massed tens of thousands of troops […]
India’s COVID deaths cross 500,000 but some analysts count millions more
New Delhi, IndiaReuters India’s official COVID-19 death toll crossed 500,000 on Friday, a level some data analysts said was breached last year but was obscured by inaccurate surveys and unaccounted dead in the hinterlands, where millions remain vulnerable to the disease. The country, which has the fourth-highest tally of deaths globally, recorded 400,000 deaths by […]
Coups, COVID and climate test African leaders at summit
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaReuters Leaders gathered at an African Union summit called on Saturday for the continent to have a bigger role on the international stage amid signs the bloc is struggling to forge a coordinated response to challenges from coups to COVID-19. The AU, formed 20 years ago to foster regional cooperation, has taken little […]
The challenge of greener transport: Egypt’s tuk-tuk drivers wary of plans for green streets
As Egypt launches an ambitious greening of its transport ahead of COP27, Cairo’s tuk-tuk drivers fear they’ll lose out. MENNA A FAROUK, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports…