StrangeSights: Baby names – from IKEA; ‘International Bath Day’; and, spend a night in the ‘Mystery Machine’…
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
UK urged to stop cotton imports made in Chinese “prison camps”
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Major brands are turning a blind eye to forced labour on a scale not seen since World War II, lawyers and campaigners said on Thursday as they urged Britain to halt imports of cotton goods originating from China’s Xinjiang region. They named H&M, IKEA, Uniqlo and Muji among companies selling merchandise […]
ESSAY: THE AMAZING GROWTH OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE
In an article first published on The Conversation, FRANCOIS LEVEQUE, professor of economics at Mines ParisTech, takes a look at some facts and figures behind the modern Christmas tree…
Major companies pledge jobs, education for refugees
Geneva, SwitzerlandThomson Reuters Foundation Major companies including Ikea, Lego and Vodafone pledged to do more to help refugees get access to education and employment on Monday, ahead of a global conference aimed at supporting the millions of people forced from their homelands. Together the companies pledged $US250 million toward education and training in jobs and […]
From Ikea to Gap, firms aim to use scarce water more wisely
Stockholm, SwedenThomson Reuters Foundation Putting on a pair of jeans or drinking a beer has a cost beyond the pricetag, with billions of tonnes of water used globally each year to manufacture them and other consumer goods, companies said at an international water conference on Monday. But with population growth and climate change making water […]
STRANGESIGHTS: THE SEARCH FOR A HAPPY HOME; CAPTAIN KIRK VISITED MARS?; AND, THE DANGERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA FILTERS…
DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
New aid charity says modern “business models” will save lives
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation A turbulent world requires emergency aid to be agile, faster and more efficient, instead of waiting until a crisis hits the headlines, said the chief of a charity launched last week. With financial backing from the World Bank, IKEA Foundation and donor governments, the Start Network aims to transform a humanitarian system that […]
Eight enterprises trying to tamp down the trash
Thomson Reuters Foundation Sweden’s IKEA is taking steps to reduce waste, allowing customers to rent rather than buy furniture, as part of a trial. Big companies have come under fire in recent years over the enormous amount of waste they are responsible for and been accused of encouraging a throwaway culture to drive sales. PICTURE: […]