Toxic mercury in fish rising with climate change and overfishing, says research
Rome, Italy Thomson Reuters Foundation Climate change and overfishing are increasing levels of toxic mercury in cod and tuna, which can cause neurological disorders in children and babies whose mothers eat fish while pregnant, a study by Harvard scientists said on Wednesday. The concentration of methylmercury – an organic compound which can cause severe damage […]
StrangeSights: No sweet smells for Vienna’s commuters; the ‘real’ Snow White’s gravestone on show; and, remember where your money is…
DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
BOOKS: ANTI-SEMITISM EXPLAINED
DAVID ADAMS reads Julia Neuberger’s book, ‘Antsemitism: What it is. What is isn’t. Why it matters’…
UK found sending home dozens of slavery victims despite re-trafficking fears
London Thomson Reuters Foundation Britain has sent home or aided the return of dozens of slaves to trafficking hotspots including Albania, Nigeria and Vietnam in recent years, raising concerns this put people at risk of being re-trafficked due to a lack of support in their home countries. The government subjected 36 victims to “enforced returns” […]
France fines more than 700 in first year of ‘cat-call’ law
London Thomson Reuters Foundation French authorities have fined more than 700 men for harassing women in public since the introduction of a law a year ago to stop cat-calls, lewd comments and gestures. Those breaking the law face potential on-the-spot fines of up to €750 or €1,500 if there are aggravating circumstances such as the victim is […]
Water bankruptcy looms for one in four people worldwide, researchers warn
New York City, US Thomson Reuters Foundation A quarter of the world’s people are just a few dry spells away from facing dangerous water shortages, a US thinktank warned on Tuesday, with India home to the bulk at risk of running dry. Seventeen countries face “extremely high water stress” because they consume 80 per cent […]
ENVIRONMENT: SMART GAS COOKING SEEKS TO BREAK AFRICAN CITIES’ DIRTY CHARCOAL HABIT
MEGAN ROWLING, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on initiatives to encourage people in Africa to use gas instead of charcoal when cooking…
Christians in the Philippines decry growing hostilities after killing of pastor
Morning Star News Following the killing of a pastor on the Island of Mindanao on Friday, church leaders in the Philippines have decried an alleged increase in attacks on Christian human rights defenders since the start of the Rodrigo Duterte administration in 2016. Pastor Ernesto Javier Estrella of the United Church of Christ in the […]
Essay: Understanding Christians’ climate views can lead to better conversations about the environment
In an article first published on The Conversation, EMMA FRANCES BLOOMFIELD, author of ‘Communication Strategies for Engaging Climate Skeptics: Religion and the Environment’, looks at the differing views of Christians when it comes to climate change…
THIS LIFE: DISCIPLINE AND CRAVING
ELISABETH CARTER looks at the importance of discipline – in exercise and in relationship with God…