US court rules Washington DC church can hold outdoor services for now
RNS A district court has temporarily granted a request from a Washington, DC, Southern Baptist church to gather for outdoor worship services that violate the city’s rules for public gatherings. Capitol Hill Baptist Church argued that the District of Columbia’s COVID-19 restrictions had violated its constitutional rights and was causing “irreparable harm” to its congregation. […]
Postcards: ‘Corona carriers’ – Stigma halts medication and meet-ups for HIV+ Malawians
CHARLES PENSULO, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on the increased challenges facing HIV-positive people in Malawi…
At fast-tracked hearings, US Supreme Court nominee vows fair approach as justice; Democrats sceptical
Washington DC, US AP Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett presented her conservative approach to the law Monday at the start of fast-tracked confirmation hearings, while Democrats, powerless to stop her, tried to cast her as a threat to Americans’ health care coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. With her large family sitting behind her in a […]
Pope warmly greets redeemed Cardinal Pell after abuse trial; four Swiss Guards test positive to coronavirus
Rome, Italy AP Pope Francis met Monday with Cardinal George Pell and thanked him for his witness, warmly welcoming him for a private audience in the Apostolic Palace after the cardinal’s sex abuse conviction and acquittal in Australia. The Vatican released photos and a brief video clip of the meeting, a clear sign that both […]
“Uninhabitable hell”: Climate change and disease threaten millions, UN warns
Barcelona, Spain Thomson Reuters Foundation A jump in climate-related disasters this century, along with the global coronavirus pandemic, show political and business leaders are failing to stop the planet turning into “an uninhabitable hell” for millions, the United Nations said on Monday. The last two decades saw the number of disasters caused by extreme weather nearly double […]
Asia-Pacific countries begin to ease pandemic-related travel bans, but hurdles remain
Sydney, Australia Reuters Asia-Pacific countries including Singapore, Australia and Japan are gradually easing some international travel restrictions as coronavirus cases slow, in hopes of helping to revive their economies. International travel in Asia has collapsed during the pandemic due to border closures, with passenger numbers down 97 per cent in August, according to the Association […]
No “dogma”: Democrats walk tightrope on Barrett’s faith
Washington DC, US AP “The dogma lives loudly within you.” It’s that utterance from California Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, that’s on the minds of Democrats and Republicans preparing for this coming week’s hearings with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Feinstein’s 2017 remarks as she questioned Barrett – then a nominee […]
Novel coronavirus survives 28 days on glass, currency, Australian researchers find
Melbourne, Australia Reuters The virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on banknotes, glass and stainless steel for up to 28 days, much longer than the flu virus, Australian researchers said on Monday, highlighting the need for cleaning and handwashing to combat the virus. Researchers at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, found that at 20 degrees […]
Quick facts: Seven facts on global hunger after World Food Programme wins Nobel
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation The United Nations’ World Food Programme won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to combat hunger around the world and improve conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict. For more than 50 years the WFP has worked to improve food security around the world, but conflict, […]
Housing security: US evictions surge amid pandemic despite federal ban
CAREY L BIRON, of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how, despite a ban, some American families are still being threatened with removal from their homes…