In the US, Georgia church disowns suspect, says he betrayed faith

AP The church attended by the white man charged with killing eight people at three Atlanta-area massage businesses, most of them women of Asian descent, condemned the shootings Friday and said they run contrary to the gospel and the church’s teachings. Crabapple First Baptist Church in Milton, Georgia, also announced in a statement that it […]
Vatican pressed on decree limiting Latin Mass in St Peter’s

Rome, Italy AP A second Catholic cardinal has questioned the legitimacy of a recent decree by the Vatican to restrict the celebration of the old Latin Mass in St Peter’s Basilica and forbid private Masses in its side chapels. The 12th March circular was written on the letterhead of the Vatican Secretariat of State and […]
Women suffer 80 per cent of sexual assaults – UK data; In Australia, sexual consent app proposal sparks criticism

London, UK Thomson Reuters Foundation Women make up 80 per cent of sexual assault victims over the age of 16, official data showed on Thursday, as Britain moves towards classifying misogyny as a hate crime in the wake of protests over the murder of Londoner Sarah Everard. The latest statistics showed little progress in tackling […]
Snapshot: Lake Michigan, United States

See HIDE OBARA’s image…
VR inspires guide to city design through eyes of a child

Johannesberg, South Africa Thomson Reuters Foundation Inspired by a virtual reality tool that allows users to experience cities from the height of a three-year-old, a new set of guidelines aims to show how urban design can improve the health and security of vulnerable children. Bringing together practical tools and examples for urban planners and governments, […]
Asian American churches plan acts beyond prayer for healing

AP Asian American Christian leaders said Thursday their congregations are saddened and outraged after a white gunman killed eight people – most of them women of Asian descent – at three Atlanta-area massage parlours. And they’re calling for action beyond prayers. Asian Americans were already rattled by a wave of racist attacks amid the spread […]
27th March – Online ‘Hosanna in the Highest’ ecumenical service (hosted in Australia)

The Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network in Australia and Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre in Jerusalem will host an online joint ecumenical service – ‘Hosanna in the Highest’ – Saturday, 27th March…
Africa lags on 2030 global goal of gender parity in politics

Nairobi, Kenya Thomson Reuters Foundation Africa has increased the number of women in parliament but still looks set to miss a global goal of gender parity in politics by 2030, a European thinktank said on Thursday. The study by Sweden’s International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) found that women occupied 24 per […]
Reports of suspected slavery stall in UK due to coronavirus

London, UK Thomson Reuters Foundation The number of suspected modern slaves identified annually in Britain has stalled for the first time since 2012, official data revealed on Thursday, with campaigners concerned that the coronavirus pandemic has hindered efforts to support victims. About 10,613 potential victims were referred to the British Government for help last year […]
A decade of conflict: Where Syria uprising began 10 years ago, dissent is still rife

A decade after protests first broke out in Syria leading to an ongoing civil war, BASSEM MROUE and SARAH EL DEEB, of Associated Press, report on how events in the provincial city of Daraa have reflected the broader arc of the war in Syria…