Trump orders US exit from the World Health Organization
New York, US Reuters The United States will exit the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said on Monday, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises. Trump said the WHO had failed to act independently from the “inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” and required “unfairly […]
Notre Dame primps for its grand post-blaze return. But why does the cathedral look unfinished?
Paris, France AP The bells of Notre Dame are chiming again, but scaffolding still clinging to the cathedral’s exterior is puzzling some Parisians, who question whether its grand post-blaze reopening is more symbolic than substantive. When French President Emmanuel Macron inspects the rebuilding work on Friday, in his final tour of the construction site, he’ll see the renovated interiors with […]
In the US, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference launches new health initiatives
Washington DC, US RNS Below the sparkling chandeliers of the Museum of the Bible’s ballroom, the murmurs of fervent prayers for mental health healing rose above the sound of plucked guitar strings. Those prayers, uttered by a national gathering of Latino evangelical pastors on Tuesday, will be backed by a new mental health initiative launched […]
World Bank says 26 poorest countries in worst financial shape since 2006
Washington DC, US Reuters The world’s 26 poorest countries, home to 40 per cent of the most poverty-stricken people, are more in debt than at any time since 2006 and increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters and other shocks, a new World Bank report showed on Sunday. The report finds that these economies are poorer today […]
World falling behind on environment, health and hunger goals, UN report says
Singapore Reuters The world is way off track on most of the sustainable development targets agreed in 2015, such as tackling poverty and hunger, says a United Nations report which cites funding shortfalls, geopolitical tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic. The UN’s annual Sustainable Development Report ranks the performance of its 193 member states in implementing […]
World unprepared for another pandemic as WHO treaty talks push on
London, UK Reuters The world is unprepared for another health crisis like COVID-19, a leading global health expert has warned, as countries make a last push to agree a way forward for a pandemic treaty amid fears the political climate for agreement could sour. World Health Organization member states gathered in Geneva on Friday to […]
Pandemic boosted resilience, hurt financial health of Black churches, says US report
United States RNS Black majority congregations in the US, known for their high levels of community outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, have remained the most stable in combined attendance – in person and online – compared with multi-racial and white majority congregations. But they are also facing the greatest monetary struggles, with 34 per cent […]
Essay: Permacrisis – what it means and why it’s word of the year for 2022
In an article first published on The Conversation, NEIL TURNBULL, head of English, linguistics and philosophy at Nottingham Trent University, looks at why the Collins Dictionary named “permacrisis” as its word of the year for 2022…
Modern slavery on the rise as crises fuel poverty – UN report
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The number of people forced to work or in a marriage against their will has surged in recent years to around 50 million on any given day, the UN’s International Labour Organization said on Monday upon releasing its modern slavery report. Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts and climate change […]
COVID helps lift homelessness among Australian youth to “alarming” levels, says Mission Australia
Geelong, Australia As many as one in 20 Australian young people aged 15-to-19-years-old reported experiencing homelessness for the first time during the COVID pandemic, according to a new survey from Mission Australia. The figure is a significant increase on the one in 25 who reported experiencing homelessness in a 2017 report. Data from the organisation’s […]