Society & Culture

Latest

• 4 min read

  

  Africa Society & Culture

  Caught in the crossfire, Christians in Sudan among those hit hardest by the war

  By CDI Staff

  As the war in Sudan enters its second year with no clear resolution in sight, there are real fears that an escalation of hostilities between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) will further aggravate the humanitarian situation in Sudan. Speaking to Christian Daily International, the General Secretary of the Sudan Evangelical Alliance, Rafat Samir notes that Sudanese Christians have “long been ignored and neglected in humanitarian relief” increasing their vulnerability

• 3 min read

  

  Oceania Society & Culture

  Australia to enact world’s toughest social media ban for children under 16

  By CDI Staff

  Australia has passed legislation to ban children under 16 from using social media, a move that will enforce the world’s strictest regulations on platform usage by minors. The ban, which will not come into effect for at least 12 months, allows for penalties of up to A$50 million ($32.5 million; £25.7 million) for tech companies that fail to comply. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described the new law as essential for protecting young people from the "harms" of social media, a concern echoed

• 2 min read

  

  Latin America Society & Culture Church & Missions

  Thanksgiving in Latin America: an evolving tradition

  By Javier Bolaños

  Thanksgiving, traditionally celebrated in the United States and Canada, is gaining ground in some Latin American countries due to cultural influence and geographic proximity. In Mexico, for example, although it is not part of local traditions, the date has become popular among communities near the border and U.S. expatriates, who celebrate family gatherings with traditional dinners such as turkey and the classic side dishes of this holiday.

• 3 min read

  

  Oceania Society & Culture

  Australian government withdraws controversial misinformation bill, 'no pathway to legislate this proposal'

  By Chris Eyte

  A proposed law to give Australia’s media authority more powers and posing a danger of silencing critics of abortion and trans ideology, of great concern to rights group Australian Christian Lobby, has been withdrawn in a dramatic turnaround.  Australian lawmakers initially approved the “Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024” in the House of Representatives by 78 votes to 57 on November 7, as reported by Christian Daily International.

• 2 min read

  

  Middle East Society & Culture

  Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah takes effect following 'weeks of tireless diplomacy'

  By CDI Staff

  A ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after being brokered by the U.S. and France. The deal marks a rare diplomatic success in a region plagued by conflict for over a year.

• 4 min read

  

  US & Canada Society & Culture Church & Missions

  Mental health issues largely 'normalized' in Canadian churches, but some stigma remains

  By Chris Eyte

  Mental health issues are largely “normalized” within Canadian churches but stigma about the problems still exist, according to a survey sample of 1,000 church leaders and churchgoers. The survey was featured in the first of four webinars on “What Canadian Church Leaders Should Know about Mental Health & Illness in their Congregation” hosted by Flourishing Congregations Institute (FCI) and supported by Ambrose University in Canada.