The US Supreme Court is to consider whether prayers can be offered as part of government meetings.

Councillors at Cromer Town Council in Norfolk voted by 12 votes to one that in future those who wished to join in a short period of prayer or reflection would gather at 6.45pm, ahead of the usual 7pm start to council meetings.

In a campaign that echoes the National Secular Society's successful challenge to council prayers in England and Wales, a group in Canada called Secular Ontario is taking legal action to stop politicians praying before their meetings.

St Albans district council has voted 34-13 to discontinue prayers as part of the agenda for full council meetings, but to have a separate voluntary prayer session beforehand.

The National Secular Society has welcomed an announcement from Edinburgh City Council that new ten minute "Pause for Reflection" sessions will be held before council meetings in place of prayers during them.

The leader of West Lindsey District Council in Lincolnshire has come under heavy fire from the religious establishment in the town – and some of his fellow councillors – for saying that he would "heartily cheer" when council prayers were outlawed.

The leader of Brighton and Hove has announced that he intends to significantly increase the amount of religious participation before council meetings. As well as Christian Ministers, rabbis, Buddhists and Muslim imams will be invited to lead prayers in the council chamber.

A Scottish council has dropped prayers at its meetings in order to eliminate discrimination. Dumfries and Galloway Council has decided to dump the formal prayers – which were the first item on the agenda – and replace them with a "time for reflection", 10 minutes before the meeting starts.

A survey by The Sunday Telegraph has found that 40 councils have recently decided to drop, or "water down" the practice of saying prayers, with more considering doing so.

The National Secular Society has accused Communities Secretary Eric Pickles of behaving like a dictator by unilaterally declaring that a High Court judgment no longer applies.

A Muslim councillor claims he was deselected by the local Conservative Party after he objected to the saying of Christian prayers as part of the Council meeting - plus an update on what councils around the country are doing

Bideford Town Council has decided not to appeal the High Court's decision that putting prayers on agendas is unlawful. It was at the centre of the NSS's challenge to prayers as part of council business.

The practice of council prayers held by some local authorities in Scotland has now been challenged by the National Secular Society.

The National Secular Society has accused the Minister for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, of allowing his evangelical Christian views to cloud his judgment and risk a damaging split in society.

A Cheshire town councillor who walked out of a meeting before prayers was heckled and told 'he should be ashamed of himself'.

Two new polls about religion, which specifically asked a question about the Bideford case, illustrate an ambivalent reaction among the public.

The government is activating a power it claims will allow councils in England to hold prayers at meetings.

Bideford Council reportedly decided last night to appeal against the High Court's decision that prayers during Council meetings were unlawful.

Media reaction to the judgement on council prayers last week has inevitably been mixed while the public reaction has been strongly supportive of the National Secular Society.

The High Court today ruled that "The saying of prayers as part of the formal meeting of a Council is not lawful under s111 of the Local Government Act 1972, and there is no statutory power permitting the practice to continue". The judgement follows a Judicial Review initiated by the National Secular Society.