Daily media briefing
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Thu, 19 Oct 2023
Women still being harassed at abortion clinics despite buffer zone law
Women using abortion clinics are still being harassed despite MPs voting a year ago to create buffer zones to stop protesters intimidating them, medical and abortion groups say.
The Guardian
Jailing women for abortion 'unlikely to be just', court finds
A senior court has said jailing women for abortion-related crimes was "unlikely" to be a "just outcome" after a mother's sentence was reduced.
BBC
Europe antisemitism: Berlin synagogue targeted as attacks rise
Berlin's Jewish community has been shaken by two petrol bombs thrown at a synagogue amid a spike in antisemitic incidents in some European countries.
BBC
The pope’s absolute power, and the problems it can cause, are on display in 2 Vatican trials
Two Vatican trials are coming to a head this week and posing uncomfortable questions for the Holy See, given they both underscore Pope Francis' power as an absolute monarch and the legal, financial and reputational problems that can arise when he wields it.
Associated Press
Wed, 18 Oct 2023
Historical institutional abuse: NI survivors paid £77m compensation
About £77m of compensation has been paid to survivors of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland so far. More than 4,000 applications for redress have been received, Stormont's Executive Office said.
BBC
St Monica's Kendal: 'My wife killed herself over church-home trauma'
In 2006 Stephen Hindley's wife Judith killed herself close to where her baby son was buried. He believes the "Dickensian" treatment she received at a church-run home for unmarried mothers in the 1960s and the lifelong trauma of the death of her son there, led to her suicide.
BBC
Macron says 'Islamist terrorism' rising in Europe, all states at risk
Europe is seeing a rise of "Islamist terrorism" and all states are threatened, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday during a visit to Albania, after Islamist killings of a teacher in France and two Swedish football fans in Belgium.
Reuters
Prosecutor says suspect in school stabbing declared allegiance to IS
France's anti-terror prosecutor has said that a suspected Islamic extremist declared allegiance to the so-called Islamic State group before fatally stabbing a teacher in a school attack last week.
The National
Sweden's PM in Brussels for commemoration, as Islamic State claims football fans deaths
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack that left two football fans dead, saying Swedes were targeted because of their country's membership in a global coalition fighting jihadists.
Euronews
India’s supreme court declines to legally recognise same-sex marriage
India's top court has declined to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages, saying it is beyond its scope and should be decided by parliament, but emphasising that queer relationships should not face discrimination by the state.
The Guardian
How families in India are misusing laws to report consensual, interfaith relationships as rape
"Sohail, 18, a Muslim, was arrested for 'rape of a minor' after his 17-year-old girlfriend's Hindu parents called the police. It's just one of many similar cases in India".
The i
Antisemitism among Muslim migrants unsettles a Germany haunted by the Holocaust
Since World War II and the Nazis' defeat, one motto has towered over German politics: "Never again" should Jews here have to fear for their lives. Now anti-Jewish sentiment is surging in the country's large and growing Muslim community, much expanded by the country's openness to asylum seekers from a war-ravaged Middle East.
The Wall Street Journal*
Tue, 17 Oct 2023
Faith schools: where do the political parties stand?
NSS CEO Stephen Evans argues in The Freethinker that the state should not fund religiously segregated faith schools, and examines the main political parties' positions on this and related issues.
St Monica's church home baby deaths: MP calls for police probe
Tim Farron MP has called for a police investigation into baby deaths and allegations of abuse at a former church home for unmarried mothers.
BBC
Six Britons dead and 10 missing after Hamas attack on Israel, Rishi Sunak says
Six Britons are dead and another 10 are missing after the assault by Hamas on southern Israel a week ago, Rishi Sunak has said.
The Guardian
Red paint thrown on Jewish schools in London a hate crime – police
Two Jewish schools in north London have been daubed with red paint in what has been called "a disgraceful attempt to intimidate and harass" the community.
BBC
Christian preacher faces jail for alleged breach of abortion clinic buffer zone
A Christian preacher will be prosecuted after he was accused of holding a Bible verse sign in the UK's first abortion clinic "buffer zone".
The Telegraph*
Man linked to Islamic State death squad pleads guilty to UK terror offences
A man once suspected of being a member of the Islamic State cell known as "the Beatles" has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in the UK.
BBC
Brussels shooting: 'Europe shaken' after two Swedes shot dead
Two Swedish nationals have been shot dead and a third person injured in Brussels, in an attack which prosecutors are treating as terrorism.
BBC
Australia: Broome Catholic bishop subject of Vatican investigation still in control of charities
A Catholic leader accused of sexually assaulting several young Aboriginal men still has control of nine charities in his former diocese. According to the most recent data, one of those has assets worth almost $700,000, while another has revenue of at least $1m.
The Guardian
US: A Baltimore priest has been dismissed over 2018 sexual harassment settlement
A Benedictine monk has been suspended from ministry after the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore recently became aware of a payment he made several years ago to settle sexual harassment allegations.
Associated Press
Unification Church slams Japan’s dissolution request as a threat to religious freedom
The Japanese branch of the Unification Church on Monday criticized the Japanese government's request for a court order to dissolve the group, saying it's based on groundless accusations and is a serious threat to religious freedom and human rights of its followers.
Associated Press
Mon, 16 Oct 2023
Abuse survivors complain after breaches of confidentiality over C of E safeguarding data
Survivors of church-based abuse have spoken of "not having any trust left" after two data breaches this week by bodies appointed to carry forward the C of E's work on safeguarding.
Church Times*
‘Until we find a vaccine for religious fundamentalism, there is no peace’
"Fundamentalists lack that most civilising of human virtues: doubt. They have absolute truth, the certified word of God, so they are not merely justified in slaughtering infidels; they would be failing in their duty if they did not do so."
The Times*
FA criticised by Jewish groups over response to Hamas attacks
Leading Jewish groups, the culture secretary, and the government's independent adviser on antisemitism have hit out at English football's response to the attacks by Hamas in Israel and criticised the Football Association's refusal to light up the Wembley arch.
The Guardian
Teacher killed in France school stabbing
A teacher has been killed and two people seriously injured in a knife attack at a school in France. Witnesses say he shouted "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest", during the attack. Visiting the school, President Emmanuel Macron condemned the "barbarity of Islamist terrorism".
BBC
Ireland: Former president says Catholic Church has to ‘take a lot of responsibility’ for death of woman denied an abortion
Former president of Ireland, Dr Mary McAleese, has said she believes the Catholic Church "has got to take a lot of responsibility" for the death of Savita Halappanavar, an Indian dentist who died in 2012 from sepsis after being refused an abortion when she was 17 weeks' pregnant.
Belfast Telegraph
Star of David painted on Jewish homes in Berlin
The Star of David has been spray-painted on several buildings housing Jewish people in Berlin amid a wave of antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents across Germany.
The Times*
Italian court confirms extradition of a priest wanted for murder, torture in Argentina dictatorship
Italy's top criminal court has confirmed the extradition of an Italian priest sought by Argentina on charges of murder and torture during its last military dictatorship, rejecting the priest's appeal, a lawyer said Sunday.
Associated Press
US: Landlord kills six-year-old Muslim boy and stabs mother in Illinois hate crime
A 71-year-old man in Plainfield, Illinois, has been charged with murder and a hate crime after stabbing a child and his mother because they were Muslims. The attack killed a six-year-old boy and left the woman seriously wounded.
The Guardian
Fri, 13 Oct 2023
Dissenting bishops ‘unable to support’ decision to approve same-sex couple prayers
Eleven bishops in the Church of England have decided to "dissent publicly" on the House of Bishop's recent decision to approve prayers for same-sex couples.
Premier Christian News
Three Jewish schools in London to close over security fears
Three north London Jewish schools are closing on Friday, some citing planned protests in support of Palestinians.
BBC
Israel-Gaza attacks: Four arrests made at Manchester vigil
"The force draws a clear distinction between support for Palestine and support for the proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas," police said in a social media post that was later deleted.
BBC
British children of Hamas hostages plead for their parents’ return
The British children of elderly hostages abducted by Hamas have pleaded for their return as they described the invasion of Israel as a "second Holocaust".
The Guardian
England v Australia to be preceded by period of silence
BBC Sport reported on Wednesday that the governing body was unlikely to illuminate the Wembley arch in the colours of the Israel flag because of fears of a backlash from some communities.
BBC
France bans all pro-Palestinian demonstrations
Pro-Palestinian groups said the ban risked threatening freedom of expression and pledged to continue demonstrating in support of the Palestinian people.
BBC
Far-right coalition tipped as kingmaker in Polish election
In 2019, Sławomir Mentzen, one of the party's leaders, summarised Confederation's priorities: "We don't want Jews, homosexuals, abortions, taxes, or the European Union."
The Guardian
Japan asks court to dissolve 'Moonies' church over Shinzo Abe killing
The Japanese government has asked a court to order the dissolution of a church that was investigated after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, local media reports.
BBC
Thu, 12 Oct 2023
‘Muslim Council’s statement on Israel fell woefully short’
"On Sunday, the group published a shamefully inadequate statement calling for 'an end to the violence in and around Gaza', which failed to mention Hamas by name", writes Khalid Mahmood MP.
The Times*
'The Hamas attack was driven by a brutal ideology'
"Hamas's appalling treatment of women and children derives from the same murderous and chauvinist ideology that female activists in Iran have been protesting against", writes Munira Mirza.
New Statesman
Humza Yousaf's wife fears for 'terrified' family
The wife of Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf said her parents, who have been trapped in Gaza since the Hamas attack on Israel, are "terrified" about what might happen next.
BBC
Regulator opens inquiry into London church charity over financial activity
The Charity Commission for England and Wales has announced an inquiry into the religious poverty relief charity Jesus Power House Ministries (JPHM).
Premier Christian News
Coleraine church faces £30k bill over spiritual abuse investigation
An investigation into allegations against a former pastor of a County Londonderry church, and counselling for those affected, will cost about £30,000.
BBC
Vatican conference draws all stripes to Rome, welcome or not
A major meeting to discuss sensitive issues in the Catholic Church is being held with the utmost secrecy and discretion.
New York Times*
England’s Jewish schools heighten security as antisemitic incidents quadruple
CST says incidents are up 324% on last year, with schools increasing security patrols after attacks in Israel.
The Guardian
Wed, 11 Oct 2023
‘Outdated, unpopular, and ineffective: Time to rethink religious education in the UK’ - NSS opinion
"As it stands, religious education is outdated, unpopular, and too often a vehicle for the proselytisation and evangelisation of students", writes NSS campaigns officer Jack Rivington.
Humanistically Speaking
Do not tell me to stay out of politics, says Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York has rebuffed calls for the Church to stay out of politics, as he believes Christianity has an important role to play in giving people who are struggling hope.
Yorkshire Post*
Same-sex attracted CofE leader laments 'painful ambiguity' as bishops commend prayer blessings
A same-sex attracted CofE leader has told Premier that the House of Bishop's statement and process on same-sex blessings has left him "painfully" crying for clarity.
Premier Christian News
‘Buffer zones will give protection for abortion rights’
"For too long they have had to endure a gauntlet of anti-choice protesters with graphic banners and slogans when accessing abortion services", writes Lorna Slater.
Edinburgh Evening News
Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell in row over ‘anti-Semitic’ Netanyahu drawing
Comment on Israel's response to Hamas attacks interpreted by some as reference to Jewish Shakespeare character Shylock.
The Telegraph*
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