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Fri, 29 Jan 2021
‘The man behind Justin Welby’
As well as being Welby's physical protector, Canon Porter has taken on the role of his bureaucratic gatekeeper, says Ysenda Maxtone-Graham.
The Spectator*
Polish abortion ruling ‘condemns women to torture’, claims human rights chief
After a court ruling in Poland led to a near total ban on abortion, a top human rights official has denounced the ruling, saying it imposes a severe limitation of women's rights and "condemns them to torture".
The Scotsman*
Fresh cover-up claims against former Papal secretary
A group of Polish politicians has pledged to press new accusations against Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, former secretary of St John Paul II, after prosecutors refused to investigate TV documentary claims that he ignored and covered up abuse by priests in his Krakow archdiocese.
The Tablet*
US: Eight-year-old girl is expelled by Christian school after telling another girl she had crush on her
An eight-year-old girl has been expelled from her school in Oklahoma school after telling another girl that she had a crush on her.
Mail Online
Two men caned 77 times for having sex in Indonesia’s Aceh
Two men in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province were publicly caned each 77 times Thursday after neighbours reported them to Islamic religious police for having sex.
The Associated Press
India: Supreme Court refuses Tandav team protection from arrest for “hurting religious sentiments”
The makers and an actor of Amazon Prime web series "Tandav", who appealed for protection against arrest, have failed to get protection from the Supreme Court. The makers have been accused of "hurting religious sentiments", "promoting religious enmity" and "defiling a place of worship".
NDTV
Thu, 28 Jan 2021
Poland enforces controversial near-total abortion ban
A controversial near-total ban on abortion in Poland has taken effect, the government announced, with enforcement from midnight on Wednesday.
BBC
Former minister leads call for Domestic Abuse bill to protect women refused Jewish religious ‘divorce’
The proposals to protect victims of Get refusal – where one party refuses to grant a divorce to another under Orthodox Jewish rules – were put forward by members of the House of Lords.
Jewish News
Catholic bishop: I wasn’t aware of what was going on in mother and baby homes
A Catholic bishop in Northern Ireland has said he was not aware of "what was going on" in homes for unmarried mothers.
Belfast Telegraph
Ian Paisley's 'Catholic IRA' remark criticised by MPs
Democratic Unionist Party MP Ian Paisley has been criticised by the chair of a Westminster committee for referring to "the Catholic IRA".
BBC
Peterborough mosque's call to prayer loudspeakers plan rejected
Plans to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer through loudspeakers three times a day to a city neighbourhood have been rejected.
BBC
Scot 'forced to sign blank confession' in India
A Scottish man who has been held in an Indian jail without conviction for three years has said he was tortured to sign a blank confession. His brother says he is convinced he was arrested because he had written about historical human rights violations against Sikhs in India.
BBC
“The Indian comic in jail for jokes he didn't crack”
Mr Faruqui has spent 25 days in prison for jokes he evidently "didn't make".
BBC
Wed, 27 Jan 2021
NI: Integrated schooling option 'illusory' for many parents
Having the option to send their children to an integrated school is "illusory" for many parents, a study has found. Of Northern Ireland's school-aged population, only 7 per cent attend the integrated sector.
The Irish News
No date set for introduction of Northern Ireland-wide abortion services
No date has been set for the introduction of Northern Ireland-wide abortion services because the issue is still being considered by the Executive, the Department of Health has said.
The Irish News
Conservative Party illegally collected voter religion data, MPs told
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham told MPs the data collected on 10 million voters about their religion and ethnic origin was unacceptable.
Express and Star
Ofsted keeps up pressure on Charedi Jewish schools to teach about same-sex relationships
Two independent Strictly Orthodox boys' schools have been pulled up by Ofsted for continuing to refuse to discuss LGBT relationships.
The JC
Northern Ireland’s mother and baby homes traumatised rape and incest victims, says Arlene Foster
Victims of rape and incest were put in homes for unmarried mothers and their children in Northern Ireland and victimised again, the first minister has said.
The Times*
DUP education official faces backlash for claim Jesus turned a gay man straight
Nelson McCausland, former DUP minister and current Education Authority board member, has been accused of endorsing conversion therapy after he shared a story of a gay man who "met Jesus" and turned straight.
Pink News
Catholic at centre of life-support dispute has died, lawyers say
The man's wife agreed and said he would not want have wanted to be a burden. His mother, sisters and a niece disagreed. They said that, because of his Catholic beliefs, the man would not have wanted his life to be terminated if it could be preserved.
Belfast Telegraph
‘Isis: From Cardiff to the Caliphate’
In 2013, Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan left their lives in Cardiff to fight for Islamic State in Syria.
BBC
UN warns against propaganda blaming Jews for Covid at Holocaust remebrance event
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged coordinated global action to build an alliance against the growth and spread of neo-Nazism and white supremacy and the resurgence of xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and hate speech sparked partly by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Independent
UN group says Sri Lanka virus cremation rule violates rights
A group of UN experts has criticised Sri Lanka's requirement that those who die of COVID-19 be cremated, even it goes against a family's religious beliefs.
The Associated Press
Tue, 26 Jan 2021
Manchester Arena inquiry hears of ‘unacceptable’ security failures
A series of "unacceptable and unjustified" security failures occurred before the Manchester Arena bombing, the public inquiry into the attack has been told.
The Guardian
Registration deadline for thousands of excepted charities extended by 10 years
The deadline for thousands of excepted charities to register with the Charity Commission has been extended by 10 years. An exception for church charities with annual incomes of £100,000 or less was due to come to an end on 31 March this year.
Third Sector*
‘Assisted dying deserves another fair hearing at Holyrood’
Difficult as it is, assisted dying is a subject that deserves another fair hearing.
Daily Record
As abortion reform begins in Thailand, backlash from Catholic Church begins
Thailand's Senate has endorsed a bill that would legalise abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy – a move condemned by the Catholic Church leadership as "an immoral law".
Khaosod English
Pakistan film that received death threats for 'blasphemy' is tipped for Oscars 2021
A film that set off a storm of controversy in Pakistan has been made the country's official entry to the Oscars this year. The film faced objections from religious and political groups that led to boycott calls and death threats for its producer.
The Independent
Contraception use hits record high in world's poorest countries but misses 2020 target
A record number of women and girls in developing countries are using contraception, a major report has found, but the international community has fallen short of "ambitious" targets to reach 380m by 2020.
The Telegraph
Violence erupts in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods over coronavirus restrictions
Long-building tensions over pandemic restrictions within Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods erupted in violence on Sunday night, as rock-throwing crowds pushed back police attempts to clear yeshiva classes and religious gatherings being held in violation of lockdown rules.
The Washington Post
US Supreme Court declines Nevada church’s appeal against pandemic restrictions
The US Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from a Nevada church fighting against local coronavirus restrictions on Monday, after lawyers for the state argued against claims that the safety measures were examples of religious discrimination.
The Independent
Local council in Ireland asked to apologise over mother and baby home
The role of Galway County Council and Catholic bishops in Galway and Tuam in the operation of the mother and baby home in Tuam was "shocking", according to a member of Ireland's parliament.
The Irish Times
Mon, 25 Jan 2021
Catholic sex education resource says men are ‘initiators’ and women are ‘receiver-responders’
A Catholic relationship and sex education programme being used in UK schools says that contraception is "wrong" and suggests gay people should abstain from sex.
iNews
Police break up 400-person wedding party at Stamford Hill Jewish school
The wedding party took place at Stamford Hill's Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School, with reports of guests fleeing the event as authorities arrived.
Jewish News
Charedi Jewish weddings still frequently held, photographer warns
Strictly-Orthodox Jewish weddings are still regularly held in flagrant disregard to Covid rules, according to one photographer who spoke out after news that an illegal Stamford Hill wedding for 400 guests was halted by police.
Jewish News
‘"Guardian angel" gives disaffected ultra-Orthodox Jews another choice’
Encouraged by the Netflix hit Unorthodox, Eve Sacks is expanding her work to help former Charedi Jews rebuild their lives, Jack Shamash writes.
The Times*
82 per cent of Scots want end to abortion clinic protests
A survey found that 82% of respondents agreed that protesters should be kept a minimum distance away from those attending healthcare facilities and only 4% disagreed that women should be protected from harassment.
The National
Prisons too soft on extremist inmates, warns terrorism watchdog
Convicted terrorists are not being prosecuted for radicalising fellow inmates and extremism is being "encouraged" behind bars, the terror watchdog has warned.
The Times*
Indian comedian held over ‘indecent’ jokes at show where he did not perform
A Muslim comedian in India has been detained for more than three weeks for allegedly 'insulting' Hindu gods during a standup routine that he did not perform.
The Guardian
Honduran lawmakers vote to lock in bans on abortion, same-sex marriage
Members of the Honduran Congress have voted to amend the constitution making it much harder to reverse existing hard-line bans on abortion and same-sex marriage, as lawmakers double down on socially conservative priorities.
Reuters
Catholic Church ordered to pay millions to Australian abuse survivor
A man abused as an altar boy says he's been vindicated after winning a record payout after more than 40 years.
9 News
Egyptian cabinet approves bill harshening penalty for female genital mutilation
The Egyptian cabinet has approved a draft law that will harshen the penalty for female genital mutilation.
Egypt Independent
‘Argentina's abortion law enters force under watchful eyes’
Argentina's groundbreaking abortion law goes into force Sunday under the watchful eyes of women's groups and government officials, who hope to ensure its full implementation despite opposition from some conservative and church groups.
The Associated Press
‘How I’m overcoming the trauma of infant circumcision’
"Religion is no excuse for taking away your child's right to choose what happens to their body."
QJ Journal
Fri, 22 Jan 2021
‘Religious groups with vested interests have too much control of RE’ – NSS quoted
Recent research published by the NSS illustrates the way a lack of government leadership has left RE vulnerable to vested interests.
Mirror
Parliament rejects trade bill amendment aimed at protecting persecuted religious minorities from genocide
The UK parliament has rejected an amendment which would have required the government to reconsider trade deals with countries deemed by British High Court judges to be committing genocide.
Premier Christian News
Judge refuses to bar children from becoming Catholics
A judge has refused to make an order barring five children from formally becoming Catholics.
Premier Christian News
Nigeria blasphemy: Jailed 13-year-old boy wins Kano appeal
A 13-year-old boy who was handed a decade-long jail sentence for blasphemy last year will now walk free.
BBC
Brother of Christian imprisoned in Pakistan on blasphemy charge pleads for Biden to help
A US citizen whose brother is facing the possibility of being sentenced to death in Pakistan on trumped-up blasphemy charges is asking the Biden administration to put pressure on Pakistan to release his brother.
Christian Post
Covid is worsening persecution of Christians, reports charity
Christians around the world have faced increased persecution as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the refusal of access to emergency aid and increased surveillance and violence, a watchdog has reported.
Church Times
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