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In the News

  • Catholic Herald: Almost 2.5 million human embryos destroyed during IVF in Britain since 1990
    November 23rd, 2016

    Almost 2.5 million embryos have been deliberately destroyed in the United Kingdom since 1990.

    According to statistics from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, since the passing of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in 1990, 2,315,262 human embryos were deliberately discarded during IVF treatment.

    In a parliamentary question to the Department of Health, Lord Alton of Liverpool asked: "How many human embryos were deliberately destroyed in the last 12 months for which figures are available? How many human embryos were transferred to uteri in order to establish pregnancies? And what are the cumulative figures for both circumstances since such procedures were made legal?"

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  • Church of England: Secretary General responds to GAFCON UK
    November 23rd, 2016

    William Nye, Secretary General of the Archbishops' Council, has today sent the following letter to the Revd Canon Andy Lines, Chairman of GAFCON UK Task Force in response to the briefing paper, 'The Church of England and Lambeth 1:10'.

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  • GAFCON UK: The Lambeth 1:10 briefing: process and motive, truth and love
    November 23rd, 2016

    We have received inquiries about the way the Lambeth I.10 briefing was developed, the reasons behind why it was created, and its accuracy. Below is some more information about each topic.

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  • Telegraph: Trojan Horse school governors son was killed fighting with Isil
    November 23rd, 2016

    A former governor of a group of schools at the centre of the so-called “Trojan Horse” affair has spoken of how her 19-year-old son was radicalised by Islamic extremists and eventually died fighting with Isil in Syria.

    Nicola Benyahia was among a group of board members from the Park View Educational Trust in Birmingham who stood down in July 2014 at the height of the uproar into allegations that hard-line Muslim groups had attempted to infiltrate schools in the city.

    An official review by the former Scotland Yard counter-terrorism chief Peter Clarke concluded there was "disturbing" evidence of attempts to take control of schools to spread an ultra-conservative brand of Islam, leaving children "vulnerable" to radicalisation.

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  • Christian Today: Is the Church of England finally about to make a decision on gay marriage?
    November 23rd, 2016

    It seems unlikely. But one of the Church's most senior bodies – the House of Bishops – has a climax meeting this week in London.

    It comes amid a long and drawn out process and will certainly not be the last key moment.

    Arguments have raged for decades over the Church's teaching and practice on gay relationships. Things reached a head when several conservative Anglican leaders formed a splinter group ahead of the 2008 Lambeth Conference of senior bishops from across the world. Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) was set up in protest that the US Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in Canada had been welcomed despite promoting a "false gospel" over same-sex relationships.

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  • ITV: 45,000-signature petition to change abortion laws handed in at Stormont
    November 23rd, 2016

    A petition signed by 45,000 people calling for changes to the current abortion laws in Northern Ireland has been submitted to the Assembly.

    A demonstration was held at the steps of Parliament Buildings on Tuesday before Green Party MLA Clare Bailey formally presented Amnesty International’s petition to the Speaker.

    It comes just days after Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that she would explore the possibility that women from Northern Ireland could access abortions free of charge through NHS Scotland.

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  • LifeNews: 300,000 people say no to legalizing abortion in Northern Ireland
    November 23rd, 2016

    This morning Green Party Deputy Leader Clare Bailey MLA will be presenting to the Speaker of the Assembly 45,000 petitions gathered by Amnesty International in support its campaign calling for legalised abortion in Northern Ireland.

    “Over 45,000 have put their name to this petition. Over 70% of people in Northern Ireland want to see abortion laws changed. […] People who stand in the way of change on this issue are out of line with public opinion, and they are out of line with human rights,” says Ms Bailey MLA.

    Bernadette Smyth, the director of Precious Life, argues that Amnesty’s claim of a “45,000 strong petition” holds no weight and should not be taken seriously by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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  • UN News Centre: UN experts express 'deep concern' over attempt to block LGBT rights monitor
    November 22nd, 2016

    With Member States in the United Nations General Assembly attempting to block the creation of the mandate of an Independent Expert to tackle violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, a joint committee of UN human rights experts warned that the action can have a very harmful impact on the work of Human Rights Council.

    According to the Coordination Committee of UN Special Procedures – the general name of the independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council ¬– the attempt to challenge the mandate undermines the Council's credibility and authority, and weakens the human rights system as a whole. In addition, the situation might affect the mandate of the Independent Expert and also special procedures, the largest body of independent human rights experts in the UN system.

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  • TIME: Gay rights supporters win victory to keep U.N. LGBT expert
    November 22nd, 2016

    (United Nations) — Supporters of gay rights won a victory at the United Nations Monday when an African attempt to suspend the first U.N. independent expert charged with investigating violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity failed.

    African nations had urged the General Assembly’s human rights committee to delay implementation of a resolution adopted by the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva to determine “the legal basis” for the expert’s mandate. They also sought to suspend the expert, Vitit Muntarbhorn of Thailand, who was appointed on Sept. 30 and has started his work.

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  • Guardian: Parents fear transgender children will be taken away after court ruling
    November 22nd, 2016

    Parents of transgender children fear their ex-partners will sue them for custody of their children after the high court ruled that a seven-year-old child who identified as transgender should be removed from the care of their mother.

    Four mothers of trans children have said their ex-partners have threatened to take them to court for custody of their child in the wake of the ruling, says Mermaids, an organisation that supports young trans people and their families.

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