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headlines of tomorrow.
Sex education does not
reduce teen pregnancy
or STIs, review finds
An international review has
found that sex education does
not reduce the rate of teenage
pregnancy or incidences of
sexually transmitted infections
(STIs).
A comprehensive Cochrane
review of studies from around
the world combined the data
from more than 55,000 young
people, aged on average
between 14 and 16.
The review follows a
suggestion from Education
Secretary Justine Greening
in September, to make sex
education mandatory in all
schools. Data was collected
from England, Scotland, South
Africa, Chile, Kenya, Tanzania,
Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Dr Amanda MasonJones, a lead researcher at
York University, commented:
“Previous studies have focused
on self-reported outcomes
only – this is the first review
and meta-analysis to look at
only measurable biological
outcomes.”
Source: christianconcern.com
Pakistan province
bans forced conversion
of Christians to Islam
Forced conversions from
one faith to another in a major
Pakistan province have been
banned. Sindh’s provincial
assembly voted to criminalise
those who use force to make
people change their religion.
The bill means perpetrators
can face five years in prison
whilst facilitators could be
handed a three year sentence.
Under the new law anyone
converting will be monitored
for 21 days “to ensure they are
converting for religious purposes
and by their own free will, not
out of fashion or under force.”
Source: premier.org.uk
Theresa May: faith helps
me make difficult decisions
Theresa May admitted in the
interview with the Sunday Times
that she can find it hard
doing what she knows is the
right thing.
The PM told the paper:
“I suppose there is something
in terms of faith, I am a
practising member of the
Church of England and so
forth, that lies behind what I do.
It’s not like I’ve decided to do
what I’m going to do and I’m
stubborn. I’ll think it through,
have a gut instinct, look at the
evidence, work through the
arguments, because you have
to think through the unintended
consequences. But ultimately,
if you’ve done all that and you
believe it’s the right thing to do ,
then you should go and do it —
but sometimes it is difficult.”
Source: premier.org.uk
Christian mother wins right
to raise child in the UK
A mother, raised as a Christian,
has won the right to raise an
adopted child in the UK despite
challenges from her Muslim
father and Egyptian authorities.
Ms Justice Russell ruled
that the woman can adopt the
youngster, now six, after she was
originally found abandoned in a
cardboard box in Luxor in Egypt
shortly after her birth in 2010.
After the girl was found an
orphanage run by a UK charity
placed her in the care of the
woman, who was living in Egypt
with her Egyptian husband at
the time. About three years ago
the woman had brought the little
girl to the UK after separating
from her husband and made an
adoption application.
Her husband, a Muslim
lawyer still living in Egypt,
wanted the child to return to
Egypt. Officials at the Egyptian
Ministry of Social Solidarity also
said the youngster should return
to her country of birth, arguing
that the adoption was not
recognised under Egyptian law
and the child was a Muslim who
might lose her heritage if she
was brought up by a non-Muslim
in England. But Ms Justice
Russell concluded that staying in
England with the woman would
be in the girl’s best interests and
January 2017
newswatch
Christian news in brief
that adoption would give
the child a secure base.
Source: premier.org.uk
Apology for Christian
teaching assistant after gay
marriage comment
A Christian teaching assistant
has received an apology from
the school which disciplined her
after she shared her views on
gay marriage with a pupil.
Vicky Allen ran into trouble
at Brannel School in Cornwall
when she told a 14-yearold autistic student she was
unhappy with the way the
Biblical rainbow symbol is
used to represent gay pride.
She also told the student she
did not approve of same-sex
relationships, when he asked
her views on the subject. In
November, she took her case to
the Bristol Employment Tribunal
in an attempt to overturn the
disciplinary action, which left a
formal written warning on her
record for the period of a year.
Ms Allen and the school
have agreed to settle their case
and continue to work with each
other to secure a continuing
healthy working environment in
the school. Andy Edmonds, the
Head teacher, has recognised
Victoria Allen’s right to share her
Christian beliefs with students
and has apologised for any upset
that Victoria Allen may have felt
during the disciplinary process.
Source: premier.org.uk
Enshrine new conscience
clause for Christians in Bill
of Rights, ministers urged
Christians and followers of
others faiths should have new
protections enshrined in law to
enable them to “reasonably”
opt out of tasks at work, which
go against their beliefs, a new
report published in Parliament
concludes.
The paper, by the influential
conservative-leaning think-tank
ResPublica, blames existing
equalities legislation for stirring
up divisions between different
minority groups and even
spreading “political extremism”.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
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