British Isles
Scottish parliament and secular humanist groups
17 Jun 2014
The Edinburgh Secular Society (ESS) claims official guidance was breached when Evangelical Alliance Scotland (EAS) hosted a reception in Holyrood marking the publication of its manifesto ‘What Kind of Nation?’ ESS called the reception (endorsed by…
Down’s Syndrome shouldn’t be feared, says mum
17 Jun 2014
The mother of a seven-year-old girl with Down’s Syndrome, who hit the headlines for appearing in Sainsbury’s clothing adverts, has said there had been an ‘assumption’ she would abort her daughter. Hayley Goleniowska, 43, and her…
Peter Wanless, chief executive of the child protection charity NSPCC, has said people who cover up child sex abuse should be prosecuted, and there should be a duty on institutions like hospitals, children's homes and boarding…
Scotland’s named person scheme has sparked widespread outrage after it emerged that parents will be reported to the state for trivial family incidents, including forgetting their children’s hospital appointments. Although the scheme is not set to…
UK child poverty plans doomed to failure
12 Jun 2014
Britain's child poverty plans are ‘doomed’ to fail as 3.5 million children will be in poverty by 2020, says a watchdog chaired by former health secretary Alan Milburn. The government's draft strategy for the next three…
Religion 'makes people more generous'
12 Jun 2014
Religion preaches help for the poor and loving your neighbour, but now a new study has provided evidence that religion can make people more generous in their everyday lives. Research commissioned by the BBC found that…