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Your daily media briefing - Thursday 26 March

  

In the Media is our daily collection of news and commentary related to secularism, available delivered to your inbox. You can also read the latest news and opinion and listen to our podcasts on our website.

  

Secularism in the media

 

NI to offer unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks

Abortions in Northern Ireland can take place in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy "without conditionality", under new laws soon to be in force.

BBC

 

Christchurch shootings: Brenton Tarrant pleads guilty to 51 murders

A man accused of deadly attacks on mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch a year ago has pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder.

BBC

 

Coronavirus: Abortion services at risk of collapse with women denied procedures after government U-turn

Abortion services are at risk of collapse during the coronavirus crisis, with women already being denied terminations after a government U-turn on allowing home procedures was branded "cruel and reckless".

The Independent

 

22 UK Jews have died after contracting coronavirus, figures show

Jewish fatalities account for nearly 5% of the confirmed national death toll, data shows, despite the fact Jews make up just 0.5% of the British population.

Jewish News

 

All Church of England buildings closed to stop spread of coronavirus

The Church of England has closed all of its buildings with immediate effect after a UK-wide lockdown was imposed to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Metro

 

Trump seeks to reopen 'large sections' of US by Easter, clashing with experts

Donald Trump is aiming to reopen "large sections of the country" by Easter, he told reporters on Tuesday. The US president said he picked Easter because "I just thought it was a beautiful time, a beautiful timeline, it's a great day".

The Guardian

 

US states differ on exempting worship from coronavirus closures

As multiple governors issue orders to curb large gatherings and implore residents to stay home in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus, at least a half-dozen states have exempted some level of religious activity.

AP News

 

Abortion providers sue Texas over ‘nonessential’ label in order

Planned Parenthood and other American health-care clinics sued Texas over an executive order that classifies abortion as "nonessential" and thus banned as part of the state's emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bloomberg Law

 

Vatican employees balk at lack of full shutdown amid virus

The Vatican's offices remain open two weeks after the Italian government ordered Italians home and shut down all non-essential businesses in an urgent attempt to contain the coronavirus.

AP News

 

Andorra set to become latest nation to legalise gay marriage

Andorra, one of Europe's smallest countries, is set to legalise gay marriage.

Reuters

  

In case you missed it: from the No More Faith Schools campaign

 

Let’s not replace a community school with a faith school in Surrey

A plan to open a Church of England school on the site of a community school in the village of Englefield Green is not in residents' interests, says Robert Evans.

  

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