Men still allowed in women’s prisons after Scots trans-custody review
Earlier this year, the SPS ordered an assessment of its existing policy following an outcry when convicted rapist Adam Graham was initially placed in a segregated unit in a women’s prison. The Service has been slammed for throwing vulnerable female inmates “under a bus” with its updated policy. Policy updateFrom February 2024, men who have perpetrated violence against a woman “that results in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering” will be barred from a women-only prison. She said that ‘the waiver’ “still allows men convicted of violence against women to be placed in women’s prisons” with “no reference to women’s trauma and overlooks their need for privacy and dignity”. In other words, the risk of offending is no lower for men with trans identities.”She also said: “Telling female prisoners that men are really women, based on nothing more than a person’s unfalsifiable belief, is institutional gaslighting.”
Source:The Times
December 08, 2023 14:52 UTC
Campaigners raise £37,000 for a legal challenge to stop Tower Hamlets mayor from ripping out low-traffic neighbourhoods
The group said: "Lutfur Rahman has taken the most extreme, undemocratic, and dangerous decision available to him this evening. He has decided to rip out all the walking and cycling infrastructure in Bethnal Green. With the advice of our lawyers, we will monitor the legality of what the council has done." Jane Harris, from Save Our Safer Streets, told The Standard: "This legal challenge is an absolute last resort for us. Will @LutfurRahmanTH @AspireParty keep the safer streets changes, as 3x consultations have shown residents want?
Source:The Guardian
December 08, 2023 12:27 UTC
New titles just published
A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 40 days with Jane Austen by Rachel Mann (Canterbury Press, £12.99 (Church Times SPECIAL OFFER PRICE £10.39); 978-1-78622-503-0). “Rachel Mann introduces Jane Austen, her world and her ideas, and, for each day of Lent, offers commentary on a short excerpt from her writing to explore how her faith can illuminate ours. She brings Jane's novels into conversation with biblical and spiritual ideas and also with today’s questions about class, sexuality and race.”Lent with the Beloved Disciple by Michael Marshall (Bloomsbury, £10.99 (Church Times SPECIAL OFFER PRICE £8.99); 978-1-3994-0493-8). “The 2024 Bloomsbury Lent Book invites you on a six-week journey in the company of the ‘beloved disciple’ as found in the narrative of the Gospel of St John. “Two renowned theologians open up the reality of God’s glory in this book, offering readers a dynamic foundation for glorifying God in the twenty-first century.
Source:The Times
December 08, 2023 12:21 UTC
'I want golf to succeed': Jon Rahm confirms switch to LIV Golf – video
The Masters champion, Jon Rahm, has confirmed he is joining LIV Golf in a massive coup for the Saudi-funded breakaway. The Spaniard will become the second current major champion on the LIV circuit along with US PGA winner Brooks Koepka. After widespread reports this week that the 29-year-old was set to complete a controversial switch from the PGA Tour, Rahm explained his decision in a conference call with press on Thursday. "I love the game of golf and I'm on the side of golf, right, when I'm ever going to discussions. And the second, that at the end of the day, a man is going to make a decision of what's best for him and his family, right?
Source:The Guardian
December 08, 2023 12:20 UTC
Angela Tilby: This hymnal is worth the long wait
After years of waiting, groaning disappointment, and rekindled expectation, The Revised English Hymnal was finally launched last week, in St James’s, Sussex Gardens, in London, at a gathering of clergy, musicians, liturgists, and other devotees of what must now be called the English Hymnal tradition. The original English Hymnal (EH) was published in 1906, challenging the somewhat older Hymns Ancient and Modern. Finding the “right” words and music for worship is not just a matter of taste or preference, but of appropriateness. Perhaps the greatest virtue of The Revised English Hymnal is that it remains firmly rooted in the church year, the calendar, and the liturgy. For a Church that sometimes seems over-preachy and wearily moralistic, The Revised English Hymnal reminds us that it is still possible to be set on fire by the mysteries of the Catholic creeds.
Source:The Times
December 08, 2023 06:12 UTC
Director of Music vacancy in London and Home Counties
We are seeking a talented musician to become our Director of Music. Someone who is keen to help us develop our music offering, by growing our existing Choir, develop a Children’s choir and potentially starting a community Choir. We would also like the scope for our Director of Music to run concerts in our beautiful Church (additional fees would be paid for this). It would also be great if they have experience of leading and encouraging children and young people in taking an active part in our church music. The Director of Music will be employed by the PCC and will be paid according to Musicians’ Union guidelines.
Source:The Times
December 08, 2023 06:00 UTC
Ten times Hugh Grant was hilariously grumpy
One of his best. Despite denying any similarities to his Richard Curtis characters time and time again, Hugh Grant is never beating the stammering, sharp and floppy-haired accusations, because this BAFTA speech is straight out of a Curtis script. He gets on stage to accept his BAFTA for Best Actor and gives a brilliant speech, which is tremendously well received by everyone — except the Four Weddings production company, because at one point Grant thanks Duncan Kenworthy for producing the film, “and not getting really quite enough credit”, then turns to Working Title, who he says are “getting a bit too much credit”. The camera pans to some audience members who we can only assume are Working Title execs, and they do not look too happy.
Source:The Times
December 08, 2023 05:56 UTC
'It's stupid': LeBron James criticises lack of gun control in US – video
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers arrived in Las Vegas to news of the mass shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Three people were shot dead and a fourth critically wounded in an attack on the UNLV campus, police said. The suspected shooter was also found dead. James admitted his brother had warned him to be careful, before criticising gun laws in the country. It's stupid.'
Source:The Guardian
December 08, 2023 04:50 UTC
Looe police station opens to public
Members of the public have access to the walk-in service, which first opened its doors on November 30, where they can speak to trained staff who can help with crime reporting, crime prevention advice and help with accessing victim services.
Source:The Times
December 08, 2023 04:09 UTC
ABCD seeks responses for several audits
Healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes are invited to take part in the ongoing real world data collection from the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD). In the wake of the successful ABCD NHS England closed loop pilot audit, the organisation now has an ABCD NICE TA Closed-Loop Audit that requires involvement from people with diabetes. For the very informative FreeStyle Libre audit, the ABCD is now keen to gather data on FreeStyle Libre outcomes in people living type 2 diabetes, so healthcare professionals are invited to contribute the data they have on such people. In addition, healthcare professionals are encouraged to join a Dexcom audit by contributing data. They can also contribute to the Testosterone & Diabetes audit which caused so much interest at the recent EASD.
Source:The Times
December 08, 2023 02:17 UTC
What do you get for an £88k parish share?
The bill for our parish share has just come in. Well, there are five other churches in our benefice which are expected to pay a parish share, and the most that any of them is required to pay is £18,000. And they are not joking: a large parish in the neighbouring benefice fell short of its dues and lost its last vicar. I would have thought that their parish share would cover half a vicar, at least. Well, I say that, but, looking at their website, they seem able to employ a lot of people doing jobs such as “Hospitality Coordinator” and “Head of People Services”, whose combined salaries, I should have thought, would cover our parish share.
Source:The Times
December 08, 2023 00:16 UTC
Thirsty Suitors Review - Review
In Thirsty Suitors, you play as Jala, a young girl returning home to confront the sins of her past. Despite the title of Thirsty Suitors, I was surprised at the sheer amount of horniness existing between the characters. That being said, Thirsty Suitors is a mile wide but an inch deep. Another major issue I found in Thirsty Suitors is its lack of character development. I’m incredibly happy to see more cultural representation in games, but I wanted more from the story than what Thirsty Suitors was giving me.
Source:The Guardian
December 07, 2023 23:08 UTC
PETA Blasts Iranian Space Agency’s Shameful Animal Testing
Amir Saeid IravaniAdministrator Ambassador and Permanent RepresentativeIranian Space Agency Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of IranDear Dr. Salarieh and Ambassador Iravani:Thank you in advance for your time. [10],[11]Similarly, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ended its use of primates in space radiation experiments in the early 1990s, following protests by PETA. Accessed December 6, 2023. https://www.space.com/13270-iran-space-monkey-launch-failure.html9European space agency sides with monkeys. Accessed December 6, 2023. https://twitter.com/KekaAerospace/status/1551532293256318979[1]Motamedi M. Iran launches animals into space as it revives bid for human missions. Accessed December 6, 2023. https://www.space.com/13270-iran-space-monkey-launch-failure.html[9]European space agency sides with monkeys.
Source:The Guardian
December 07, 2023 22:38 UTC
Pews to Politics: How American Christian Antiabortionists Have Influenced Abortion and Reproductive Care in the United States
The leaked Supreme Court opinion preceding Dobbs mirrors the misinformation spread by Christian anti-abortion protesters, using perilous phrases to justify overturning Roe. The choice of words and emotional language raises concerns, especially in the portrayal of organizations like Planned Parenthood. This Christian influence further manifests in societal structures and conservative activism, encompassing areas such as education and public-school curricula, as well as ongoing Supreme Court discussions regarding birth control protections. As these dynamics continue to unfold, the Christian impact on abortion care and reproductive health emerges as a complex and enduring facet of the American socio-political landscape. “Anti-abortion group to pay Planned Parenthood nearly $1m over protest at clinic” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/06/anti-abortion-group-pay-planned-parenthood-nearly-1m
Source:The Guardian
December 07, 2023 22:05 UTC
Insurance Times Advent Calendar: Johnny Timpson
For the seventh day of Advent, Gain cofounder Johnny Timpson talks about helping vulnerable customers and Succession – not the Waystar oneEvery day for the festive period continuing until Christmas Eve, Insurance Times speaks to a selection of industry personalities about what they’d like to find under the tree for 2024. What was your insurance industry highlight of 2023? And despite a flurry of industry issues – Consumer Duty but one – Graeme has picked up for where Steve left off. My second is Gain (Group for Autism, Insurance and Neurodiversity) and the Government’s Autism and Employment review viewing our industry as an exemplar to other sectors. What do you hope to find under the industry’s Christmas tree for 2024?
Source:The Times
December 07, 2023 19:47 UTC