ACL compiles a daily media monitoring service of stories of interest to the Christian constituency relating to children, family, drugs and alcohol, marriage, human rights, religious freedom etc. Visit the ACL’s website each day to see what’s of interest in the news. Please note that selection of the articles does not represent ACL endorsement of the content.
AbortionTeen mum who had an abortion because she wasn't ready for a second baby died after contracting superbug during the procedureSuzannah Hills - Daily MailA teenage mother-of-one who underwent an abortion because she felt it was too soon to have a second child died after contracting a superbug during the procedure, an inquest heard today.
Charities & NFPSuicide prevention program ‘saving rural lives’Sally Sara – ABC OnlineA home-grown suicide prevention program is successfully raising awareness in rural Australia, which still has higher levels of suicide than other parts of the country.
Children & FamilyCall to delay single parent payment cutsAlexandra Kirk – ABC OnlineWelfare agencies say a second parliamentary report calling on the Federal Government to defer its plan to move single parents onto the dole offers a "ray of hope".
Premier says sorry for pain over adoptionsJosephine Tovey – SMHThe state government has said sorry for the trauma, grief and pain caused by forced adoptions, which saw thousands of babies removed from mostly young, single mothers.
Classification New R18+ rating for computer games in NSWSMHViolent computer games will now be subject to R18+ ratings in NSW to protect young people from harmful and disturbing material.
Drugs & Alcohol Meow meow: The party drug that fries your brainChris Paine – The Daily TelegraphIt’s cheap, it's easy to find, and it's more addictive than cocaine. But experts warn meow meow (or Drone, among other names) is no party drug - it's literally frying your brain.
Education TAFE protest adds pressure on Baillieu after plans leakAndrew Trounson – The AustralianUpwards of 1,500 TAFE teachers, workers, students and unionists staged a protest outside Victorian state Premier Ted Baillieu's office yesterday against almost $300 million in cuts as pressure builds on the government following the leak of TAFE transition plans that revealed potential mergers, closures and asset sales on top of job and course cuts.
Students swot up on sleeplessnessRachel Browne – Brisbane TimesYear 12 students are about to enter the most sleepless time of their schooling life, with adolescent health specialists overwhelmed during the Higher School Certificate period.
Environment Tribunal orders release of log deal detailsSaffron Howden - SMHThe NSW government will be forced for the first time to reveal how much logging companies pay to fell native trees on publicly-owned land after a court ruled it was in the public interest that it do so.
GamblingGambling reforms remain on holdNinemsnGambling reform legislation will not be brought before parliament until the federal government has the support of the coalition and the Greens, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.
IndigenousCoalition to oppose symbolic pledge on indigenous AustraliansPatricia Karvelas – The AustralianThe Coalition will vote against the symbolic pledge proposed by Labor to replace the promised referendum to acknowledge indigenous Australians in the Constitution.
Aim broader: indigenous reportJohn Ross – The AustralianAustralia’s only indigenous federal MP says he won't accept the Aboriginal affairs ministry, even if he's offered it, if his party wins the next election.
MarriageGay marriage bill defeated in Senate by 41 to 26 votesHerald SunThe Senate has rejected a bill to legalise same-sex marriage.
Tories at odds with beastly BernardiMichelle Grattan & David Wroe – The AgeThe British Conservative Party has strongly condemned dumped Senator Cory Bernardi for suggesting gay marriage could be a slippery slope towards condoning bestiality.
Abbott rejects civil unions pushMichelle Grattan – The AgeTony Abbott has slapped down suggestions from opposition whip Warren Entsch and Liberal frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull for Parliament to legislate for civil partnerships or unions now that bills for gay marriage have been defeated.
PoliticsJudge find Liberals’ hard right in the rightSean Nicholls – SMHThe senior ranks of the NSW Liberal Party were in crisis meetings in Parliament House last night after losing a legal battle with members of the hard right faction over a push to change the way candidates are preselected for state and federal seats.
LNP selects Bill Glasson to challenge RuddAmy Remeikis & Tony Moore – Brisbane TimesFormer Australian Medical Association chief Bill Glasson will challenge Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith at next year's federal election.
Business declares war over ministerial staffers ‘costing us billions’David Crowe & Annabel Hepworth – The AustralianBusiness has backed a contentious plan to revitalise the public service and replace political fixers with tenured civil servants who can provide "frank and fearless" advice, amid warnings that botched decisions have squandered up to $20 billion in taxpayer funds.
RefugeesManus Islanders threaten to block asylum centreLiam Fox – ABC OnlineA group of landowners on Manus Island off Papua New Guinea are threatening to block the construction of an asylum seeker processing centre there.
First Iraqi asylum seekers land on NauruNeil Keene – The Daily TelegraphThe first Iraqi asylum seekers have landed on Nauru this morning, including four understood to be deemed "high risk".
OtherWestern missions under siege as Muslim riots spreadThe West AustralianThousands of Pakistanis attempted to storm Islamabad's diplomatic enclave on Thursday, as anger mounted across the Muslim world over perceived Western insults to the Prophet Mohammed.
US judge rejects anti-Islam film banSBSA Los Angeles judge has refused a request by an actress in the anti-Islamic film to ban YouTube from showing the trailer in the United States.
Gay ads to air on AFL’s big screensJill Stark – The AgeThe AFL will broadcast ''No to homophobia'' advertisements on the big screen at tonight's Sydney-Collingwood preliminary final as part of a major push to stamp out discrimination.