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.
Abortion
Advocates obliged to put an end to misconceptionsMelinda Tankard Reist blogRecent publicity for abortion drug RU486 has given women assurances of its safety. The drug is promoted as do-it-yourself, easy, private and ”more natural”. In this pro-RU486 spin, the voices of women harmed by the chemical cocktail have been drowned out.
Tony Abbott set to banish Greens from the lower house of parliament by preferencing them behind LaborSimon Benson - The Herald SunOpposition Leader Tony Abbott will today direct the Liberal Party to preference the Greens behind Labor in all seats across the country in a bid to ensure the party is wiped from the lower house of parliament. It will mean the Greens' only current lower house MP, Adam Bandt, will almost certainly lose his seat of Melbourne on September 7 - in an election gift to the ALP.
Is the abortion battle a war on women or a war between women?ChristianityThe War on Women has become a political catchphrase, popular enough to warrant its own entry on Wikipedia, which defines it as “an expression in United States politics, used to describe Republican Party initiatives in federal and state legislatures that restrict women’s rights, especially reproductive rights.
No, all women do not support the contraceptive mandateHelen M. Alvaré and Meg T. McDonnell - Mercator NetThe Obama administration thinks that women care more about free contraceptives than freedom of religion.
Classification
PS urged to stay silent on social mediaStephanie Anderson and Markus Mannheim - The Canberra Times Public servants are being urged to self-censor on social media following a court ruling which paves the way for an employee who criticised the government on Twitter to be sacked. Federal Circuit Court judge Warwick Neville rejected Michaela Banerji's application for a stay on her dismissal, a decision handed down almost a year after the public affairs officer was identified as the user of an account which posted critical tweets about government policies.
Teenage drinking raises risk of early dementia, study suggestsDenis Campbel - The GuardianHeavy drinking as a teenager is the single biggest risk factor for developing dementia unusually early, according to new research. A study of almost 500,000 Swedish men identified "alcohol intoxication" as a late adolescent as the most serious of nine separate risk factors for young onset dementia (YOD) – that is, dementia before reaching 65.
Education
Australia the world's most expensive destination for international studentsGlenda Kwek - SMHAustralia is the most expensive country for international students, ahead of the US and UK, but the falling currency and improved visa processes could soon seen a resurgence in numbers, an international report has found.
Gambling
International gambling houses flexing their muscles like never beforeChris Roots - The Sydney Morning HeraldIs Australian bookmaking dying or is it just evolving into a foreign-owned, 21st-century structure that will have platforms around the world. Tom Waterhouse has been telling us he is a fourth-generation bookmaker, who knows what the punter wants. It seems he knew what William Hill, a British bookmaking stalwart, wanted after the sale of the business that carries his name. It leaves William Hill in control of Sportingbet, Centrebet and Tom Waterhouse, while Paddy Power, another big British firm, owns Sportsbet and IASbet.
Health
Aged care groups urge politicians to embrace further reforms to improve lives of older AustraliansMonique Ross - ABCPoliticians have been urged to put the needs of older Australians front and centre as they race towards the election, with aged care groups saying the next government must embrace further reforms.
Human Rights
New report reveals severe gender violence in PNGABCThere are calls for a major shift in attitudes towards gender violence in Papua New Guinea, as law enforcement agencies there have been accused of largely ignoring the issue. A new report by the NGO, ChildFund Australia, has confirmed previous research showing that at least two thirds of women in PNG experience physical or sexual assault.
Syrian child raped and brutalized by jihadRaymond Ibrahim - The Arab WorldAccording to the “Largest Syrian Christian Group on Facebook,” a young girl in Syria, was tortured, raped, her face disfigured at the hands of the Saudis and others from among the psychos and criminals of the revolution.”
Marriage
Campaigners for marriage target Rudd for children’s right to a mum and dadAustralian Family AssociationYesterday, at noon on a sunny afternoon in Brisbane, protesters gathered outside the PM’s office with placards saying “…because Australia deserves a PM who supports natural marriage…Put Rudd Last” and “…Children deserve a mother and father.” More such events are planned this week across Australia to highlight Tuesday’s celebrations of National Marriage Day.
Faithful rolling their rosaries in western SydneyEan Higgins - The AustralianIslamic and Christian leaders in western Sydney have warned of a backlash against Labor following Kevin Rudd's reversal of his views on gay marriage and his pledge to bring forward a bill to legalise it within 100 days of the election. Some church leaders said the Prime Minister's U-turn represented a betrayal after he had actively courted the religious vote in the 2007 election campaign.
Shayne says no to gay marriageJoel Gould - Queensland TimesBlair MP Shayne Neumann (ALP) has not changed his mind on same-sex marriage and would vote against it again if another bill came before parliament. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd indicated in a debate with Coalition Leader Tony Abbott that, should Labor win the election, a private bill would soon be introduced on gay marriage.
Marriage equality push finds support from ACT governmentRoss Peake - The Canberra TimesCanberra is being promoted as Australia’s ‘‘city of love’’ as the territory’s Labor Party unites to support Kevin Rudd’s new push on same sex marriage. The ALP rallied its supporters in Canberra on Tuesday to step up the campaign following the Prime Minister’s promise that, if elected, he would introduce marriage equality legislation in the first 100 days of Parliament.
Politics
Just how religious were Australia's Prime Ministers? A Christian appraisalRoy Williams - ABCThis year's federal election campaign is unusual for a number of reasons. One is the conspicuous religiosity of both Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott. Indeed, not since 1931, when Labor Prime Minister Jim Scullin faced off against the United Australia Party's Joe Lyons, have our two major political parties been led into an election by Christians so overt in their expressions of faith.
The week in politicsABC LatelineFormer Labor Senator John Black: I think there's a lot of inconsistencies in the Labor campaign. They seem to lack a coherent focus on one demographic group and the key group for Kevin Rudd was young working-class families in the outer suburbs, many of whom go to church and believe in God, and frankly, I haven't seen Kevin Rudd talking to those people a lot during the course of this campaign.
Prostitution & Sex Trafficking
Vic escort strangling accidental: courtJoel Cresswell - Brisbane TimesA Melbourne man says he was pulling leather reins attached to a dog collar around a prostitute's neck when he accidentally strangled her.
Newman government put brothel home call service on agendaRenee Viellaris - The Courier MailProstitutes working in Queensland's licensed brothels could be home-delivered for the first time in a bid to fight off illegal operators. Police Minister Jack Dempsey is considering allowing sex workers to make suburban house calls after lobbying by the Prostitution Licensing Authority.
Religious Freedom & PersecutionChristians are being slaughtered by Wahhabi Islamists all over the worldAssyrian International News AgencyIn April 1996, Pope John Paul II attacked the intransigence of 'followers of other religions' who were persecuting Christians. He didn't specify Islam, but everyone know who he meant.
Sexualisation of Society
Police officer Marc Osborn guilty of making secret sex tapesPaul Bibby - SMHThe Sydney police officer who secretly filmed himself having sex with women he met via the internet, then showed the recordings to his colleagues, has been found guilty of filming a private act for sexual gratification and faces immediate dismissal from the police force.
Other
California the 1st to give transgender kids rightsAssociated PressCalifornia yesterday became the first state to enshrine certain rights for transgender kindergarten-through-12th grade students in state law, requiring public schools to allow those students access to whichever restroom and locker room they want.