Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has resigned from his position after a report was published detailing his failure to report abuse allegations against John Smyth, a former Church of England lay leader. The report found that Welby “could and should” have reported Smyth’s abuse of boys and young men to police in 2013. In his resignation letter, Welby expressed his “sorrow” for Smyth’s victims and his own “profound sense of shame” over the episode. The resignation has been received with shock and criticism from bishops and victims, making it one of the biggest crises ever faced by the Church.
The resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury is an unprecedented event since the position was established 1,427 years ago, according to The Times. This decision was seen by Welby’s senior colleagues as necessary in order to “change the face” of how the Church responds to cases of abuse. However, some of Smyth’s abuse victims have argued that his resignation should not make him a “sacrificial lamb” and that other senior members of the clergy should also leave their positions. The Daily Mail has reported that this would add to the existing crisis in the Church.
A former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has questioned Labour’s decision to maintain the two-child cap on benefits. In an interview with the i newspaper, Brown insists that child poverty remains a bigger problem than pensioner poverty and calls for a complete review of how the government tackles the issue. Brown’s comments have been seen by some as adding pressure on the government to change its stance.
The Daily Telegraph reports that one of its writers was questioned by the police in a “Kafkaesque” hate crime inquiry over a year-old post on social media. Columnist Allison Pearson says two officers came to her house recently to accuse her of material “likely or intended to cause racial hatred.” Essex Police told her that the investigation relates to a now-deleted post and was launched under laws prohibiting racial hatred.
Finally, it has been reported by the Financial Times that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have indicated their desire to strengthen their relationships with Iran. Both of these countries cheered Trump’s more confrontational approach to Iran during his first term, but they are now increasingly aware of their vulnerability to Iranian hostility and keen to avoid further tensions. A senior Arab diplomat suggested that should Trump put the United States up against Iran, then this would be a big problem
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.