In Ferguson, Missouri, where there has been looting and
rioting following a police shooting of a black teenager for an apparently minor
offence, a central Pentecostal church has been working with other churches to
reduce the violence. Church members have marched down the street where the
rioting occurred, handing out bags of supplies; food and toiletries; stood
outside buildings or sat in cars in people’s driveways all night for
protection; and cleaned up a lot of post-riot mess.
France has removed the last legal obstacle to abortion on
demand. When abortion was first permitted in France, it could only be given to
women who were ”in distress”. However, five years later the decision about
whether a woman was in distress was given to the woman herself, rather than to
medical professionals. Now the “in distress” requirement has been removed from
the law entirely.
Richard Dawkins has said on Twitter that parents of unborn
children with Down’s syndrome have a moral obligation to abort them because it
would be “immoral” to bring them into the world. His comments have provoked
strong criticism.
The American medical missionary who contracted Ebola has now
recovered completely after being given an experimental drug; he called his
recovery a “miracle”. However, he took most of his worldly possessions to
Liberia with him, and they must all be destroyed for fear of contamination.
David Cameron gave a major speech on family. He said that
“nothing matters to him more than family” but also argued for “a right of
marriage for all people; where the law comes between people’s love, it is the
law that needs to change.” He also supported adoption by same-sex couples.
In sport, England have qualified for the Women’s (football)
World Cup with a 4-0 victory over Wales. Wales can still qualify via the
play-offs.
In science news, scientists have drilled into a lake that
exists half a mile below the Antarctic ice sheet – and have found life. The
lake, which has not seen sun for an estimated millions of years, contains
micro-organisms that convert ammonia and methane into energy.
And finally, the best joke award at the Edinburgh Festival
Fringe went to Tim Vine for his one liner: “I decided to sell my Hoover … it
was just collecting dust.” The runner up was: “I wanted to make a joke about a
fat badger but I couldn’t fit it into my set.” Vine is the first comedian to
win the award, sponsored by TV channel Dave, for the second time; his comment
was, “Well, Dave loves repeats.”
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