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A selection of stories from today's press and other media that relate to Ekklesia's work, produced daily by James Vincent and covering papers such as The Times, Daily Telegraph, Independent, Guardian, and the tabloids.

Religion & Society

General Synod: Church of England suffering from 'testosterone deficit'
The ''testosterone deficit'' in the Church of England needed to be urgently addressed to attract more men into the pews, its synod has heard.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7191223/General-Syno...

General Synod: Church of England exodus feared unless women bishops plans changed
Conservative clergy have warned of a mass exodus from the Church of England and a sharp drop in its income unless divisive plans for the introduction of women bishops are changed.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7188973/General-Syno...

Sikh 'ceremonial daggers' should be allowed in schools, says judge
Sikh pupils should be allowed to carry ceremonial daggers, Britain's first Asian judge has said, following a case in which a 14-year-old was excluded for insisting on bringing his Kirpan blade to school.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7189675/Sikh-ceremon...

Muslim bus driver locks passengers aboard as he stops to pray
A Muslim bus driver knelt in the aisle to pray for five minutes leaving bemused and anxious passengers trapped in ther seats.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7187511/Muslim-bus-d...

Banned, guilt-ridden vicar who prayed after sex with his lover
A “sex mad” vicar torn between two lovers has been banned from the ­pulpit for six months, it emerged yesterday.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/156997/Banned-guilt-ridden-vicar-who...

Comment: Anglo-Catholics on the brink, again
Opponents of women priests must finally make up their minds which church they belong to. Neither much wants them.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2010/feb/08/religion...

Comment: Mightier than the kirpan
I find it hard to justify knives being allowed in schools – be they Sikh ceremonial symbols or otherwise.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/feb/09/dagger-dilemm...

Comment: Face to faith
How the General Synod works is more important than anything it decides.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/feb/06/general-synod...

Economy & Politics

PM faces Labour revolt over vote reform
Gordon Brown is braced for a Labour rebellion today against moves to scrap the first-past-the-post voting system.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/pm-faces-labour-revolt-ove...

Home Secretary Alan Johnson in fury over parliamentary privilege rules for MPs accused of crimes
The MPs facing criminal charges over their expenses claims may be stopped from using parliamentary privilege to avoid trial.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/02/08/johnson-in-fury-at-m...

New clue to May 6 poll date
May 6 looks even more likely to be General Election day after fresh speculation about the timing of the Budget.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/157003/New-clue-to-May-6-poll-date

Comment: Privileged? No one is above the law
Three Labour MPs facing prosecution for expenses fraud are claiming that their Parliamentary status gives them some sort of immunity. But as the eighteenth century lawyer Sir Thomas Fuller declared: ‘Be you never so high, the law is above you.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1249376/MPs-expenses-David-Cha...

Comment: Trust is in tatters – and the best we can hope for is transparency
Reform of the voting system is a vital part of any political clean-up, suggests Mary Riddell.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/maryriddell/7191375/Trust-...

Comment: These TV debates can only end in tears
When all three party leaders agreed to take part in a series of televised debates during the general election campaign, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1249504/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-The...

Comment: The power of utopianism
Practical politics stripped of serious ideas about what would constitute a just human society does a grave disservice to us all.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/08/utopianism-practical...

Race & Identity

Mothers go on hunger strike at immigration centre after being separated from children
A group of up to 80 mothers detained at an immigration centre have gone in hunger strike in protest at being separated from their children, it has emerged.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/7191406/Mothers-go-on...

Watchdog blasts border agency chaos
Britain's immigration system is descending into chaos as a new backlog of applications piles up, a senior Parliamentary watchdog warned last night.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/156984/Watchdog-blasts-Border-Agency...

Uproar as French MP backs 'brave' migrants
A veteran French politician sparked fury yesterday by calling for humanitarian aid for thousands of “courageous” illegal migrants bound for Britain.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/156982/Uproar-as-French-MP-backs-bra...

Christian teacher 'forced out' after complaining Muslim pupils praised 9/11 hijackers 'as heroes'
A Christian teacher yesterday claimed he was forced out of his job after complaining that Muslim pupils as young as eight hailed the September 11 hijackers as heroes.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1249393/9-11-bombers-heroes-What...

Peace & War

Straw: I didn't shun advice that Iraq war was illegal
Jack Straw hit back yesterday at claims that he ignored legal advice that the Iraq war would be unlawful without further United Nations backing.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/156998/Straw-I-didn-t-shun-advice-th...

Helmand blast brings toll to Falkland level
Britain's death toll in Afghanistan yesterday reached a grim new milestone – hitting the same number as those lost in the Falklands War.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/156986/Helmand-blast-brings-toll-to-...

Iran condemned as it reveals nuclear plans
International pressure for new sanctions against Iran grew on Monday after Tehran announced plans to make higher-enriched uranium and add 10 nuclear sites in a year, raising Western fears it wants to develop atom bombs.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-condemned-as-it...

Community & Family

Voters 'deeply pessimistic' about Britain and believe it is 'broken', says poll
Voters are deeply pessimistic about the state of Britain and the majority believe the country is "broken" and heading in the wrong direction, according to a new poll.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7192354/Voters-deeply-pess...

Eugenics fear as British couples are offered £700 online gene test for 100 inherited diseases
Couples are to be offered a simple test to stop them passing on any of more than 100 genetic diseases to their children.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1249448/Eugenics-fear-British-...

Ecology & Environment

'Green' electricity certification scheme attacked for not being green
A new scheme, designed to end the confusion over what is a "green" electricity tariff has been attacked for not being green enough and further perplexing consumers.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greenerliving/7190602/Green-electricity...

Comment: The case for climate action must be remade from the ground upwards
With the science under siege and the politics in disarray, it may fall to civil society to keep this still crucial fight alive.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/feb/08/case-for-c...

Globalisation & Development

UK experts aid Haiti reconstruction
British construction experts are helping rebuild prisons in disaster-struck Haiti as part of a new aid network launched by the UK Government.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/157026/UK-experts-aid-Haiti-reconstr...

Life & Death

Margo MacDonald's Bill 'would encourage suicide tourism to Scotland'
Margo MacDonald’s assisted suicide Bill is “morally ambiguous” and would encourage suicide tourism to Scotland if it became law, a leading right-to-die campaigner has warned.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article7019800.ece

Sex & Gender

Comment: The war on 'cures' for homosexuality
My undercover investigation has led to a campaign against those who wreck lives by peddling conversion therapy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/09/conversion-therapy-h...

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