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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 and Guardian.

Religion and Society

“Pope Benedict XVI calls for new economic system based on love in G8 message” - The Pope has called for the world economy to be restructured in line with the principles of "love, truth and charity" in a new encyclical issued today.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6657155.ece

“From profits to ethics: pope calls for a new political and financial world order” - Pope Benedict today pinned responsibility for the worldwide recession squarely on greed and an amoral fascination with technological progress for its own sake.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/07/pope-new-political-financial...

“Pope Benedict XVI condemns 'corruption and illegality' of politicians and businesses on eve of G8” - The Pope condemned the "corruption and illegality" of politicians and businesses across the world as he called for a new order based on the common good.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5768682/Pope-Ben...

“Judge warns Muslim extremists: 'If you choose to live in this country, you live by its rules'” - A judge has jailed three Muslim extremists who attempted to burn down the house of a book publisher, telling them: "If you choose to live in this country, you live by its rules."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5769692/...

“Radical preacher sent back to jail” - The radical Islamic preacher Abu Izzadeen has been recalled to jail after breaking the terms of his release, prison sources said today.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/radical-preacher-sent-back-to...

LETTER: “No virtue in silence” - 'The Church is in turmoil because of silence over complex theological and biblical issues.'
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article6661719.ece

COMMENT: “Is Europe really Islamophobic?” - 'Anger over the killing of the 'martyr of the hijab' is understandable – but are Muslims right to say they are targeted in Europe?'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/07/martyr-hejab-germany...

“Islamic fundamentalists jailed for arson attack at publisher’s home” - Three Islamic fundamentalists were jailed yesterday for an arson attack on a London publisher who planned to print an “offensive” book about the Prophet Muhammad.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6661551.ece

Life and Death

“Amendment to relax law on assisted dying is thrown out by peers” - A move to relax the law on assisted dying was thrown out by the Lords on Tuesday night.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6664113.ece

“'Synthetic sperm' from stem cells raises hope for male infertility” - Synthetic human sperm have been grown from embryonic stem cells for the first time, scientists claimed yesterday, raising the prospect of advances in male infertility treatment.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6661357.ece

“Fertility clinics told to be more transparent over costs” - Fertility clinics have been told to be more transparent over treatment costs.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6660678.ece

Crime and Justice

“Police protest tactics need urgent reform, says Denis O'Connor's G20 report” - The Chief Inspector of Constabulary has given a warning that public confidence in policing will be dangerously eroded unless there is urgent reform of the way officers deal with protests.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6662248.ece

“Revealed – the secret torture evidence MI5 tried to suppress” - MP David Davis's dramatic parliamentary move exposes treatment of terror suspect.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/08/mi5-torture-evidence-david-d...

“David Davis MP accuses MI5 of 'outsourcing torture'” - David Davis, the former shadow Home Secretary, last night used parliamentary privilege to directly accuse MI5 of "outsourcing torture".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/5772749...

“'Britain does not participate in or condone torture'” - How the government has responded.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jul/08/government-response-to-to...

“Law targets war crime suspects living in UK” - War crime suspects who have fled to Britain after being involved in genocide or crimes against humanity dating back to 1991 will face prosecution in UK courts under proposals announced by the justice secretary, Jack Straw yesterday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jul/08/war-crime-suspects-law

“Escaped child prostitutes say councils left them in danger” - Trafficked children who have escaped enforced prostitution in the UK say they were left in danger by social services departments that housed them in unsafe accommodation close to their abusers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jul/07/human-trafficking-child-pr...

People and Power

“Indignant peers may put the brakes on Brown’s plans to clean up politics” - Gordon Brown’s attempt to clean up politics after the MPs’ expenses row faces the serious risk of being delayed and, at worst, undermined, by the House of Lords.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6661906.ece

Peace and War

“Review will shape future of Britain's armed forces” - The Government has announced it will set up the first strategic defence review in 11 years to shape the future of Britain's armed forces at a time of military commitment abroad and economic hardship at home.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/review-will-shape-future-...

“Chinese troops flood into riot city as Hu Jintao flies home” - Thousands of Chinese troops poured into the restive city of Urumqi early today in a massive show of force, as President Hu Jintao cut short a visit to Italy for the G8 summit to deal with the outbreak of ethnic violence.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china/article6664340.ece

COMMENT: “The Dayton force dilemma” - 'A US-led Palestinian security force is said to be a barrier to unity government, but has brought a welcome calm to the West Bank.'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/08/palestinian-dayton-f...

COMMENT: “Barack Obama’s deal puts pressure on Russia to help with Iran” - 'It was clever of President Obama to tell Russia’s leaders that US missile defence in Europe was intended to counter a threat from Iran. That puts the burden on Dimitri Medvedev, the President and Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister, to pitch in and try to persuade Iran to drop its nuclear ambitions.'
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/bronwen_maddox/artic...

Race and identity

“BNP fails to find allies to form new bloc in Europe” - The British National Party has admitted defeat after failing to find enough far-Right allies to form a new bloc in the European Parliament ahead of next week's opening session.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/5769464/BNP-fails-to...

“Claims that immigrants prioritised for social housing 'a myth'” - Equalities watchdog heads off BNP rumours as study finds only 1.8 per cent of social tenants have moved to the UK recently.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jul/07/social-housing-immigratio...

“Fear and loathing at equality central” - Discrimination, conflicts of interest, financial irregularities: allegations against Trevor Phillips and his commission are building.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/fear-and-loathing-at-equal...

Ecology and Environment

“Al Gore invokes spirit of Churchill in battle against climate change” - Al Gore invoked the spirit of Winston Churchill yesterday when he urged political leaders to follow the example of Britain’s wartime leader in the battle against climate change.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6658672.ece

Community and Family

“Number of homeless in London leaps 15 per cent” - One in seven of those without shelter are East Europeans, official figures show.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jul/07/london-homeless-rise

“Initiative to cut teenage pregnancies had reverse effect, study says” - A government drive to lower the rate of teenage pregnancies has backfired, actually increasing the number of school-age mothers in England, a study confirms today.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6662124.ece

Globalisation and Development

“Berlusconi eager to strike optimistic note as G8 meet in L’Aquila” - Metaphors may not have been in the mind of Silvio Berlusconi when he summoned the leaders of the world’s most advanced states to survey the battered planet from the scene of an earthquake.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6663074.ece

“Team Monitoring Diamond Trade Rebukes Zimbabwe” - A team assessing Zimbabwe’s compliance with international standards to prevent the diamond trade from fueling conflict found that the nation’s military had been directly involved in illegal mining and that the authorities had carried out “horrific violence against civilians,” according to a memo the team gave to Zimbabwean officials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/world/africa/08zimbabwe.html?_r=1&ref=...

“China president Hu Jintao leaves G8 summit over Xinjiang riots” - Leader cuts short trip to Italy to return home to tackle unrest as hundreds of police take to the streets.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/08/china-hu-jintao-g8-summit-pr...

COMMENT: “G8: the wrong body, the wrong members, the wrong time” - 'This summit is even more of a shambles than usual. But there are a couple of reasons to give the G8 a brief stay of execution.'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/07/g8-berlusconi-trade-aid

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