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A call to action: national governments and the global community must act now

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A call to action: national governments and the global community must act now
Copenhagen, Denmark, 16 March 2021

Today, the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development called on governments, economic and social stakeholders, and international organizations to rethink their broad policy priorities, to step up investments and reforms in health- and social-care systems, and to upgrade global governance of public goods, such as health and the environment.

Unless all 3 efforts are vigorously pursued, it is unlikely that the world can avoid new, devastating pandemics or other global health crises.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into sharp relief the inequalities and deep fault lines that exist in many societies. It has revealed that our existing health, financial, economic and social-care systems were ill prepared and poorly equipped to address SARS-CoV-2 effectively.

Five months since it was first convened, the Commission has delivered this call to action – the first outcome of its work – to feed into broader national and supranational discussions taking place on how to tackle the deep-rooted conditions that allowed the COVID-19 pandemic to inflict unprecedented damage on lives and economies. It provides guidance on how we should prioritize health and sustainable development now to set our systems and societies on the right track for generations to come.

Key proposals outlined in the call to action are to:

  • identify, assess and respond to risks arising from human activities, including climate change, emerging zoonotic infections and antimicrobial resistance, through the establishment of an Intergovernmental Panel on Health Threats;
  • mend fractures in society and reinvigorate trust in institutions by identifying and engaging with people who are disenfranchised, and by improving access to health and social services;
  • recognize that spending on health care, social care, education and research is an investment in the human and intellectual capital that drives progress. Specifically, incorporate One Health-related risks (across human, animal and environmental health) into the risk analyses used by international financial institutions, public authorities and the financial sector;
  • create at the G20 level a Global Health Board modelled on the Financial Stability Board to identify vulnerabilities that threaten the health of humans, animals and the environment, and promote an International Pandemic Treaty; and
  • encourage the discovery and development of medicines, medical technologies, digital solutions and organizational innovations, and enhance the transparency of public–private partnerships.

The Commission’s work will culminate in a report to be published in September 2021 with recommendations on investments and reforms to improve health- and social-care systems.

Mario Monti, Chair of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development, President of Bocconi University (Italy) and former Prime Minister of Italy:

“We are calling on government leaders and international organizations to fix the fractures in our societies and stop turning a blind eye to the conditions that allowed the novel coronavirus to inflict such grave damage on the world. A number of things need to change, from our societies’ views on health and social care, to whether financial systems take environmental and health risks adequately into account, and how global governance responds to the increasingly key role of public goods. We have a choice: to ignore the evidence and risk being even harder hit in future pandemics, or to heed the warnings and implement the lessons we have learned.”

Tarja Halonen, former President of the Republic of Finland:

“This pandemic has shown the weaknesses of our societies concerning political and societal resilience. Based on past experiences, we have a limited time window to bring about much-needed change. We must use the current political will and momentum to strengthen the resilience of our society to be able to withstand future pandemics.”

Roza Otunbayeva, former President of the Kyrgyz Republic:

“COVID-19 has shone a harsh light on the inequalities in our societies. Providing everyone with access to quality health services and ensuring equal participation in decision-making will go far to help restore trust in institutions, build social cohesion, drive economic growth, and strengthen security and hope. Universal health coverage is the centrepiece of sustainable societies.”

Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe:

“I welcome the call to action made by the Commission. They were tasked with rethinking health policy, extending far beyond the pre-pandemic definition of health. What I am particularly keen on seeing is that public health is no longer considered a peripheral issue. More than a year into a health emergency that has shaken societies to their very core, it should be clear to all of us that health is an investment that drives progress. This initial guidance by the Commission – a vital part of the European Programme of Work – is crucial to pave the way to deliver united action for better health.”

About the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development

The Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development is an independent and interdisciplinary group of leaders, convened by the WHO Regional Office for Europe on the initiative of its Regional Director Hans Kluge, to rethink policy priorities in the light of pandemics.

Comprising former heads of state and government, distinguished life scientists and economists, heads of health- and social-care institutions, and leaders of the business community and financial institutions from across the WHO European Region, the Commission brings together individuals with outstanding expertise and experience.

The group of 19 commissioners is chaired by Mario Monti, President of Bocconi University, former Prime Minister of Italy and former European Commissioner. Elias Mossialos, Founder and Director of the Department of Health Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), is the Commission’s Scientific Coordinator, and its deliberations are supported by a Scientific Advisory Board.

EU starts legal action against Britain

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EU starts legal action against Britain

The European Union said Monday that it is starting legal action against the United Kingdom, arguing the former member does not respect the conditions of the Brexit withdrawal agreement and is violating international law.

The 27-nation EU is objecting to Britain’s unilaterally extending a grace period beyond April 1 that applies to trade on the island of Ireland, where the EU and the U.K. share a land border and where a special trade system was set up as part of the Brexit divorce deal.

“The recent measures once again set the U.K. on the path of a deliberate breach of its international law obligations and the duty of good faith that should prevail,” EU Vice President Maros Sefcovic wrote to his U.K. counterpart David Frost.

It marks a further worsening of relations between the two sides since a divorce transition period ended on Jan. 1. Disputes have ranged from fights over vaccines to the full diplomatic recognition of the EU in Britain and now again the terms of the agreement.

On March 3, the U.K. decided to unilaterally extend a grace period until October on checks for goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but remained part of the EU’s single market for goods after Brexit to avoid a hard border that could revive sectarian violence. That means that products arriving from Britain face EU import regulations.

A U.K. government spokesperson said it will respond to the EU Commission “in due course,” insisting the measures are temporary and aimed at reducing disruptions in Northern Ireland.

“They are lawful and part of a progressive and good faith implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Low key operational measures like these are well precedented and common in the early days of major international treaties. In some areas, the EU also seems to need time to implement the detail of our agreements. This is a normal process when implementing new treaties and not something that should warrant legal action.”

FILE – In this file photo dated Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, vehicles disembark from a ferry arriving from Scotland at the port of Larne, Northern Ireland. Outlawed Loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland have written to Britain’s prime minister Thursday March 4, 2021, saying they are temporarily withdrawing their support for the historic 1998 peace accord because of disruption caused by new post-Brexit trade rules. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, FILE)
FILE – In this Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020 file photo, a worker raises the Union Flag prior a meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at EU headquarters in Brussels. Relations between the European Union and recently departed Britain took another diplomatic dip on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 when the EU envoy in London was summoned to explain comments that Britain had issued a vaccine export ban. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
FILE – In this file photo dated Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, lorries disembark a ferry from Scotland, after arriving at the P&O ferry terminal in the port at Larne, Northern Ireland. Outlawed Loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland have written to Britain’s prime minister Thursday March 4, 2021, saying they are temporarily withdrawing their support for the historic 1998 peace accord because of disruption caused by new post-Brexit trade rules. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, FILE)

Turkey issues diplomatic note to Israel, Greece, EU over subsea power grid project

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Turkey issues diplomatic note to Israel, Greece, EU over subsea power grid project

Photo: EuroAsia Interconnector

Click to read the article in Turkish

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed strong reservations over not being consulted over an EU-backed project in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Ankara sent a diplomatic note to the Greek and Israeli embassies as well as the Delegation of the European Union saying that any further action should not take place without seeking permission from Turkey, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing diplomatic sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

On March 8, Israel, Greece, and Southern Cyprus signed a memorandum of understanding on the EuroAsia Interconnector, which connects the electricity grids of the three states through a sub-sea cable.

The diplomatic note stated that the grid passes through Turkey’s territorial waters, the sources said.

The project’s visual documentation showed the planned route of the subsea electricity cable includes Turkey’s continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean, the sources added.

According to international law, if a preliminary study is required before laying the cables, Turkey’s permission must be sought, they argued.

If a preliminary study is not necessary, then Turkey should be informed in advance, added the sources. (EKN/VK)

EU Starts Legal Process over UK’s Alleged Brexit Protocol Breach

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EU Starts Legal Process over UK’s Alleged Brexit Protocol Breach


BRUSSELS The European Union sent on Monday a formal letter to the United Kingdom for allegedly breaching the customs agreement on Northern Ireland within the Brexit deal.The letter marks the first step in an infringement process, the European Commission said in a statement.

The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland is the only way to protect the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement and to preserve peace and stability, while avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and maintaining the integrity of the EU single market, Commission vice-president Maro efčovič said in the statement.

The EU and the UK agreed the Protocol together. We are also bound to implement it together. Unilateral decisions and international law violations by the UK defeat its very purpose and undermine trust between us.

The UKs government on March 3 said it would delay by six months the implementation of custom checks on goods and pet travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, a UK territory that borders the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state.

The Northern Ireland protocol was a major pillar of the Brexit deal designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, a sensitive topic enshrined in the 1998 Good Friday agreement, an international peace deal that put an end to decades of sectarian violence.

The UK must properly implement it if we are to achieve our objectives. That is why we are launching legal action today, efčovič added.

Supreme Court’s COVID-19 cases stir up battle between religion, same-sex couples over foster care

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Supreme Court's COVID-19 cases stir up battle between religion, same-sex couples over foster care

John Fritze
 
| USA TODAY

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WASHINGTON – As religious freedom emerges as a major theme at the Supreme Court this year, some court watchers predict a series of opinions involving COVID-19 restrictions have put that issue on a collision course with gay rights.

In nine cases since November, the high court has sided with churches and synagogues that sued over coronavirus regulations limiting the number of worshippers who can attend services. The disputes have put religious freedom center stage and may provide clues about how the justices will handle a blockbuster case involving same-sex couples. 

The Supreme Court is set to rule this year on a major case questioning whether Philadelphia can stop working with a Catholic charity that declined to screen same-sex couples as foster parents, Fulton v. Philadelphia. Some legal scholars said the COVID-19 disputes show the Catholic group may have momentum on its side.

More: Supreme Court hears Philadelphia foster parent dispute

“This voting lineup makes clear that Fulton is going to be reversed,” predicted Douglas Laycock, a University of Virginia law professor and expert on religious liberty. “At least five, and maybe all six, of the conservatives will protect the Catholic Church from having to place children with same-sex couples or else losing its foster-care mission entirely.”

Though not everyone has signed on to that assessment – including the organizations that support Philadelphia – there is agreement the court’s new conservative 6-3 majority has already looked favorably on religious freedom claims and will probably continue to do so. 

Even before Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett took her seat on the court in October, adding another conservative voice to the bench, the justices have looked kindly on religion in high-profile cases. The court allowed taxpayer money to be directed to religious entities in some situations, exempted employers with religious objections from requirements that they provide health insurance coverage for contraceptives and let a massive Latin cross stay on government land within a few minutes’ drive from the nation’s capital.

More recently, the court overturned coronavirus regulations that curtail indoor religious services because they included exceptions for secular businesses, such as retail stores and hair salons. Those decisions have come through the court’s so-called shadow docket, meaning they have been decided quickly – without oral argument – and often without an opinion from the court.

Shadow docket: Supreme Court blocks some COVID-19 rules for churches

Six years later: The impact of the Supreme Court’s 2015 same-sex marriage ruling   

Those cases have represented a huge win for evangelical Christian congregations and other religious groups who say the government shouldn’t be able to force them to take positions that conflict with their belief. 

“People felt more excited than usual because there was nothing to fear,” Adelheid Waumboldt, a spokeswoman and parishioner at Harvest Rock Church in California, said as she described services after the church won a case at the Supreme Court last month. “There was no fear of being arrested or fear of persecution.”

Same-sex foster parents 

Fatma Marouf and Bryn Esplin sat in stunned silence for a few seconds when the person on the other end of the line told them that if they wanted to qualify as foster parents, their home would need to “mirror the Holy Family.” For a second, they weren’t completely sure what that meant. It became clear soon enough. 

Marouf, director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at Texas A&M School of Law, works professionally with Catholic Charities Fort Worth and had toured the center where the organization helps care for unaccompanied refugee children for the federal government. In 2017, she and Esplin, a bioethics professor at the University of North Texas, decided they wanted to help in a more direct way.

Catholic Charities was the only foster agency available for the migrant children. 

“I thought, for sure, this can’t be legal,” Marouf said. “This is a federal program using taxpayer funds.”

The prohibition, Esplin said, not only shrinks the pool of potential foster parents, it also assumes there are no LBGT children who might benefit from same-sex parents.

One of the questions raised by the Fulton case is whether government contractors, such as the Catholic foster care agency, may object to anti-discrimination requirements – after all, they work for the government. Another question is whether the government must offer exceptions to religious groups if they offer them to secular organizations. 

That second question, several observers said, is where the COVID-19 cases may become relevant.  

The foster agency case pits Philadelphia’s position that it can prohibit same-sex discrimination by its contractors against Catholic Social Services, which asserts it cannot screen same-sex couples to be foster parents because it opposes gay marriage on religious grounds. The court heard arguments in November.

Part of the issue in the Philadelphia dispute is what test the court will use to determine whether a law violates the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. The outcome could turn on whether the court finds that any secular exceptions to a law – say, allowing people into a hardware store during the pandemic – means there must be exemptions for religious activity, such as attending Sunday morning services. 

“The opinions we’re seeing and the votes we’re seeing in the shadow docket coronavirus and church closing cases suggest that in the Fulton case, the court is going to come out in favor of the Catholic adoption agency,” said Richard Garnett, director of the University of Notre Dame law school program on church, state and society. “They do involve a similar question of, ‘Once you open the door, then what?’”

Attorneys for the Catholic charity said the city’s other foster care agencies benefit from exemptions to the city’s nondiscrimination rules. They might not place a disabled child with a family if the would-be parents don’t have the means to care for her. If the city allows that, attorneys said, it must allow religious exemptions.   

Others said that’s not the same as Catholic Social Services declining all same-sex couples.   

Patrick Elliott, senior counsel at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, conceded that the Supreme Court has been willing to give “special preferences to religion even when that causes harm to third parties.” He also agreed that the COVID-19 cases have been a part of that trend under the court’s more conservative majority. 

But Elliott disputed that the church cases have anything to do with Fulton. 

“Philadelphia’s rules requiring nondiscrimination are altogether different,” he said. “CSS has a complete ban against same-sex couples providing a loving home for foster care children. Philadelphia has neutral rules that prohibit that type of discrimination in the foster care certification process.”

Controversial precedent 

The Supreme Court ruled in a 1990 decision that a government can impose restrictions that affect a religious entity as long as they are applied equally to religious and secular activities. A city can impose a 30 mph speed limit, for instance, and if someone claims his religion requires him to drive 60 mph, too bad. The claim gets tossed.

Some conservatives want to overturn the precedent – which, ironically, was written by Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, a stalwart conservative in his time on the bench. Critics said the opinion, Employment Division v. Smith, reduced religious protections provided by the First Amendment.

Voting: Supreme Court’s conservatives question effort to unwind voting laws

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Three years after Smith, in another groundbreaking case, the court invalidated a Florida city’s attempt to stop a church from performing animal sacrifices. The justices found that laws that are not applied equally must receive far more scrutiny and that secular exceptions to a law restricting religion signal that the higher scrutiny should apply.

In other words, if a city tried to ban animal killings in a church because of objections from neighbors but exempted the slaughterhouse or the killing of pests from that rule, it would probably be in for a much tougher fight in federal courts. 

Snap forward 30 years to a world besieged by a pandemic that has killed more than 530,000 people in the USA and that sent officials scrambling to pass restrictions on gatherings. Many of those regulations affected churches, and many included exemptions for “essential” secular activities.

Shadow docket

In one of the first such cases, the justices ruled in July that Nevada could impose tighter crowd restrictions on churches than casinos. In the 5-4 ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s four liberals. The court did not explain its order.

Four months later, after Barrett was seated, the court took the opposite tack, ruling 5-4 against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s crowd limits on houses of worship in the state’s hardest-hit regions.

In an unsigned opinion, the justices noted New York allowed exceptions to the COVID-19 rules for acupuncture clinics, garages and campgrounds. They applied the tougher standard and ruled against New York. In subsequent disputes, including one involving five California churches that the court decided last month, the conservatives again noted exemptions to the COVID-19 restrictions for retail stores and hairstylists and blocked the rules. 

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Liberal justices have countered the exemptions are not similar – a church, where people may sit together for an hourlong service, is more like a theater than a grocery store, they said. Entities that health officials describe as similar to churches, such as movie theaters, have generally been subject to the same COVID-19 restrictions.

Frank Ravitch, a Michigan State University law professor who studies law and religion, said the Supreme Court majority’s comparisons of churches to grocery and other retail businesses “are ridiculous and trample on public safety measures created by state health officials and trample on common sense, in my view.”

More: Supreme Court faces balancing act between physical and spiritual health

‘Actual proof of harm’

Lori Windham, an attorney who represents Catholic Social Services in the Fulton litigation, said the COVID-19 cases have demonstrated that when a government begins making exceptions for secular activity, it’s going to have to find a “really good reason” for why it doesn’t make similar accommodations for religious organizations or activities. Windham is a senior counsel at Becket, a nonprofit law firm that represents litigants fighting for religious freedom.

“The second part of that is the COVID cases show that when the government is restricting religious exercise, it needs to show actual proof of harm,” she said. 

In the COVID-19 cases, Windham said, local governments haven’t proved religious services are more dangerous than gyms or big box stores. In the Fulton case, no same-sex family was turned away by the Catholic charity, because none came to the group looking for a foster child in the first place. 

Instead, those families went elsewhere.

Brexit Wars Recommence as EU Launches Legal Action Against UK over Northern Ireland

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Brexit Wars Recommence as EU Launches Legal Action Against UK over Northern Ireland

The European Union is launching legal action against the United Kingdom over its efforts to protect trade between the British mainland and Northern Ireland, vindicating critics of Boris Johnson’s deals with the bloc who said they ensured Brexit was by no means “done”.

The terms Prime Minister Johnson agreed with the bloc on Northern Ireland were particularly onerous, with Northern Ireland, or Ulster, being left within the regulatory domain of the EU, and a partial customs border between the British province and England, Scotland, and Wales being imposed.

A so-called “grace period” before these conditions were imposed on Northern Ireland fully was permitted until the end of March, but the British government is now extending this until October unilaterally as Northern Irish people and businesses face shortages and other difficulties, compounded by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The [Northern Ireland protocol] is there to uphold and to guarantee, to buttress the Good Friday Agreement, the peace process,” explained Johnson.

“That always had the symmetry in it: it was very very important that the wishes, the consent of both the communities in Northern Ireland, should be properly reflected in the outcome, and that it should guarantee, not just trade and movement, north, south; but east, west as well,” he said.

The Prime Minister was likely referring to the unhappiness of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is the main representative of the majority in Northern Ireland who wish to remain in the United Kingdom rather than join the Irish republic, with the way Johnson’s deals have created barriers between Ulster and the rest of the British Union.

“The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland is the only way to protect the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement and to preserve peace and stability, while avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland and maintaining the integrity of the EU Single Market,” insisted Maros Sefcovic for the European Commission.

“Unilateral decisions and international law violations by the UK defeat its very purpose and undermine trust between us,” he lectured — somewhat ironically, considering the European Commission announced it would be imposing a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland for vaccines just weeks ago without even bothering to consult the Irish government in Dublin, before being forced into a humiliating climbdown.

“The UK must properly implement it if we are to achieve our objectives. That is why we are launching legal action today,” Sefcovic added — although he did leave the door open to a resolution of the dispute through talks, “without recourse to further legal means.”

The British government, for its part, is insisting that its moves in Northern Ireland are “lawful and part of a progressive and good faith implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.”

“Low-key operational measures like these are well precedented and common in the early days of major international treaties. In some areas, the EU also seems to need time to implement the detail of our agreements. This is a normal process when implementing new treaties and not something that should warrant legal action,” a spokesman insisted.

Whether or not the EU is implementing its deals with Brexit Britain on Northern Ireland and trade remains an open question, with EU officials having on one occasion seized a lorry driver’s ham sandwiches at the border on the pretext of them being a prohibited food import and saying “Welcome to Brexit, sir”.

The EU legal action could end up in the European Court of Justice (ECJ), according to The Times — a highly embarrassing possibility for Prime Minister Johnson and the Conservative party, who have always tried to give the impression that their deals had secured full independence from the EU court, in which Britain now has no judicial representation.

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White House urges EU and UK to protect Good Friday Agreement

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White House urges EU and UK to protect Good Friday Agreement

Reuters and Press Association

The White House has urged Britain and the European Union to preserve the Good Friday Agreement after the EU launched legal action against Britain for changing trading arrangements Brussels says breach the Brexit divorce.

“We continue to encourage both the European Union and the UK government to prioritise pragmatic solutions to safeguard and advance the hard won peace in Northern Ireland,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

“President Biden has been unequivocal in his support for the Belfast Good Friday agreement. This agreement has been the bedrock of peace, stability and prosperity for all the people of Northern Ireland.”

Before his election, the US president said the Agreement cannot become a casualty of Brexit.

The UK is seeking a bilateral trade deal with the US.

Following a conversation last month, British prime minister Boris Johnson sought to reassure Mr Biden – who is fiercely proud of his Irish roots – that he remained firmly committed to the peace process.

Mr Johnson said then: “This is fundamental for us, the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the peace agreement, the Good Friday process, the Belfast Agreement, these agreements are absolutely crucial.”

Pressed on his support for the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal agreement following the recent row with the EU over vaccines, he replied: “We want to make sure that there’s free movement, north-south, free movement east-west, and we guarantee the rights of the people of Northern Ireland, of course.”

President Biden’s ancestral homes in Co Mayo and Co Louth celebrated his inauguration with champagne and cake while waving Irish and American flags.

Idris Elba signs major children’s book deal with HarperCollins

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Idris Elba signs major children’s book deal with HarperCollins

Actor and director Idris Elba has signed a global multi-book deal with HarperCollins Children’s Books (HCCB) for a range of titles, set to launch in 2022.

The deal will include picture books and fiction featuring a character and world imagined and developed by the star and his writing partner Robyn Charteris, who has written numerous live-action drama, pre-school and animation programmes for the BBC, Channel 4, the Jim Henson Company and Endemol. No titles or plot details have been released yet but Elba revealed the tales were inspired by his daughter.

In a “major” UK and US co-publication deal, world rights were acquired by Ann-Janine Murtagh, executive publisher at HCCB UK, and Suzanne Murphy, president and publisher at HCCB US, from Crystal Mahey-Morgan at OWN IT! Entertainment Ltd.

Elba said: “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to bring stories inspired by my daughter to life with my incredible partner Robyn Charteris, and the powerhouse team at HarperCollins.”

The Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guilds Awards winner has appeared in a string of TV series and films during his career, from playing Stringer Bell in critically lauded series “The Wire” to the lead character in BBC hit “Luther”. His movie credits include appearances in “American Gangster”, “Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom” and “Beasts of No Nation”.

Recently he has also been a force behind the camera, making his feature-film directorial debut at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival with “Yardie”. In 2013, he founded his production company, Green Door Pictures, to champion diversity of thought. With Green Door, he released the documentary “Mandela, My Dad and Me”, produced the TV mini-series “Guerrilla” for Showtime and created, produced and appears in the Sky comedy series “In the Long Run”.

Murtagh commented: “Idris Elba is one of the most iconic and multi-talented creatives of his generation and I am delighted that he is joining the HarperCollins Children’s Books list. From the outset, Idris had a very clear vision of the characters and stories he has imagined, and is passionate about creating books that will appeal to all children. Robyn Charteris has a fantastic track record in writing for children, working with some of the biggest producers of children’s entertainment, and I am hugely excited to also welcome her to the world of children’s books. I feel privileged that Idris has entrusted us to bring his stories to life and I cannot wait to share them with children across the globe.”

Murphy added: “Idris Elba is a creative force, who has many wonderful stories to tell. We are honoured to be working with him and with Robyn Charteris to bring Idris’ rich and imaginative storytelling to the world of children’s books, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the HarperCollins family.”

Catholic Church ‘does not have power’ to bless same-sex marriage, says Vatican

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Catholic Church 'does not have power' to bless same-sex marriage, says Vatican
(Photo: REUTERS / Benoit Tessier)People wave trademark pink, blue and white flags during a protest march called, “La Manif pour Tous” (Demonstration for All) against France’s legalisation of same-sex marriage and to show their support of traditional family and education values, in Paris February 2, 2014. In April 2013 the French parliament approved a law allowing same-sex couples to marry and to adopt children, a flagship reform pledge by the French president. Banners read, “French Muslims Say NO to Marriage of Homosexuals” (L) and “No to Gender Theory” (R).

The Catholic Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions although it can give blessings to individual persons “with homosexual inclinations,” the Vatican has said.


The message on March 15, approved by Pope Francis, came in response to questions about whether the church should reflect the increasing social and legal acceptance of same-sex unions.

“Does the Church have the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex?” the question asked.

“Negative,” replied the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is responsible for defending Catholic doctrine.

In its “explanatory note,” the Vatican said that in some ecclesial contexts, plans and proposals for blessings of unions of persons of the same sex were being advanced.

“Such projects are not infrequently motivated by a sincere desire to welcome and accompany homosexual persons, to whom are proposed paths of growth in faith, ‘so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives.'”

As blessings on people are in relationship with the sacraments, the blessing of homosexual unions cannot be considered acceptable.

“This is because they would constitute a certain imitation or analogue of the nuptial blessinginvoked on the man and woman united in the sacrament of Matrimony, while in fact ‘there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.'”

NOT INTENDED AS ‘UNJUST DISCRIMINATION’

The doctrinal congregation said that the declaration of the unlawfulness of blessings of unions between persons of the same sex is not intended to be, a form of unjust discrimination.

It is rather “a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite and of the very nature of the sacramentals, as the Church understands them.”

The declaration said the Church recalls that God Himself never ceases to bless each of His pilgrim children, because for Him “we are more important to God than all of the sins that we can commit.”

“But he does not and cannot bless sin: he blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him. He in fact ‘takes us as we are, but never leaves us as we are.'”

“For the above mentioned reasons, the Church does not have, and cannot have, the power to bless unions of persons of the same sex in the sense intended above.”

The National Catholic Register in the United States ran a story on the announcement headlined, “Vatican says priests can’t bless gay couples. Why did Pope Francis approve this decree?”

“Pope Francis, who made headlines in the first months of his papacy by responding, “Who am I to judge? when asked about gay priests, has now signed off on a Vatican decree that priests cannot bless same-sex unions since God “cannot bless sin.”

“For some, the new decree may result in whiplash, coming less than five months after the Pope made headlines in a documentary film for once more affirming his support of civil union laws for same-sex couples.

“For others, it’s further affirmation of the church’s teaching that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ But for all, it’s another tricky move in Francis’ tightrope walk of upholding church teaching, while also trying to extend a warmer welcome to LGBTQ persons.”

NCR said the Vatican’s decree comes at a time when Catholics in Western Europe and the United States are increasingly accepting of LGBTQ relationships, with 61 percent of U.S. Catholics approving of gay marriage.

Another U.S. outlet Christian Headlines reported, “The Vatican on Monday pointed to Scripture and centuries of church teaching in stating it does not have the power to bless same-sex unions.

MEPs share concerns about COVID-19 variants | News | European Parliament

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MEPs share concerns about COVID-19 variants | News | European Parliament

, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210311IPR99707/

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