Tag Archives: UK

BRITAIN: Obama Urges Against Leaving The EU

NBC News reports: President Barack Obama intervened Friday in Britain’s acrimonious national poll on European Union membership, urging U.K. voters to reject calls to quit the political bloc. British voters will decide in a June 23 referendum whether to remain in the E.U. or leave. The debate over the so-called ‘Brexit’ has divided the country and its political establishment. In …

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BRITAIN: Activists Furious As NHS Says No To PrEP

Patrick Strudwick reports at Buzzfeed: HIV charities are shocked and angry over a “shameful” NHS statement released on Monday announcing that the drug that prevents HIV infection will not be made widely available on the NHS. NHS England published a decision on its website on Monday — following an 18-month consideration period — outlining its reasons for not funding Truvada …

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REPORT: The Queen Disapproves Of Gay Marriage

From the Daily Mail: The Queen did not approve of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, the Daily Mail can reveal today. While in favour of civil partnerships, as a woman of deep Christian faith she took a different view on the legislation allowing same-sex couples to ‘marry’. She expressed her frustration to a friend at the height of the controversy, …

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SCOTLAND: Trump Threatens To Pull Alleged $1B In Investments Over Proposed Ban From Britain

The Donald is furious about the coming Parliament debate on banning him from UK. The Guardian reports: The US Republican presidential candidate, who became the focus of the petition after his call for Muslims to be banned from entering the US, reacted on Wednesday by saying his organisation had plans to invest more than £200m in the development of his …

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BRITAIN: Over 200,000 Sign Petition Calling For Trump To Be Banned, Parliament Must Now Consider

Well, THAT didn’t take long. The BBC reports: A petition calling for Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump to be barred from entering UK has gathered more than 200,000 names, so MPs will have to consider debating the issue. The petition went on Parliament’s e-petition website on Tuesday. It was posted in response to Mr Trump’s call for a temporary halt …

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BRITAIN: Petition Launched To Ban Trump From UK Over “Hate Speech & Unacceptable Behavior”

“The signatories believe Donald J Trump should be banned from UK entry for his continued, unrepentant hate speech and unacceptable behaviour. His unacceptable behaviour is well documented, and we feel it foments racial, religious and nationalistic intolerance which should not be welcome in the UK.  The UK has banned entry to many individuals for hate speech. This same principle should …

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NORTHERN IRELAND: Belfast Court To Issue Ruling On Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit “After Christmas”

The BBC reports: Judgement in a landmark legal case challenging Northern Ireland’s ban on same-sex marriage will be delivered after Christmas. The case has been taken by two same-sex couples who were the first people in the UK to enter civil partnerships in 2005. Their lawyer claimed they are suffering state discrimination as a result of the ban. Judgement was …

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BRITAIN: Defiant David Cameron Vows Solidarity With France, Warns Of Terror Threat In UK [VIDEO]

The BBC reports: David Cameron has warned “we must be prepared for a number of British casualties” after nearly 130 people died in “brutal” attacks in Paris. The UK PM, who convened a Cobra emergency response committee meeting on Saturday, said Britain’s terror threat level remained at “severe”, but the Paris attacks would prompt a review. He also said “however …

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NORTHERN IRELAND: Assembly Approves Same-Sex Marriage But Motion Is Blocked By Unionists

The Northern Ireland Assembly approved same-sex marriage this morning with a very slim majority vote, but the motion failed due to a “petition of concern” presented by the Democratic Unionists Party. The bill was opposed in an open letter issued by the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference. An excerpt: We wish to express our particular concern that the motion presented provides …

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LIVE VIDEO: Northern Ireland Assembly Debates Same-Sex Marriage Bill For Fifth Time

Northern Ireland’s Assembly convenes at noon local time (7AM Eastern) to consider a same-sex marriage bill for the fifth time since the 2011 election. Watch live here. The Belfast Telegraph reports: When gay marriage was last voted on in June there was only a two-vote difference overall, with the motion defeated by just 49 votes to 47. Last night there …

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NORTHERN IRELAND: Assembly To Vote On Same-Sex Marriage For Fifth Time In Five Years

Northern Ireland’s Assembly has rejected same-sex marriage four times since the 2011 election. Sometime in the coming weeks they will vote yet again. Pink News reports: Sinn Féin has uged all SDLP members to support a measure to legalise same-sex marriage. Northern Ireland has been criticised for being the only major territory in the UK not to have equal marriage …

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NORTHERN IRELAND: Challenge To Same-Sex Marriage Ban To Be Heard In December

Northern Ireland’s Rainbow Project this morning announced on Facebook that their clients’ same-sex marriage ban challenge will be heard on December 3rd. According to a poll released in July, 68% of the Northern Irish public now supports same-sex marriage, an even greater number than the 62% that voted “yes” in Ireland’s national referendum. The highest support comes from Catholics, 75% …

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BELFAST: 20,000 March For Marriage

An estimated crowd of 20,000 marched on Belfast City Hall today to demand same-sex marriage. Via the Guardian: Northern Ireland has been left behind in the struggle for gay equality, the Irish trade union movement said on Saturday, as thousands marched in Belfast to call for the recognition of same-sex marriage. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) pointed out …

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Belfast City Council: Yes To Marriage

Via the BBC: Belfast City Council has voted in favour of same-sex marriage at a meeting on Monday. A total of 38 councillors voted for, 13 voted against and there were two abstentions, so the motion was carried. It had been moved by Alliance councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown. Councillors from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, Green Party, PUP, People Before Profit and …

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SCOTLAND: Another Secession Bid?

Yesterday’s election in Britain may result in another bid for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. The Scottish National Party (SNP) obliterated its opponents, taking 56 of Scotland’s 59 seats in the Westminster parliament. The Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats could muster only one seat each. This marked a spectacular gain from the six seats the SNP won in the …

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NORTHERN IRELAND: Thousands Rally In Support Of Anti-Gay Bakery

Via the Belfast Telegraph: Hundreds of people including three senior DUP politicians had to be refused entry to a full-to-capacity Waterfront Hall in Belfast last night as thousands of Christians turned up for a rally in support of the Newtownabbey bakery firm which is going to court to defend their refusal to bake a cake for a gay activist. Former …

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BRITAIN: Stephen Fry Gets Married

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NORTHERN IRELAND: Marriage Suit Filed

Via Buzzfeed: A same-sex couple in Northern Ireland have launched a long-awaited legal challenge to the region’s continued ban on same-sex marriage in a move that could bring marriage equality to the whole of the UK. The pair have filed a case in Belfast’s High Court, where they will argue that the continued ban on same-sex marriage breaches human rights …

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SCOTLAND: Same-Sex Marriages Begin!

Scotland’s Marriage & Civil Partnership Bill came into effect on December 16th and as of midnight local time today the 15-day waiting period for the first round of licenses has expired. New Year’s Eve is known as Hogmanay in Scotland, so congrats to all the Hogmanay newlyweds! More photos and video of the above ceremony are here.

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SCOTLAND: Same-Sex Marriages Begin

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