The woman, now in her mid-70s, denied being someone that youngsters would have been scared of.

She agreed there was “probably” a strict regime at Nazareth House in Aberdeen but told a probe she had not witnessed any abusive practices at the orphanage.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), sitting in Edinburgh, is continuing its examination of four former children’s homes operated by the Catholic congregation the Sisters of Nazareth in Scotland.

The inquiry has previously been told of various alleged abuses at the institutions.

The witness, who cannot be identified, said she worked at its homes in Aberdeen and Lasswade, Midlothian, from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s.

Senior counsel to the inquiry Colin MacAulay QC told the nun about evidence from another witness who described her as the children’s “mother” at the Aberdeen home, tasked with looking after them and controlling them.

“She was hard as nails and we were scared of her but at times she was alright,” the man said in a statement read by the QC.

Asked if she agreed with that assessment, the sister replied: “Not really.”

“Did you get an impression that children might have been scared of you?” Mr MacAulay continued.

“No,” the nun answered.

The inquiry heard how the man had recalled a time when he dropped a Bible and “got a skelping”, adding the nun “had a terrible temper on her”.

“Do you think you had a temper?”…

Currently, terminations are only legal if a woman’s life is at risk or there is a permanent or serious danger to her mental or physical health.

On Thursday, the court ruled they had no jurisdiction to declare the current rules ‘unlawful’ but did say Northern Ireland’s laws are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, namely Article 8, which protects the right to respect for private and family life.

They therefore suggested that the law should be changed by saying what ruling they would have made had the case been valid.

Although ‘radical reconsideration’ was recommended, Christian groups have welcomed the ruling that the Northern Ireland Human Rights commission cannot interfere with the law themselves.

Peter Lynas, the director of the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland said: “This is a welcome judgment. It is obviously not a cause for celebration, but rather a moment to pause and be thankful for the lives this judgment will save.”

“We acknowledge that this is a technical victory; however, it is important to note that the Supreme Court has dismissed the case brought by the Human Rights Commission. In doing so, it has made clear that there is no human right to abortion.”

He also made the distinction between the the right to terminations in extreme circumstances and the right generally: “From a human rights perspective, the only discussion is…

“BEST NEWS EVER!!!!” was the Twitter response from Kardashian West.

Alice Marie Johnson, 63, has spent more than two decades behind bars and was not eligible for parole.

She became an ordained minister while behind bars and mentored women in prison. She was released hours later and ran into her family members’ arms.

Michael Scholl, a member of Johnson’s legal team, said she was released just before 6pm from federal prison in Aliceville, Alabama. Relatives were there to greet her as she experienced freedom for the first time since the 1990s.

Footage from local news station WVTM-13 showed Johnson running towards her family, throwing her arms wide open and embracing them in front of a crowd of onlookers.

“Everybody was crying and hugging,” Mr Scholl said.

Unlike a pardon, the commutation will not erase Johnson’s conviction, only end her sentence.

Mr Scholl said Johnson would be returning to Memphis and was planning to spend time with her family. He earlier praised Mr Trump for “a courageous move” and described Johnson as overwhelmed by the news.

Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing. pic.twitter.com/uOy4UJ41JF

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018

Mr Trump’s decision comes amid a recent flurry of pardons issued by the president, who has seemed drawn to…

Rt Rev Dr Graham Tomlin delivered the Premier Lecture on Wednesday night with a stark warning that we could see something similarly tragic happen again unless we rethink what it looks like for people to live together in society.

While saying there is a need to hold people to account, he called for a societal change which sees people loving their neighbour whatever their social standing.

“If the Inquiry produces its results, culprits are identified and perhaps given prison sentences, that would satisfy a certain need for justice, or even revenge, but it still would not resolve anything fundamental.

“If we allocate blame, punish the guilty, and then carry on as before, then there is no guarantee that something like this will not happen again, or even more, we will perpetuate the deeper conditions and attitudes that led us to this point.

“We might even issue new types of building regulations, or safety measures in construction, but even that I suggest would not be enough.

“The kind of repentance that Jesus calls for, and indeed the Grenfell Tower fire calls for is deeper – a radical look at the way we live together in our society.”

Next week marks the first anniversary of the fire.

Bishop Graham was speaking as the public inquiry into the fire is in full swing.

He suggested there were many reasons for the fire…

The host of Worship at Home, Night Light and That Friday Feeling became a listener favourite through his witty and humorous presenting style.

Michael’s radio career spanned more than three decades and has seen him progress from pirate radio to a multi award-winning stint at the BBC. Along the way he’s served his time as a radio announcer, newsreader, and programme maker.

He joined Premier Christian Radio in 2006 and since then he’s built up a loyal following of late night listeners and Sunday morning worshippers.

Alongside his radio work, Michael led a comprehensive programme of civic engagement within Southwark Council.

Paying tribute, Premier’s Director of Content Charmaine Noble-McLean said: “He was funny, sincere and there was something authentic and honest about the way he presented.

“When I met him for the first time that’s exactly what I got.

“That’s what he then brought to Premier. He knew how to get alongside the listener and really made you feel like he cared and had time for you. That was what was really special about him.”

Michael’s family has asked for privacy at this difficult time.

More details on a tribute to him will be announced at a later date.

If you’d like to leave your own tributes click here.

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