The legislation has been published at Holyrood. 

Green MSP John Finnie introduced the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill after gaining the backing of the Scottish Government and MSPs from across all the political parties.

If passed, the legislation would remove the defence of “justifiable assault” in Scots law, which allows parents to use physical punishment to admonish a child.

Mr Finnie’s Member’s Bill is also supported by a range of organisations including the Scottish Police Federation, Barnardo’s Scotland, the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland and the NSPCC.

A public consultation last year received more than 650 responses with almost 75 per cent of those in favour of the legislation.

Mr Finnie said: “I am delighted to be formally lodging my Bill to give children equal protection from assault in the Scottish Parliament today.

“Children deserve the same legal protection from assault that adults enjoy, a position that children’s rights organisations and charities have long been arguing.

“Substantial academic research from around the world shows that physical punishment does not work and is shown to be counter-productive. My Bill aims to support parents to make positive choices.

“The Bill will not change the way that police and social work deal with assault against children. Rather it establishes the principle that assault…

The Rt Rev Paul Butler, has put his name to the End Hunger UK (EHUK) petition, calling on the Government to “fix” Universal Credit to prevent more people going hungry.
 
He has also urged churches and churchgoers to do the same.

 
 The campaign also calls for improvements to the design of Universal Credit and a long- term commitment to ensure the benefit provides people with an adequate income to afford good food on a regular basis.

 
Bishop Paul has written to all the Bishops in the Church of England encouraging them to join him in signing the petition.
 
He said: “We are all well aware of the reality for too many families that making ends meet and providing adequate healthy food for children is very hard.
 
“This is borne out by many churches in the diocese getting involved in summer holiday clubs that provided food and fun for large numbers of such families during the school holidays.
 
“I have signed the End Hunger UK petition, calling on the Government to fix Universal Credit to prevent more people going hungry. I am also encouraging parishes and churchgoers across the diocese to do likewise.”
 
He added that while he supports the principle of Universal Credit, the system has many flaws that need to be addressed.
 
“More and more families have had to turn to food banks following the introduction of Universal Credit, and are reporting unintended…

Anne Graham Lotz, 70, revealed the news on her website this week in a post entitled “My Cancer: Fuel for the Fire”.

She said that she received the news of her diagnosis on 17th August between 3:00pm and 3​:30pm, which was three years to the day and at the same time she found her husband unresponsive in their pool. He died two days later.

“When I realised the strange ‘coincidence’ of the timing, I came to the chilling conclusion that it was an assignment from the enemy,” she said.

“But just as that thought was forming, I heard the soft, gentle whisper of the Spirit, reminding me that it was on a Friday, during that very same time…between 3:00 and 3:30 in the afternoon…that God’s Passover Lamb was sacrificed.

“Jesus died on the very same day of the week, at the very same time of the day, crushing the head of the serpent, forever defeating the devil and death.”

Lotz said she will worship and trust God “who is ultimately in control of everything”.

She has asked for prayers ahead of her surgery scheduled for 18th September.

“Pray for God to heal me in whichever way He deems would bring Him the most glory,” she added.

Lotz’s father, Rev Billy Graham, died at the age of 99 in February.

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Jonathan Bell said  he was labelled a “monster” who had to be put to sleep over a green energy scheme which was plunging into chaos in Northern Ireland.

He claimed he was the victim of a massive smear campaign and was framed by members of his own party.

The senior figure who he claimed briefed against him was David Gordon, who led the communications strategy of the Executive Office department in 2016.

Mr Bell made a series of explosive claims as he gave evidence to a public inquiry in Belfast into why the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme costs spiralled under his Enterprise Department’s watch.

He blamed the DUP for “fitting him up”, his former special adviser Timothy Cairns and officials for not making him aware what was happening, and claimed Mr Gordon briefed that he was a “monster who had to be put to sleep”.

“I fear I have been the victim of a massive smear campaign,” he said.

Former DUP minister Jonathan Bell arrives at the RHI inquiry at Stormont Parliament buildings in Belfast.

Mr Bell was minister at the Enterprise Department, which oversaw the RHI scheme, from 2015 to 2016.

He told the inquiry: “I have to say to you, I am just one boy, I can’t operate against the Executive Office.”

He alleged that Sky News Ireland correspondent David Blevins gave the DUP advice on how to discredit him…

A law enforcement source told The Associated Press the subpoenas went out on Thursday.

The subpoenas seek documents relating to abuse allegations, payments to victims or findings from internal church investigations.

Ms Underwood’s office is pursuing a civil investigation into the church’s response to abuse reports and has also reached out to local prosecutors authorised to convene grand juries or pursue criminal investigations.

Church officials say they will cooperate.

The announcement comes three weeks after a grand jury investigation found rampant sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by about 300 priests in Pennsylvania.

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