The government recently shifted its position on animal-human hybrid embryos: having been initially against the concept, it is now proposing to allow partial hybrids, where a complete set of human genes is inserted into an animal’s egg cell, for research purposes only, through a new Human Tissue and Embryo Bill aimed at overhauling the laws surrounding fertility treatment. The move has prompted strong protests from some religious and anti-abortion groups that oppose any such research.

A Jehovah’s Witness has escaped a jail term after admitting a series of sexual assaults on children and adults in Clevedon. Michael Porter, of Okehampton Close, north London, admitted 24 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency on 13 victims aged 18 months and older. Among the individuals were others involved in the faith. Judge Tom Crowther at Bristol Crown Court sentenced Porter to three years of community rehabilitation.

E-mail: mail@suffolkhumanists.org.uk Event description: An opportunity for members, associates, affiliate groups and friends of Suffolk Inter-Faith Resource to hear about its work during the previous year. Lecture Theatre 4, University Campus Suffolk. Further info: www.sifre.org.uk Map link: tinyurl.com/ysy4sc

If you have Sky TV, you should be able to see a CNN 3–part TV documentary called God’s Warriors starting at 8pm on Wednesday 22 August, narrated by CNN’s chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour. The preview by Sloan Freer in The Observer says: ‘When piety meets politics it can be a volatile mix.’ So says CNN’s chief international correspond­ent Christiane Amanpour in one of the understatements of the year. Because, as she goes on to explore in this thought-provoking new documentary, the religious fervour now creeping into politics, culture and public life across the globe is fuelling a disturbing thirst for bloodshed and extremism, from assassinations to suicide martyrdom.

The Roman Catholic bishop of East Anglia (Cambridgeshire, Norfolk & Suffolk) has resigned from Amnesty International over its decision to back abortion for rape victims. A bishop who has been a member of Amnesty International for 31 years has resigned from the organisation over its changed attitude to abortion. The organisation wants women to have access to abortion where pregnancy is a grave risk to their life or health.

I do YouGov polls. You get paid to answer a lot of questions. I find myself answering ‘Don’t know’ to many of them because there isn’t a ‘Don’t care’ option. Pollsters are fond of asking how many hours a day I spend on the Internet. I generally lie about that because I know it’s too many and I should be reading more books instead. These are a few of this week’s distractions.

E-mail: mail@suffolkhumanists.org.uk Event description: This will be in Lecture Theatre 4 at University Campus Suffolk. Email for directions. At a Forum of Faiths on 15 July, one or two contributors made comments that suggested that they didn’t understand what secularism means, and how it benefits religious organisations. Margaret Nelson suggested that we might have a forum on secularism, and has been invited to lead a discussion. The other speakers will be Manwar Ali (Muslim), Robin Herne (Pagan) and Shpetim Alimeta (thinker of Albanian origin).

Bangladeshi writer-in-exile Taslima Nasreen was attacked at the Hyderabad Press Club today (Babu Gogineni reported, 9 August), where she was launching the Telegu translation of her book Dwikhandita. The attackers were members of the radical political group Majlis Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (MIM), led by three elected members of the Legislative Assembly. She responded, “Come what may, I will never be silenced.” Both missiles and obscene threats were launched against Taslima, but fortunately she was not injured as the attackers were unable to get very close to her.

E-mail: mail@suffolkhumanists.org.uk Event description: Margaret Nelson provides a Thought for the Day on BBC Radio Suffolk for 2 minutes sometime between 7.20 and 7.30 am. BBC Radio Suffolk’s FM frequencies are 103.9 (Ipswich), 104.6 (west Suffolk), 95.5 (Lowestoft), 95.9 (Aldeburgh). It’s not available on medium wave or DAB, but you can listen live online – see link below. Further info: www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/

E-mail: mail@suffolkhumanists.org.uk Event description: Margaret Nelson provides a Thought for the Day on BBC Radio Suffolk for 2 minutes sometime between 7.20 and 7.30 am. BBC Radio Suffolk’s FM frequencies are 103.9 (Ipswich), 104.6 (west Suffolk), 95.5 (Lowestoft), 95.9 (Aldeburgh). It’s not available on medium wave or DAB, but you can listen live online – see link below. Further info: www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/