Sydney
With religious belief in steady decline, the country’s Christian leaders are saying the sanctity of marriage as well as the faith itself are under attack by this measure.
Although 70 percent of Australians describe themselves as religious, polls suggest a majority also believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry — a position in direct contradiction to the teachings of many church leaders. Advocates for the new measure maintain that little will change, apart from letting people who love each other have weddings. Gay couples in Australia have been substantially treated like married couples by the federal government since 2008, when a law extended their access to social security and tax benefits. Australians have until Nov. 7 to vote by returning a yes-or-no form by mail.
An incident that left a driver dead when her vehicle was struck by a person who had plunged from an Interstate 66 overpass Saturday, is being investigated as an attempted suicide, Fairfax County, Va., police said Sunday. Police said a 12-year-old boy jumped from the overpass and landed on an SUV being driven by 22-year-old Marisa W. Harris, of Olney, Md., who died on the scene. The boy was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police said.
A 23-year-old passenger in the SUV grabbed the steering wheel and maneuvered the vehicle off the interstate, according to authorities, stopping against a concrete barrier on the road’s left shoulder.
The boy was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he is being treated for life-threatening injuries, police said. The passenger was not injured.
Easton, Pa.
State police lawyers will be in court this week to argue the grand jury has no right to exist, let alone weigh in on whether Pennsylvania State Police should use outside law enforcement to probe shootings by troopers. Experts say police shooting investigations should be independent to ensure objectivity and avoid the perception of bias.
By seeking to silence the grand jury, the agency has invited criticism that it’s trying to avoid scrutiny at a time of heightened national concern over fatal police shootings, said David A. Harris, a University of Pittsburgh law professor.
“That shows a tin ear, at best, given the current climate,” he said. “It shows a kind of ‘trust us’ mentality, and it just doesn’t sit right in an era when more and more police agencies are moving toward more transparency and more accountability, not less.”
— Wire reports