Churches of England, Wales not to offer same-sex marriagesDecember 11, 2012 - 17:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Church of England and Church in Wales will be banned in law from offering same-sex marriages, the government has announced, according to BBC News. Other religious organizations will be able to "opt in" to offering ceremonies, Culture Secretary Maria Miller told MPs. David Cameron has said he wants churches in England and Wales to be part of the plans. But Miller said they had strong opposition and would not be included. Labor, which is backing the government's plans, applying to England and Wales, urged ministers not to be "too reserved" in promoting the changes. The Church of England and Roman Catholics, among other denominations, have voiced opposition to same-sex marriage. But some religious groups, including Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Judaism, are in favor. Miller said the Church of England and Church in Wales had "explicitly stated" their opposition to offering same-sex ceremonies, so the government would "explicitly state that it will be illegal for the Churches of England and Wales to marry same-sex couples". Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |