Displaying items by tag: British Isles

Five people, including a three-year-old girl, were killed during a six-minute shooting spree by gunman Jake Davison on 12 August. Two others were injured during the incident before the 22-year-old turned the gun on himself. Tens of thousands of pounds have been raised online for the victims and their families. Pray for the community to have God’s comfort and peace as they pull together and support each other in these trying times; pray especially for the relatives and friends of the victims. Churches and schools are open, to give people opportunities to open themselves to God and to each other. Davidson’s gun licence was suspended following a criminal charge for assault, but it was returned to him in July. The Government has asked police forces to review procedures for issuing and returning firearms licences, and to check whether it is necessary to revoke any licences already issued.

The telecom industry plans a digital shake-up that will axe traditional landline phones by 2025. By then, all households and businesses will need the internet to make calls, which raises concerns for the 1.5 million elderly and vulnerable who rely on landlines. Engineers may need to visit their homes to set them up, and those with older phones may have to buy a new handset. Experts fear millions more do not know how to use a mobile properly. Age UK said, ‘Half of people over 75 are not online. Given the threat of fraud, telecom providers need to take steps to prevent the vulnerable from becoming digital scam victims.’ This digital shake-up is driven by the telecoms industry, not by the Government.

Researchers have found only one in twenty yoghurts aimed at children are low in sugar. They urge the government to impose restrictions on child-friendly packaging and the nutritional claims they make. Action on Sugar found that one toffee yoghurt had five and a half teaspoons of sugar per serving - equal to 16 malted milk biscuits. Out of 100 children's yoghurts, 63% contained a third or more of the maximum daily sugar intake for children between four and six. A ‘health halo’ was being created around products featuring claims they are healthy while containing added sugar, syrups and fruit concentrates. A nutritionist warned that parents can easily be misled when choosing supermarket tems: ‘Often companies try to avert our eyes from seeing the significant amount of sugar listed in the ingredients and nutrition tables, by using healthy-sounding claims and cartoony images on the front of the pack.’

Thousands of people could be risking their lives by delaying seeking medical help. Tummy pain or a cough that does not go away could be caused by cancer, so these symptoms should be checked out. Cancers detected early can often be treated quickly and easily. But three in five people don't want to bother the NHS, while others are not aware of the common symptoms. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said cancer services were now ‘running at full speed with new, innovative ways of working in place’. NHS TV advertisements are warning people not to ignore signs. Over the past year 10% fewer people have started cancer treatment; they are being encouraged to come forward now. Abdominal, throat, stomach, bowel, pancreatic, ovarian, prostate, kidney and bladder cancers account for 44% of all diagnoses, and two in five deaths from cancer in England.

In April the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned the department of health that consumers could be ripped off by the fast-growing Covid PCR testing industry and that the competitions watchdog had not done enough. The Government said it was provided with general market analysis from the CMA on potential implications for the PCR testing market, and that advice informed government approaches on private provider lists. There has been a summer of complaints from travellers who mention tests listed on the government's list of providers that don't exist at the price advertised, and poor service. At the start of August, the health secretary asked the competitions watchdog to investigate ‘excessive’ pricing and ‘exploitative practices’ among Covid test firms. In a letter to the CMA, Sajid Javid said it was time for a ‘rapid high-level’ review to protect consumers. The travel industry also demands action to remove the barriers to passenger recovery.

The number of Religious Studies A Level exam entries has increased 6.1 percent this year. The subject outperformed other A-level subjects as a whole, with a greater increase than most other humanities subjects. This suggests that candidates are recognising the value of RS for higher education entry and graduate employment, and as an essential life skill. Professor Trevor Cooling said, ‘Religious Studies has maintained its popularity over the past two decades at A Level, where students have a greater say in their subject choice, compared with GCSE when RS may not be offered as an examination course. Young people clearly value the importance of extending their knowledge and understanding of religious and non-religious worldviews at A-level and continue to vote with their feet.’ He urges the Government to ensure it is resourced properly and taught by professionally trained teachers.

The following is based on declarations by Suzanne Ferrett, a UK-based prophetic leader: ‘Lord, we thank You that mercy triumphs over judgment. We stand in Your grace and speak Your blessing over our nation. We pray, in the Name of Jesus, for the words and thoughts of our leaders across this land to establish Your plans and will for the UK. We pray that in these significant days, the UK will be led at all times by the men and women of Your choosing. May every seat of authority be filled by the person appointed by You for tasks in commerce, industry, politics, police, NHS and all social services. We pray that they will carry, impart, and implement God-given vision. We pray for Your voice to be heard and acted upon in every influential gateway of society.’

The pandemic, and lockdown, made Adam Ellison want to help other people. Before coronavirus, he was content with his job in marketing and his own social bubble. But that changed when millions faced hardship due to disruption caused by the pandemic. ‘I've become more conscious of everybody else,’ he says. In October, he became a volunteer on Olio, an app that allows people to share edible food waste with others. Every Saturday he goes to Tesco at 7 am to collect unsold produce. He adds the items to the app and people living nearby request them for pickup. The food goes within a day. Olio will soon branch out with ‘Borrow’ - lending items that are only used occasionally. The big question now is whether the broader surge of app-mediated compassion will continue. Mr Ellison said, ‘If everybody did something small but meaningful, we'd live in a much better society. I think Covid's been a catalyst for that.’

David Smith, a security guard at the British Embassy in Berlin, is accused and charged with passing classified documents to a Russian spy. Smith received a bundle of cash in return for providing reports to a Kremlin agent of counter-terrorism tactics in the event of an attack, details invaluable to enemy agents seeking embassy weaknesses in a city where Russian espionage is rife. Smith may have been blackmailed by Putin agents due to his 'extreme right-wing views'. Germany’s domestic intelligence service said Russian espionage is as active as it was during the Cold War. Questions will be raised about vetting procedures at the British embassy in Berlin, which is seen by Moscow as a prime intelligence target. Smith was hired directly by the embassy - not the Foreign Office in London. This spying case is part of growing attempts by Russian spies to infiltrate Western intelligence operations in recent months.

Rev Dr Bernard Randall lost his job for disagreeing with LGBT ideology. As Trent College’s chaplain, his job was to ‘be the particular voice and embodiment of Christian values which are at the heart of Trent’s ethos’. Educate and Celebrate, a pro-LGBT 'inclusion' charity, was invited to train school staff. Bernard researched the group and feared the worst but kept an open mind and went to the training. It was as bad as he feared. In line with his school role as 'the voice of Christian values', Bernard raised concerns to management. He was ignored. When a pupil asked him to address the issue in chapel he agreed to preach and encouraged students to respect others' views while ‘not being obliged to accept someone else's ideology’. And the ‘Christian’ school suspended him for gross misconduct. The Christian Legal Centre is supporting Bernard. His tribunal, due in June, was postponed because the school's lawyers didn’t comply with court orders.