Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Scientists are concerned that vaccines may be less effective against the Indian variant, which could become dominant in the UK by June. The double mutation Covid-19 variant is thought to be behind a sudden surge in cases in India which has overwhelmed hospitals. A total of 182 cases have been detected in the UK, 162 in the five weeks up to 16 April, forcing Boris Johnson to postpone his trip to India and the government to add India to its travel ‘red list’. Viruses regularly mutate but most are insignificant, however, some mutations can make the virus more infectious, deadly or resistant to vaccines. The Indian virus may be one of those - especially because two mutations have come together to help infect cells and evade the immune system.

The governments of the UK, Germany and France have expressed ‘grave concern’ over Iran’s move to boost uranium enrichment to 60% in response to what Tehran says was an attack by Israel against its key nuclear facility at Natanz. The three European countries say the announcement is ‘particularly regrettable’ at a time when talks in Vienna have resumed, including the United States, to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. They also said this was showing Iran to be on the path to a nuclear weapon, adding, ‘Iran has no credible civilian need for enrichment at this level’.

The UK has been in Afghanistan since 2001, with over 450 troops dying during the conflicts with the Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. Defence secretary Ben Wallace said they now plan to ‘drawdown’ the number of troops from next month. Confirming the planned departure of forces, he also warned any attacks on existing troops would be ‘met with a forceful response’. The US has said it will withdraw all forces by 11 September, and NATO confirmed allies would begin withdrawing troops from 1 May. Pray that the patchwork of multiple different competing tribal leaders agree to negotiate territory boundaries and not revert to the violent clashes seen in the past. Pray that the fragile government will successfully prevent chaos in parts of Afghanistan currently strongholds for terrorists. Pray that future negotiations between the government and Taliban will lead to meaningful reductions in violence once foreign troops are out of the equation.

John Sentamu, the former archbishop, said, ‘There was an unbelievable depth of Prince Philip’s rootedness in Christ, and Her Majesty is exactly the same. I have not met a couple that are so free.’ He said he had prayed with them both; their prayers were never said aloud, but they would say amen. The royal family are proving they are no ‘different in grief from anybody else. They want to be part of the grieving for the nation, for the many people who died from Covid-19, and for those who have not been able to be present when their loved one is being buried.’ Dr Sentamu joked that Philip would have appreciated his shortened funeral service, because ‘the duke could not stand what he called “long church”'.

After Prince Philip’s death on 9 April, Justin Welby said, ‘He consistently put the interests of others ahead of his own and provided an outstanding example of Christian service’. He was multi-talented, he supported charities tirelessly, and spent seven decades by the Queen’s side, supporting her at significant moments. The royal family is observing two weeks of mourning. On 13 April the Queen conducted her first in-person royal duty since he died, when she hosted a ceremony for the Lord Chamberlain to stand down.

Simon Cheng, from the Hong Kong expatriate group in Britain, said his fellow citizens' decisions to come to the UK depend on age, political involvement and career prospects. He agrees with Home Office estimates of hundreds of thousands arriving over the next five years. They include pro-democracy protesters and people dissatisfied with Hong Kong’s political reality. A small survey of Hong Kongers found that those inclined to move to the UK were mostly working professionals, often in fields like financial services. The Home Office estimates that tax receipts from new arrivals, many likely to work in well-paid sectors, suggest a net benefit to government finances of £2.4 to £2.9 billion over five years. This significant movement of people presents opportunities for the Government, but also challenges it to put in place effective support for the less well-off arrivals.

Protestant and Catholic church leaders said the causes of the recent violence were complex and deep-rooted, and have appealed for politicians to provide a unified response to the recent ‘heart-breaking’ scenes of violence. In a joint open letter, they called on them to ‘renew their commitment to peace, reconciliation and the protection of the most vulnerable’. Almost ninety police officers have been injured in rioting in the past week. The leaders' plea is addressed to NI ministers, the British and Irish governments, and the EU. They called for the entire NI executive to approach the EU and UK government to deal with the Brexit fallout and the Irish Sea border, and for politicians to express their support for the police. Much good work on the ground has been undermined as tension has risen and confidence has plummeted.

948 church leaders have sent an open letter to Boris Johnson and the devolved nations’ first ministers, opposing the introduction of vaccine passports, which they call ‘one of the most dangerous policy proposals ever to be made in the history of British politics’. They warn of a ‘two-tier society’, divided between those who have had the vaccine and those who will be barred from venues because of no immunisation. They intend to keep church doors open to all, regardless of whether they have had the vaccine. The scheme ‘has the potential to bring the end of liberal democracy as we know it and create a surveillance state with the government using technology to control aspects of citizens' lives’. However recent surveys have indicated a high level of support for passports among the public, albeit with some concerns.

Cressida Cowell, the children’s laureate, has asked Boris Johnson for £100m to be ring-fenced for building new and restoring neglected libraries every year as millions of children are ‘missing out on opportunities to discover the life-changing magic of reading’. Decades of research has linked childhood reading to future success. The ability to read is a more telling predictor of future life chances than a family’s socio-economic status. Public and school libraries have been subject to swingeing cuts over the last decade. Johnson will reportedly unveil a ‘four-year emergency’ plan for literacy next month. Government figures reveal over 200,000 pupils are set to enter secondary school this autumn without being able to read properly - a rise of 30,000 since last year. The £100m funding is not unreasonable; in comparison, £320m is ring-fenced for physical education in primary schools, with hundreds of millions set aside every year since 2013. Ms Cowell said, ’Surely the opportunity to become a reader for pleasure is just as important as PE?’

Around 6,000 mothers will receive support for mental health problems through 26 new dedicated hubs being set up across the country to bring together maternity services, reproductive health, and psychological therapy under one roof. They will receive care and treatment for a wide range of mental health issues, from post-traumatic stress disorder to a severe fear of childbirth. An NHS executive said, ‘Pregnancy and the birth of a new child are special times, but if things go wrong it can have a huge impact on women, their partners, and other children. NHS staff have dealt with over 393,000 patients requiring treatment for Covid-19 while keeping mental health services running. I am delighted that we are now expanding help for new, expectant and bereaved mums despite the continuing pandemic.’