Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Recently, questions were raised around UK complacency regarding cyber-security. Australia and New Zealand have refused to allow the Chinese firm Huawei to supply mobile networks with 5G equipment, saying it posed ‘significant security risks’ - a polite way of saying that Beijing might use 5G to disrupt communications in a future dispute. Canada recently arrested the Huawei founder’s daughter. America wants her extradited, stating that China is aggressively engaged in undermining US national security interests. The UK could be the only country allowing Huawei to play a key role in delivering the data on which everything from self-driving cars to smart city sensors will rely. Many believe that if Huawei is banned, China might refuse to do business with us in other fields post-Brexit. See also world article 2, and

Solicitors working on legal aid housing contracts have to turn people away every day, but there is nowhere to send them, so many become homeless (see). In Scotland on 8 December, Sleep in the Park saw 12,000 people sleeping rough, to raise money for the homeless. Although homelessness legislation in Britain means children should never have to sleep rough, it happens. A video of a child sobbing after being told she must spend her third Christmas in a hostel (watch) has highlighted the plight of young victims of Ireland's housing crisis. Please pray for the work of Crisis, the Salvation Army, Shelter, the Big Issue Foundation, Centrepoint, St Mungo’s, Emmaus UK, Homeless Link, and all churches and agencies who work tirelessly to help the homeless.

Assisted dying is once again being discussed in the media and could be discussed again in Parliament, after terminally-ill Shropshire man Noel Conway told his local paper that the UK courts have a medieval mindset over assisted dying. Mr Conway, 68, who has motor neurone disease, lost a Court of Appeal challenge in June against an earlier High Court rejection of his case that the ban on assisted dying was an unjustified interference with his human rights. He sought to challenge that at a Supreme Court hearing, but Lady Hale, Lord Reed and Lord Kerr declined permission for an appeal. Now he wants MPs to step in to overturn that decision. He wants a legal assisted death even though he has less than six months to live.

MP Emma Dent Coad’s seat includes Grenfell Tower. She has urged the government to delay the launch of Universal Credit in the area, as it could leave many of her constituents without money over Christmas. The scheme should come to North Kensington thirteen days before Christmas. A constituent assessed monthly and paid £60 for each Friday in that month would receive £300 in November, a month with five Fridays, but receive £240 in December which has four Fridays. Also they may have to wait the estimated five weeks for benefits to come through. A DWP spokesperson said there were special measures in place in preparation for Universal Credit roll-out in North Kensington. Last Christmas extra money promised to Grenfell Tower survivors and evacuees to help cover the cost of Christmas did not arrive in time for 18 households. Pray this will not be repeated in 2018.

An artwork was unveiled in London on 11 December, to coincide with the climate change conference taking place in Poland. Centuries-old Greenland icebergs weighing between 1.5 and 6 tonnes keep melting. This installation seeks to bring the effects of climate change closer to home, putting people in direct contact with its effects. The icebergs remind us we have only twelve years to limit the worst effects of climate change, and they also represent another 10,000 blocks of ice which are falling from the same ice sheet in Greenland every single second. ‘People need to face the tangible consequences of their actions’, states the artist on his website. Meanwhile NASA has detected new signs of large glaciers in East Antarctica losing ice. This area has long been considered more stable than West Antarctica.

Shelter, a Christian charity ministering to vulnerable young people, says it is ‘scandalous’ that over 130,000 youngsters across Britain are expected to be homeless this Christmas season. Alastair Welford, the founder of Nicodemus, a Christian charity in Warwickshire with similar aims, said the figure could be an underestimate. He added, ‘When you think of the number of churches in this country, if 20% of them started little homeless projects - little marginalised youth projects with some support from us - it would be incredible’. 9,500 children will spend their Christmas in a hostel or bed and breakfast; others will be in local authority emergency accommodation. London is worst affected by child homelessness.

As the media increasingly report LGBT and 'gay pride' issues, the Christian response has been unclear. A Christian Concern article presents six reasons why LGBT is not biblical. The authors believe the church must boldly and clearly tell the truth. They explain why the practice of different sexualities and same-sex unions are in direct conflict with God’s intended purpose for marriage and sexuality, and quote many Bible passages confirming this. They remind us that ‘Gay pride’ conflicts with 2000 years of the Church’s teaching, and changing our teaching on marriage and sexuality is something that should worry us - especially if what is being taught is false (Jeremiah 23:16-17). Also, by partaking in ‘pride’ events, we are ‘doing an injustice to our brothers and sisters in Christ who experience same-sex attraction, and leading them to believe God blesses such intimacy.’ For the full article, click the ‘More’ button.

Britain is Israel’s largest trade partner in Europe; that relationship seems to be going from strength to strength. Exports from the UK to Israel increased by 75% in the first half of 2018, with more than £7 billion in trade between the two countries in 2017. Trade minister Liam Fox, on a visit to Israel to strengthen trade relationships, told prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ‘As we leave the EU and Britain takes its place as an independent state of the World Trade Organization, we want to push our concept of free trade even further. In a world where the siren calls of protectionism are rising, two free-trade nations like ours need to make the case for global free trade because trade spreads prosperity.’ Netanyahu said, ‘Britain is one of our most important trading partners in the world, and we value the friendship.’

Foodbanks expect more people than ever to need their help this Christmas. ‘Cold parcels’ are being given to people who have neither food nor the means to heat it. Many more may well be needed as the impact of Universal Credit rolls out. The charity Crisis tweeted, ‘Dealing with local authority homeless decisions, where one reason to find someone “non-priority” is the fact they have shown capacity and ability to even make the application. Frustratingly bizarre logic. “Your application would have been stronger had you been unable to make it”.’ Someone replied, ‘We see exactly the same thing with disability benefit assessments. If you turn up for assessment and/or an appeal hearing, they find you have no problems with mobility. If you don't turn up, they refuse your claim.’ Meanwhile, in one of the richest countries in the world, it is only charity that prevents some people starving.

A recent Confident Christianity conference in Dundee’s Central Baptist Church saw around three hundred people considering how to share the gospel in our age of tough questions. Pastor Jim Turrent started proceedings with a call for the Church to embrace the Biblical call to unashamed proclamation. He suggested that lack of confidence in the gospel is the main factor inhibiting our effective witness today. Evangelists suggested how to open up deeper, more fruitful conversations around Jesus and the gospels, and Dr Ben Thomas gave his testimony of conversion to Christ when he was sharing his life with his same-sex partner. He explained that deep wrestling with scripture led him to conclude that this could not continue, and therefore he has chosen a single, celibate life. Reactions to the conference were positive. Organisers are praying that its fruit will be more ‘Confident Christians’, because they are the key to the re-evangelisation of Scotland and the North.