David Cameron has set out the Government's strategy to defeat the ‘poison’ of Islamist extremism in the UK. He pledged to tackle conditions that lead to hundreds of Britons joining IS militants. Mr Cameron said the four areas needing attention are: countering warped extremist ideology, the process of radicalisation, the drowning out of moderate Muslim voices, and addressing the ‘identity crisis’ among young British-born Muslims. The BBC assistant political editor noted, ‘Tackling the ideology of IS in the UK involves confronting people over intolerance, prejudice and hostility to British values, and Mr Cameron’s speech offered relatively few specific policies’. The Muslim Council of Britain urged the Prime Minister to ‘put his words into action’ and engage with ‘all sections of the community including mainstream Muslim organisations and those who have differing views’. See also article below.

One of Great Britain's Paralympians has said that wheelchair services across England are failing on every level. There are 1.2 million wheelchair users across the UK. Some wait years for the right wheelchair (an ill-fitting chair causes hip dislocations and pressure sores, and may worsen disabilities). There are stories of people with life-limiting conditions, such as Motor Neurone Disease, dying before they get their wheelchair. Krystyn Jarvis, of the National Wheelchair Managers' Forum, said wheelchair services were not seen as an important part of the NHS. ‘We have been asking for change for 20+ years. We know the situation isn’t acceptable.’ NHS England agreed the whole system needed change. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has launched a national charter to improve wheelchair services across Britain. Pray that services, clinical commissioning groups and NHS trusts will sign up to it.

In recent years, defence has fallen low on the list of national priorities. While other government departments have ring-fenced budgets, that of the MoD is completely unprotected. On Monday Lord Richards, a former chief of the Armed Forces, said, ‘Britain must accept that sooner or later ground troops and tanks will have to be sent into combat to overcome IS.’ He said that David Cameron needed to put the country on a ‘war footing’ and rethink its military strategy to extinguish the threat posed by Islamic State militants. See also: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/politics-blog/11722780/By-not-spending-enough-on-defence-Britain-puts-the-West-at-risk.html

On 25 July, the World Summer Games in Los Angeles kick off with 6,500 Special Olympians competing. Across the world people working with adults with special needs recognise the power of sport to inspire hope, build confidence and courage and change the lives of athletes with intellectual disabilities. On 19 June Pope Francis held an audience for Italy's 150 Special Olympics athletes who are travelling to Los Angeles to compete. Pope Francis reflected, ‘It is beautiful and meaningful that young people and adults of every ability find in sport and participation in competitions, including at an international level, an incentive to live their life fully.’ Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the German Special Olympics athletes and coaches at the Federal Chancellery before they left for Los Angeles and wished them good luck for their participation. Special Olympics Great Britain is sending 115 athletes to the games.