One in five child deaths in UK 'preventable'
18 Sep 2014One in five child deaths could have been prevented, according to research published in the Lancet today. Around 5,000 infants, children and adolescents die prematurely in England and Wales every year, although the number is low relative to population size. The reports – published in three parts – stress many of these deaths were preventable. Researchers also found child death rates were higher in the north than in south of the country, tending to be higher in the Midlands and the North, and were closely linked to poverty. The president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Dr Hilary Cass said: ‘This is a serious wake-up call for both healthcare professionals and policy makers and we have to act urgently.’ One study showed that between 2010 and 2011 as many as 20 per cent of deaths of children and teenagers aged 18 and under in England could have been avoided.
National day of prayer for Scottish referendum
18 Sep 2014World Prayer Centre are holding a day of prayer in Birmingham 16 Sept A national day of prayer and fasting will be held on September 17, 24 hours before Scots will go to the polls to vote on September 18. There will be 48 hours of prayer on 17 -19 September in Edinburgh, all are invited to join at 7. 14pm for flash mob prayer outside Scottish Parliament on 17. Or pray where you are during these times. See Christians in Scotland are urging First Minister Alex Salmond and Better Together leader Alistair Darling to each visit a church ahead of the referendum for a short time of prayer. ‘Pray for Scotland’ offer some suggestions that you/your church may find helpful to pray at Churches have also been encouraged to pray about independence on the previous Sunday. ‘God's guidance is required for the proper functioning of society, in fact, for 300 years the Church has given spiritual guidance without taking sides,’ said Fred Drummond, national director of Evangelical Alliance Scotland.
A vulnerable teenage boy, told he will never walk again after a bridge fall. He was trying to escape from bullies, say his family. Joshua Davies, 18, of Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, broke his spine in four places in the fall. South Wales Police said it has carried out ‘a thorough investigation’ into assault complaints. Joshua and his friend were walking by the river, when they realised some boys were following them. Joshua and his pal climbed on to the steel supports of the bridge to get away but the boys started throwing stones at them. The family claims the teenager has been bullied for the last five years, targeted because of his disability, which is a form of autism. Mr Morgan said: ‘Joshua has always had some kind of harassment or bullying in some shape or form, solely due to the fact that he is an easy target.’
How should we respond to British jihadism?
05 Sep 2014The news that there are 'significant numbers' of Britons fighting for extremist Islamist groups abroad, one of whom is implicated in the murder of US journalist James Foley, has prompted calls for action against radical Islamism in the UK. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that the government was aware of 'significant numbers' of Britons fighting for Islamist organisations abroad. ‘That's one of the reasons why this organisation represents such a direct threat to the UK's national security. Many of these people may seek at some point to return to the UK and they would then pose a direct threat to our domestic security.’ Christians from across the political spectrum are calling for action regarding jihadism in the UK, from better border controls to sharing the love of the gospel.
Sex education for seven-year-olds' say Lib Dems
05 Sep 2014Former Conservative Attorney General has suggested ‘an aggressive form of secularism’ in Britain is threatening to ‘sanitise’ the country of faith and exclude Christians from the public space. Dominic Grieve says he finds it extraordinary that Christians are being sacked or disciplined for expressing their beliefs in workplaces and public bodies and being forced to hide their beliefs. Describing Christianity as a ‘powerful force for good’ in modern Britain, Mr Grieve calls on public figures not to be afraid of ‘doing God’ and he believes politicians have a duty to explain how their beliefs inform their decisions.describes himself as a ‘practising Anglican’ and says Britain is ‘underpinned’ by Christian ethics and principles. However, during Mr Grieve's tenure as Attorney General, government lawyers submitted to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that Christians should leave their religious beliefs at home or move to another job when faced with a clash between the requirements of their faith and their employment.
Wales: NATO summit Thursday and Friday
05 Sep 2014Last Friday kitchens, toilets and washing facilities were installed at the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) peace camp at Newport's Tredegar Park, where it is estimated thousands of protesters will camp ahead of the NATO summit for more than 150 heads of state and ministers at Newport's Celtic Manor Resort. Police have taken over Rodney Parade sports ground to manage extra policing. Security will be provided by 9,500 police drawn from 43 police forces with 12 miles of security fencing already in place at key sites in Cardiff and in Newport. It is not known how many campaigners will descend on Newport from CND snd Stop the War peace campaigners arriving in coaches from London, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle and foreign campaigners from further afield. At the summit the UK will call for increased defence spending by NATO's 28 member states and has set an example by a decision to order almost 600 armoured vehicles. This will be the UK’s largest single order for such vehicles for more than 30 years and underpin nearly 1,300 jobs across the UK. See
Scotland’s referendum
05 Sep 2014Jim Murphy, the former Scottish Secretary, was forced last week to suspend his ‘100 towns in 100 days tour’ when groups of independence supporters started disrupting the events. They shouted down members of the public, intimidated his staff, threw eggs and called him names during events in Montrose, Dundee and Kirkcaldy. Mr Murphy alleged they had coordinated their actions using Yes Scotland social media. We are asked to pray for no more ugly scenes that disrupt campaigning. We are asked to pray for the campaign leaders to display strong leadership by speaking out loud and clear against unacceptable behaviour. Also please pray that the police will take firm action against bad behaviour at all events leading up to the referendum. See also: