Jihadists release kidnapped missionary
30 Mar 2023
After more than six years in captivity in West Africa, longtime Christian aid worker Jeff Woodke has been released. His wife Els was told that he was in good condition and expressed her profound thanks to the many people in governments and others around the world who have worked so hard to see this result and praised God for answering the prayers of Christians everywhere who have prayed for this outcome. No ransom or other conditions were part of the release.
Two and a half years after being arrested, eight Christians accused of kidnapping and the forced conversion of 60 children were acquitted in Madhya Pradesh. The two men and six women were arrested while travelling with the children to a Bible camp in Nagpur. Even though the parents, from a tribal background, had given consent for their children to go, the group’s leaders were detained and charged with illegal religious conversion of the children. The ‘anti-conversion law’ in Madhya Pradesh requires a person to obtain government permission before changing religion.
Bible college sacks lecturer over a tweet
30 Mar 2023
A Bible college hit the headlines this week for sacking a Christian lecturer over tweets defending a Christian view of sexuality. Dr Aaron Edwards, a father of five, was even threatened with a counter-terrorism referral for writing the tweet that went viral. Aaron was told that ‘sharing a Christian understanding of sexuality’ had brought the Methodist college into disrepute. The tweet sought to bring clarity to the same-sex 'marriage' debate; he argued that ‘if sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour.’ Aaron said, ‘The reaction to my tweet and unjust treatment by Cliff College and the British Methodist Church completely illustrates the problem my tweet addressed.’ In a wide-ranging interview with CBN, the father of five defended his tweet and said the Biblical views on sexuality were being ‘silenced and stamped out’ by the Methodist Church.
Asylum policies to change
30 Mar 2023
Asylum-seekers will be housed in disused military bases in Essex and Lincolnshire and a prison in East Sussex, under plans to cut the £6 million a day spent on hotel accommodation for people landing in the UK in small boats. Housing them in barges and other floating accommodation has also been mentioned. Rishi Sunak has also brought forward proposals to use barracks at Catterick, in his constituency. The Refugee Council is deeply concerned, calling the suggested accommodation ‘entirely unsuitable’ for the needs of vulnerable men, women, and children who have come to our country in search of safety; it will add yet more cost and chaos to the system. The Home Office said that healthcare will be available along with catering facilities and 24/7 security, and ‘accommodation for illegal migrants should meet their essential living needs and nothing more’.
Dissatisfaction with social care services
30 Mar 2023
A survey by the Nuffield Trust and the King’s Fund found that only one person in seven is satisfied with social care services. Social care efficiency has been falling, but this record low reflects the failure of successive governments to prioritise this service and an unwillingness to tackle deep-rooted problems in our social care system. The public are seeing a large number of people whose care and support needs are not being met, and there is a perceived lack of appropriate reward, recognition, and support for social care staff. Against this background, it is disappointing that the Government’s planned social care reforms have been watered down or delayed. This will result in dissatisfaction rising further if social care provision continues to decline. People who draw on care and support, their carers, and those working in the sector will feel the pain of this.
Scotland: new SNP leader
30 Mar 2023
New SNP leader Humza Yousaf has said that despite his battles with the UK government he will work with them and other devolved nations constructively. Rishi Sunak congratulated Nicola Sturgeon's successor, saying they should both focus on ‘issues that matter to people’, like reducing inflation, rather than Scottish independence. Yousaf told his party, ‘Now it is time for the SNP to come together and deliver independence.’ He paid tribute to his rivals, finance secretary Forbes and former minister Regan, saying, ‘I know collectively we will continue to work hard as part of Team SNP’. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-65086830 Mr Yousaf had been health secretary, so is aware of the mammoth need to fix health and social care problems. 600,000+ are on a waiting list; A&E departments are regularly full. One in six hospital patients cannot get out, despite being ready to be discharged.
Buy now, pay later
30 Mar 2023
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) supports people in debt and poverty. In recent years Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) has emerged and become a popular way of making payments online. Consequently CAP welcomes the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) latest consultation to bring BNPL into its regulatory oversight,and is broadly in agreement with all the FCA’s suggestions for exemption areas Including invoicing, trade credit, employer loans and social housing landlord loans. CAP also wants the FCA to ensure that people are fully informed of the risks of using these products, such as late fees. It welcomes pre-contractual agreements for consumers to sign so that they have more time to think about their decisions. Whilst BNPL products are interest-free, CAP wants the FCA to monitor market changes. If consumers are dependent on BNPL to smooth cash flow when fees or charges are applied it could be harmful.
Long Covid - no cure yet
30 Mar 2023
Lucy suffers daily with chronic pain, vertigo, fatigue and brain fog. Before Covid she cycled daily. But three years after Covid she is on a hospital exercise bike wearing a mask to test respiratory and lung function, struggling to pedal. The Institute for Health Research said there is no treatment or drug to cure Long Covid. But there are clinics helping people to live with their symptoms. We know how to manage the many long-term debilitating conditions. There is a theory that some long Covid is an auto-immune condition, with the body attacking itself. 14-year-old Hayden caught Covid in December 2020, recovered after two weeks, then worsened until becoming bedridden. Hayden said, ‘Long Covid must be recognised more as a physical illness. When I was in hospital, doctors either couldn't diagnose it as Long Covid, or said it was all in my head and to stop making it up.’