Afghan students offered scholarships by the UK government to study here from September will not be able to take up their places this year as the British embassy could not finish paperwork in time. One student said, ‘When we really need it, you are taking it away. I don't believe it will be deferred for a year. If you cannot make it this year, how can you make it next year?’. See Archbishop Justin Welby said, ‘The tragic failures we are witnessing in Afghanistan and their devastating impact on men, women and children demand prayer and urgent humanitarian action’. Kitty Chevallier, a British charity worker, said she felt immensely lucky to have escaped on an evacuation flight but it is tragic that some of her Afghan friends are still stuck in the country’. Pray for Afghans whose chances of leaving are small and who have so much more to lose.

Five people, including a three-year-old girl, were killed during a six-minute shooting spree by gunman Jake Davison on 12 August. Two others were injured during the incident before the 22-year-old turned the gun on himself. Tens of thousands of pounds have been raised online for the victims and their families. Pray for the community to have God’s comfort and peace as they pull together and support each other in these trying times; pray especially for the relatives and friends of the victims. Churches and schools are open, to give people opportunities to open themselves to God and to each other. Davidson’s gun licence was suspended following a criminal charge for assault, but it was returned to him in July. The Government has asked police forces to review procedures for issuing and returning firearms licences, and to check whether it is necessary to revoke any licences already issued.

The telecom industry plans a digital shake-up that will axe traditional landline phones by 2025. By then, all households and businesses will need the internet to make calls, which raises concerns for the 1.5 million elderly and vulnerable who rely on landlines. Engineers may need to visit their homes to set them up, and those with older phones may have to buy a new handset. Experts fear millions more do not know how to use a mobile properly. Age UK said, ‘Half of people over 75 are not online. Given the threat of fraud, telecom providers need to take steps to prevent the vulnerable from becoming digital scam victims.’ This digital shake-up is driven by the telecoms industry, not by the Government.

Researchers have found only one in twenty yoghurts aimed at children are low in sugar. They urge the government to impose restrictions on child-friendly packaging and the nutritional claims they make. Action on Sugar found that one toffee yoghurt had five and a half teaspoons of sugar per serving - equal to 16 malted milk biscuits. Out of 100 children's yoghurts, 63% contained a third or more of the maximum daily sugar intake for children between four and six. A ‘health halo’ was being created around products featuring claims they are healthy while containing added sugar, syrups and fruit concentrates. A nutritionist warned that parents can easily be misled when choosing supermarket tems: ‘Often companies try to avert our eyes from seeing the significant amount of sugar listed in the ingredients and nutrition tables, by using healthy-sounding claims and cartoony images on the front of the pack.’