Government not prioritising disability rights
31 Aug 2023
The Government refused to attend a UN review of its treatment of disabled people after an inquiry warned of grave violations of disabled people’s rights. The UN report found welfare reforms had adversely affected disabled people. The UK's delegation should have gone to the Geneva hearing on 28 August to assess their progress, but the Government pulled out, saying it would meet UN officials in March 2024 instead, sparking anger from campaigners. The UK published responses to the UN's recommendations in 2018, 2021, and 2022, and was to give a further update this year. After its no-show there were feedback sessions with British disability rights groups who complained, ‘No one from the Government heard the facts and stories of increasing poverty, lack of support, inaccessible services, and an infrastructure that limited the life chances of disabled people’.
‘I got into university, but had nowhere to live’
31 Aug 2023
Unipol says student housing shortages will get worse in some cities. The number of new purpose-built rooms being created is tumbling, despite student numbers growing. Keira Barber, 18, says she had to switch universities because she was unable to afford accommodation at her first choice. Universities say they always try to help because housing issues are a significant worry. Some universities have struggled to provide a room near campus for new students, offering them housing in neighbouring cities instead. Most student accommodation is now built and rented by the private sector, and Unipol keeps a register of the number of rooms as part of a voluntary code of conduct. The creation of new student rooms is grinding to a halt because of high building costs. 29,048 new student rooms were created in 2020, but only 13,543 this year. Some were old buildings brought back into use.
Christian Climate Action
31 Aug 2023
On 11 August Christian Climate Action (CCA) held a prayer vigil outside the headquarters of the Catholic development agency CAFOD. They prayed for and with the charity to consider their banking arrangements. The core plea of the prayers was for CAFOD to close their bank account with Barclays, the biggest funder of fossil fuels in Europe. They held up signs such as ‘Praying for CAFOD to stop banking with Barclays, who fund climate chaos’ and ‘Barclays, the ecocide bank’. Some members of CAFOD came out and joined the vigil and other CAFOD volunteers stopped to talk. This followed a similar vigil outside Christian Aid recently, which led to that charity closing its Barclays account. There will be a series of vigils in the coming months at charities which bank with Barclays, including World Vision, BMS World Mission, Tearfund, and Leprosy Mission. CCA also spread their message at the Greenbelt Festival.
Covid and flu vaccinations brought forward
31 Aug 2023
NHS officials have reported that a new Covid mutation was discovered on 18 August, the most concerning variant since Omicron first emerged. Although BA.2.86 is not classified as a variant of concern, scientists say it carries a high number of mutations, and the rollout of flu and COVID-19 vaccines has been brought forward. Vaccinations for care home residents and those who are immunocompromised will now start on 11 September, not in October. This group will be followed by inviting carers, pregnant women, social care personnel, and individuals aged 65 and above to receive booster shots. The NHS vaccinations director said that although flu and Covid hit hardest in December and January, the new variant presents a greater risk, so they want to vaccinate as many people as possible sooner.
Wilko - rescue deal or redundancies?
31 Aug 2023
Wilko’s 400 stores are expected to close within weeks with 12,500 redundancies unless a buyout is secured. Pray for the 12,500 families living with fear of being out of work. Wilko’s assets were valued at £41m and the stock is likely to be worth tens of millions of pounds. The stores could be bought by rival bargain retailers like Poundland, Home Bargains, Primark, and B&M, who would rebrand them, possibly without retaining existing staff. The GMB union, which represents thousands of Wilko staff, said it would be ‘a disgrace’ if bids that could save jobs were disregarded. 12,500 jobs cannot be sacrificed for a few pence in the pound for creditors. Viable bids that protect jobs must be prioritised. M2 Capital’s bid to keep the entire Wilko chain trading fell through on 31 August. Job losses are feared.
Ukraine: win and lose situations
31 Aug 2023
On 29 August Ukraine gained a foothold less than three miles from Russia’s defensive lines in the Zaporizhzhya region, and the village of Robotyne was liberated following weeks of fighting over the settlement. When Ukrainian forces split to launch another attack in-between the villages of Novodanylivka and Verbove, prominent Russian military blogger Romanov (with 135,000 followers) described the current situation for Russia as ‘very dangerous.’ But sadly, there has been a dramatic rise in Ukraine's death toll. The grim task of counting the dead is a daily reality, with the unknown soldiers piled high in a small brick mortuary, not far from the Donetsk front line. The figures remain classified, but US officials recently put the number at 70,000 dead and as many as 120,000 injured. It is a staggering figure, from armed forces estimated at only half a million strong. The UN has reported 9,177 civilian deaths. 9,177 civilian deaths.
Greece: largest wildfire ever in EU
31 Aug 2023
In Greece, the largest wildfire ever recorded in the European Union has prompted the EU to mobilise almost half of its firefighting air wing to help tackle it. Greece's fire service told the AFP news agency that the fire is still out of control in their nature reserve, a major sanctuary for birds of prey. It is raging across a six-mile front. Fire department officials arrested two men for deliberate arson, while hundreds of firefighters battled wildfires which have killed at least 21 people. Pray for those mourning the dead, and for those who have watched fires consume their homes. Pray for those in fear as they watch vast tracts of forest blaze, and for the civilians who have been evacuated from the towns of Avra, Atarni and Plaka.
USA: prosperity gospel on the rise
31 Aug 2023
An increasing number of American Protestant church goers believe that financial prosperity is part of God's plan for them and that giving more money to their church and charities will result in blessings from God. Lifeway Research found that 52% of churchgoers say their church teaches that God will bless them if they donate more. Additionally, 76% believe God wants them to prosper financially, and they must do something for God to receive those material blessings. Such churchgoers are reflecting the heretical belief that material blessings are earned from God. Lifeway Research also noted that Covid and financial struggles due to inflation may have contributed to their changed beliefs. The prosperity gospel, or ‘the Word of Faith Movement’, teaches that believers can use God for material gain, particularly among younger and less educated churchgoers.