For six years, Kristie was a pastoral assistant at a secondary school. When her school notified staff of a 'No Outsiders' programme to be introduced Kristie went to a meeting to find out more. No Outsiders introduces young children to ideas about family and gender that are very different from Biblical teaching. She was concerned and did further research and shared a couple of posts on Facebook. But one of Kristie's Facebook ‘friends’ sent her Facebook posts to the school’s headteacher complaining that ‘a member of your staff, working directly with children has posted homophobic and prejudiced views against the lgbt community on Facebook.’ Kristie was sacked for gross misconduct. Her appeal was denied. She appealed but the decision was upheld. Kristie took her case to an Employment Tribunal but they ruled against her. In a few weeks’ time an Employment Appeal Tribunal will conduct their hearing. 

Boris Johnson is sending £100m worth of weapons, including Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles and 800 anti-tank missiles, to Ukraine after an ‘unconscionable bombing’ of a crowded railway station killing dozens of refugees. He said, ‘It is a war crime to attack civilians, and Russia's war crimes in Ukraine will not go unnoticed or unpunished. Boris is sending precision munitions capable of lingering in the sky until directed to their target plus more helmets, body armour, and night vision. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the UK will also be providing heavily armoured Mastiff vehicles suitable for road patrols and convoys. Sensitive equipment will be removed, and British troops will help with training in a neighbouring country. So far sanctions have frozen £275bn of Russian foreign currency reserves, which is 60% of their total reserves. It is having deep and damaging consequences for Putin's ability to wage war. 

The government continues facing pressure over gatherings in and around Downing Street during lockdowns. The police are investigating 12 parties and on April 12th issued 50+ fines, with more to come. Boris and Carrie Johnson and the chancellor are among those fined; making Boris the first serving prime minister to be caught breaking the law. All three apologised, but bereaved families called their actions ‘truly shameless’ with ‘simply no way’ they could continue in their jobs. Labour MPs also want the PM and Mr Sunak to quit. Mr Johnson said he felt ‘an even greater sense of obligation to deliver’, while the chancellor said he was ‘focused on delivering for the British people’. Amanda McEgan, whose daughter died during the pandemic, said the prime minister's conduct during lockdowns made restrictions on the 19-year-old's funeral ‘more hurtful’. Boris said he accepted ‘in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better’ from him.

Governing includes difficult choices, confronting seemingly conflicting demands - and making a decision. So, should the government say yes to a new coal mine in Cumbria that will provide a domestic source of coking coal for the steel industry? Currently 40% of our coking coal comes from Russia. Now  the government faces a deadline to decide. The office of the Planning Inspectorate has sent its completed report to Housing, Communities and Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove with a 7th July deadline for him to issue his decision. If it goes ahead, it would be the first deep coal mine to open in the UK for over 30 years. There are many opponents to Whitehaven and they have previously protested outside the Home Office in London as well as at the site in Whitehaven.

A new Covid vaccine has been approved for use in the UK by regulators. It is manufactured by Valneva, using more traditional technology - similar to how polio and flu shots are made. It contains a whole copy of the virus which has been inactivated, so that it can't cause the disease but does teach the body how to fight it. The UK was due to receive 100 million doses of the jab, but the government cancelled the deal in September due to a ‘breach of obligations’. As with the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, it is designed to be given as two doses. The Commission on Human Medicines said, ‘We have advised that the benefit risk balance is positive. The vaccine is approved for people aged 18 to 50 years, with the first and second doses to be taken 28 days apart.’

Some asylum seekers from across the channel will be given a one-way ticket to Rwanda, under new government plans. Rwanda would take responsibility for them, put them through an asylum process and if successful they will have long-term accommodation in Rwanda with entitlement to full protection under Rwandan law. Plus equal access to employment, and enrolment in healthcare and social care services. Plans also include asylum seekers resettled in the UK will be spread more evenly across local authorities. Operational control of the Channel handed to the Royal Navy. Investing £50m for new equipment and specialist personnel for Channel operations. A new reception centre for migrants and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for smuggling. However at the UN last year  the UK government expressed concern over Rwanda’s continued restrictions to civil and political rights and media freedom. 

German police have detained four people accused of plotting to create ‘civil war conditions’ and eventually overthrow democracy. United Patriots are part of Citizens of the Reich. They reject the German state as illegal. They intended attacking substations and power lines to destroy Germany’s energy infrastructure and cause long-lasting nationwide power failures. A number of high-profile people were also targeted as potential kidnap victims. One of the targets said, ‘There are forces that intended to destabilise the state and democracy. They are a small minority but are highly dangerous.’ The movement has an estimated 19,000 members who also spread racism and misinformation. (See) They were arrested on April 13 police also seized numerous guns including Kalashnikov, gold bars and cash in euros and foreign currency totalling £16,600. They went before a judge on April 14. A fifth suspect remains at large. Investigators have identified 12 people also connected to the group, which used the Telegram messaging app to communicate.

According to the UN definition, Human Trafficking means; ‘The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons for the purpose of exploitation.’ The victims are coerced into dependence by debt bondage, violence, and/or drugs. They become ‘exploited’ and deprived of their rights, freedom of speech, independence, and self-respect. Any age, class, religion, nationality, gender, or colour can be a trafficking victim. Pray for the Red Alert Task Force, as it recruits members from many European countries to partnerships with organisations that can make a difference for victims of trafficking/slavery. Pray that the doctors and other health care professionals who encounter victims to recognise the signs of trafficking and be trained to help them. Pray for the victims to be freed from their slavery and find the physical, emotional and spiritual freedom that they need. 

Last week we celebrated the Finnish district court clearing an MP and her Pastor of all hate speech charges over their beliefs on sexuality, declaring that ‘it is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts’. (See) Then on the 11th April the media reports that the prosecutors will reportedly appeal that verdict.

At Easter Christians around the world remember the final week of Jesus Christ’s life on earth. The night before He died, after He washed their feet, he told them they must serve each other in humility, and He gave them a warning of what was to come. ``Remember what I told you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also’. (John 15:20). Today, across the nations Christians are still being hated and persecuted for their faith in and love of Christ. ‘If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first’ (John 15:18). We can pray for our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who in 2022 still live in fear of arrest, trial and torture.