Displaying items by tag: British Isles

Amnesty International’s recent report accusing Israel of ‘apartheid’ is ‘a shameful misrepresentation of Israel’s diverse and dynamic society’, said the Israeli embassy in London, describing it as antisemitic. ‘We do not agree with the use of this terminology’, a Foreign Office spokesperson said. The UK has joined other countries who have spoken out against the Amnesty report, calling it ‘false, biased, and antisemitic’ and endangering the safety of Jews around the world. Israel’s foreign ministry said Amnesty UK was ‘corrupted by racism and xenophobia’. Its foreign minister said Amnesty was no longer ‘a respected organisation’, but the opposite. ‘It echoed propaganda without checking the facts. Instead of seeking the truth Amnesty echoes the same lies as terrorist organisations.’ Meanwhile anti-Semitism in 2021 is 'the worst year on record': see

On 10 February Boris Johnson met the head of the NATO defence alliance in Brussels and then travelled to Poland in support of NATO allies. He warned that the Ukraine-Russia crisis is at its ‘most dangerous moment’ and that war would be an ‘absolute disaster’. Russia is still massing troops on its neighbour's borders and in Belarus. In Moscow Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, said that continued ‘aggression’ will lead to ‘severe consequences’, but at the same news conference her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov accused the West of ‘hysteria’. Moscow wants the West to rule out Ukraine ever joining NATO - but Boris Johnson said that every European democracy must retain that right. Johnson warned that the possibility of an invasion ‘remains grim.’

Last week you prayed for ‘wise costing and balancing by energy firms, oil giants and the government so that the cost of living remains stable’, after oil giant Shell announced profits four times higher than last year. This week BP reported its highest profit for eight years. The very same energy prices that have spelt crippling bills for consumers have prompted BP's boss to describe his operation right now as a ‘cash machine’. A combination of resurgent demand and geopolitical tensions means that wholesale gas prices are five times higher than before the pandemic - while oil prices have almost doubled. BP and Shell could make £40bn in profits this year, enough to cover the energy bills of the majority of UK households, renewing calls for a windfall tax. But the Chancellor fears it could damage investment in lower-carbon forms of energy, because energy giants' profits, tied as they are to global prices, are very volatile.

The Charity Commission is to review the accounts of the charity set up in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised almost £33m for the NHS. Accounts show the Captain Tom Foundation gave out grants of £160,000 to four charities but spent more than £162,000 in management costs in its first year. Its financial statement also showed reimbursement costs of £16,097 paid to Club Nook Limited, a company run by Hannah Ingram-Moore, Captain Tom's daughter. These costs were said to be for accommodation, security and transport relating to Captain Sir Tom ‘travelling around the UK to promote the charity’. The foundation said it welcomed the commission's input.

‘It is my intention to return on the first day after the half-term recess to present our strategy for living with Covid’, Boris Johnson has said. ‘Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions - including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive - a full month early.’ The law will be replaced with guidance; for example, people will be urged not to go to work if they have Covid. The PM added, ‘The self-isolation regulations expire on 24 March, at which point I very much expect not to renew them. Indeed, were the data to allow, I would like to seek a vote in this House to bring that date forwards’ Downing Street also suggested there could be an update on the remaining travel rules when Mr Johnson sets out his ‘living with Covid strategy’ later this month.

On 8 February, the day dedicated to safer internet, the department for culture, media and sport and MP Chris Philp published the Online Safety Bill, which will force pornography websites to prevent underage access including by using age verification technologies. They believe that children will be better protected from online pornography under the new measures in the Government’s pioneering new internet safety laws. Pray that all sites that publish pornography will successfully put robust checks in place to ensure their users are over 18 and that no one slips through the safety net. If sites fail to act, Ofcom will be able to fine them up to 10% of their annual worldwide turnover or can even block them from being accessible in the UK. Bosses of these websites could also be held criminally liable if they fail to cooperate with Ofcom.

A petition has been raised by Voice for Justice UK (VfJUK) regarding the appointment of BBC’s religion editor. Aleem Maqbool, a Muslim journalist of some note, will focus ‘on telling stories associated with faith and ethics’. He replaces Martin Bashir, who stepped down in questionable circumstances. Bashir replaced Aaqil Ahmed, another Muslim who was removed for having a clear bias to the detriment of Christianity. Our society and culture are founded on Christian values. We are a Christian country. Though there has been a decline in religious adherence in recent years, it seems the BBC would promote minorities over the majority of society. VfJUK asks on what grounds can the BBC justify appointing a British Asian as religion editor on the last three occasions. Were there no suitably qualified Christian candidates for the job?

Justin Welby will conduct interviews on a new Radio 4 series, ‘Faith and morality’, which will run for six half-hour episodes on consecutive Sundays. He will discuss the balance of spirituality and life in the public eye with a number of high-profile personalities like Tony Blair and Stephen King. The archbishop said it would be ‘a privilege to spend time interviewing fascinating people from different backgrounds for this series. I relish the opportunity to be the one asking the questions rather than answering them. There are few better ways to get to know someone than to inquire and listen. I want to hear about people's lives, and the events and underlying frameworks that shape their views, and I'm extremely grateful for each person’s generosity in giving their time, honesty and vulnerability telling their stories.’

‘Father, when we look at all that is going on around us today, it would be so easy to pray according to how the media lead us, or how our own reasoning would have us intercede. Lord, please give us Your perspective when we watch and pray over challenges in our politics and the UK's participation in international affairs. Lord God, we, along with the rest of the nations, continue to face the Covid crisis and its derivatives. May You bring about your kingdom's purposes through this season of sickness and uncertainty. Finally, Father, our communities need to be powerfully reached for Christ; alert us to the pitfalls of self-made agendas that don’t have Your anointing. Wake us up to Your power living in us, and grow us up in the fivefold ministries, so that we produce a harvest of kingdom fruit. In 2022 may Your church walk powerfully in your purposes.‘

A recent report concluded that 36% of farming people in England and Wales were 'probably or possibly depressed', 52% 'experienced pain and discomfort', 25% had 'mobility problems', and 58% of women in the sector said they 'experienced mild, moderate or severe anxiety'. The most common sources of stress were regulations, compliance and inspection, Covid, unpredictable weather, and loss of subsidies. In response the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution has launched two new mental-health support and counselling services. Pray for all agencies and individuals who are providing farming people with practical and moral support. Also, rural CofE churches report that ‘clergy and congregations are increasingly pessimistic about the long-term future of their churches’. Leadership was seen as a critical issue. However, through Covid, it seems the Lord has ‘sifted’ His church: some have fallen away, but others have drawn closer to Him.