Displaying items by tag: BritishIsles

Catloaf Software’s ‘Text with Jesus’ app allows users to have real-time text conversations using Artificial Intelligence (AI) with digital Mary, Joseph apostles, prophets, and Jesus. Catloaf said technology gives new ways to interact with scripture and explore faith. Another ChatGPT based app offers ‘Biblemate’ claiming it answers any question using only the Bible and theological insights. However some Christians view this technology as heretical. Minister and technologist, Chris Goswami, welcomes the tool but emphasises that it should never be seen as Spirit-filled, highlighting the limitations of AI's spiritual understanding. Meanwhile an animal advocacy group used ChatGPT to modify Genesis with a vegan perspective, replacing animals as beings and the use of plants for clothing not animal skins. Catloaf said they’re not looking to replace traditional Bible study but to offer a tool that makes Bible narratives immediate and personal.

Greenpeace activists unfolded 200 square metres of oil-black fabric over the home of Rishi Sunak and unfurled a banner saying ‘Oil Profits or Our Future?’ in front of the manor house, protesting against North Sea oil and gas drilling licences amidst a summer of escalating climate impacts. See Christian Aid warned the Government that issuing 100s of new oil and gas licences ‘flies in the face of climate science.’ They went on to state that ‘Now more than ever, UK’s Government must show leadership and strengthen their climate plans to protect millions in low-income countries. Instead, these wrongheaded priorities on new oil and gas licences obliterate the UK’s net-zero commitments and lets down people on the frontline of the climate crisis. The Prime Minister needs to put people and planet first.’ Pray for the government to acknowledge the calls from environmental campaigners and recognise that there needs to be an end to North Sea drilling.

Meteorologists predict wet weather until September see, and this has a very real impact on farmers. The Farming Forum reported, ‘In this post, we shed light on the critical issues faced by farmers and their potential implications on cereal crops. Excessive rain has caused significant losses to the wheat harvest. When grains become wet and drop to the ground, they become challenging to collect efficiently. This leads to an increase in wastage and financial strain for farmers. Wet conditions make it almost impossible to harvest, so farmers must use specialised, incredibly costly headers, making it labour-intensive and time-consuming. High moisture content in wheat and grain makes it difficult to preserve quality. Cereal with 16% moisture content risks contamination by mycotoxins, a potential health risk. Moist cereal crops blown over by wind creates mould growth. This threatens the quality of the cereals and poses health risks for both humans and livestock.’

Home Office data for England and Wales revealed the proportion of crimes that resulted in a charge or summons was 5.7% over the 12-month period from April 2022 onwards. 2.3 million crimes were dropped without a suspect being found. The charge rate for sexual offences was 3.6%, with rape at 2.1%, and 6.5% of robbery offences. Yvette Cooper said that over 90% of crimes are going unsolved with more criminals being let off and more victims being let down. The Home Office said, ‘Since 2010, our communities are safer. Neighbourhood crimes including burglary, robbery and theft are down 51% and serious violent crime is down 46%.’ Pray for more individuals from fields such as business fraud investigations and child protection to be recruited into the police force. Pray for the government to fulfil their promise to improve public confidence by getting their resourcing right so that they catch more criminals.

A Foreign Office internal government assessment reveals poor countries are being short-changed from the £900m Overseas Development Assistance Budget as other UK government departments raid the aid budget to spend it in the UK. A £30 million cut to aid for South Sudan this year will leave 27,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition, potentially causing 3,000 deaths. Aid to that region has shrunk by 1/5th since 2017 and they are one of the frontline states suffering the hardest climate crisis - which the UK caused historically. The report also reveals that the 49% cut to UK's Pan Africa aid budget significantly impacts women's sexual health across Africa. Thousands more women will die in pregnancy and childbirth while the number of unsafe abortions will increase by about 185,000. The Foreign Office said the cuts are temporary, to meet savings targets and will increase in the future as a commitment to support Ukrainian refugees ends.

On August 3rd, the Bank of England’s base rate rose again to 5.25%. The last time it was 5.25% was in 2008. The Bank expects inflation to fall below 5% in the final quarter of 2023, while the government pledges inflation will be 5% or below by 2024. The Bank's increase influences the cost of borrowing, making mortgages more expensive, while at the same time offering greater returns on savings accounts. The theory is that raising interest rates makes it more expensive to borrow money, so people have less to spend, reducing demand and inflation. Meanwhile, rising interest rates, higher energy costs and squeezed consumer spending have weighed on retailers with Wilko homewares now on the brink of collapse, putting 12,000 jobs at risk. They have filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators after failing to find enough emergency investment. Wilko has 400 UK stores. See