We give thanks for the Queen's Baton Relay and the many churches across Scotland who gave away Penny Gospels, shortbread medals and balloons, painted faces, served lunches and teas to demonstrate hospitality to thousands. Now More Than Gold 2014 invites us all to participate in prayer for events throughout the games:- the performance of Chariot, Luke’s Gospel; Fit for the King Holiday lubs; Holidays at Home for the elderly; Community Festivals; youth Cafes' Sports Quizzes; and give thanks for the hundreds of volunteers making this possible. 150,000+ bottles of water, Penny Gospels and other resources will be given away. Give thanks for the thousands of opportunities people will have to encounter the goodness of God throughout the games. Pray for Games Pastors and Police caring for visitors. Prayer request boxes will available for visitors and the requests will be prayed for by the Flourish team. Pray that many will ask for prayer and see God move as a result.

660 suspected paedophiles have been arrested as part of a six-month operation targeting people accessing child abuse images online. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the 660 included doctors, teachers, scout leaders, care workers and former police officers. More than 400 children have been protected as a result, the agency said. Arrests were made across the UK and the majority of those held had no previous contact with police. The NCA said 39 of those arrested are registered sex offenders. Charges already brought range from possessing indecent images of children to serious sexual assault. The NCA stressed that none of those arrested is a serving or former MP or member of the Government.

The number of customers complaining to the independent ombudsman about their energy bills has soared with more people making official complaints in the first six months of this year than the whole of last year put together. Official complaints more than doubled to 22,671 in the first six months of 2014 from 10,598 in the previous six months. The 2013 total was 17,960. Complaints to the ombudsman – who deals with disputes unresolved after at least eight weeks – also reached a record for one month at 4,124 in June, an increase of 216% on a year ago. Chief energy ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said: ‘The spike in complaints is in part a result of the rising cost of living, but also as a result of consumers becoming more aware of their rights and feeling more empowered to act and fight for a fair deal. Addressing these concerns is crucial to restoring consumer confidence in the sector.’

Nearly 500 children a week are being admitted to hospital with rotten teeth, NHS figures show. It is now the main reason for youngsters needing hospital treatment and dentists say the main culprits are fruit juice and fizzy drinks. Most children need between four and eight of their baby teeth extracted, although some are having all 20 taken out. Figures also show that more than a quarter of five-year-olds have some degree of tooth decay and in some areas of England it is well over a third. Only last month new NHS guidelines urged the public to slash sugar intake to as little as five teaspoons a day, due to concerns that it is to blame for rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Experts are also worried that sugar is behind an increase in tooth decay in children and could affect their ability to learn.

Thousands of women a year are giving birth after admitting having drunk too much alcohol during their pregnancies, a Sky News investigation has found. Although government guidelines warn pregnant women against drinking more than four units a week - equivalent to two large glasses of wine - hospitals have recorded a significant number drinking much more. The first hospital figures of their kind suggest that more than 2,000 babies a year are born to mothers who have breached alcohol guidelines. Dr Raja Mukherjee, lead clinician for the national foetal alcohol spectrum disorder clinic in Surrey said ‘We know that women are drinking more. 90% of women in this country drink and they don't all suddenly stop when they are pregnant.’ Heavy drinking during pregnancy increases the risk that babies will be born with foetal alcohol syndrome - a life-long condition that can leave children physically and mentally disabled.

David Cameron announced on Monday that the government will invest an additional £800m in boosting the military’s surveillance, intelligence and Special Forces plus £300m on extending existing capabilities. He said that the Armed Forces must adapt to deal with unseen enemies and spending on intelligence and surveillance equipment, such as drones, is a national necessity.  He warned that Britain faces changing threats in the form of global terrorism and unseen cyber-criminals who can target the country from abroad, stating, ‘We cannot defend the realm from the white cliffs of Dover.’ See also: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10965217/Huge-investment-in-Armed-Forces-means-a-more-secure-future-for-Britain.html

It’s count down time to the Commonwealth Games and a Christian ministry organisation ‘Flourish Scotland’ has been set up by Auchterarder-based Chris McCrosson, in partnership with the Christian charity More Than Gold. It will facilitate worship and preaching and Christian activity throughout the entire twelve days of the event with the hope of seeing lives and communities transformed through the release of God's blessing. Taking inspiration from the motto ‘Let Glasgow flourish through the preaching of his word and the praising of his name,’ the teams are preparing for a ‘24/12 Encounter’ in which a variety of speakers and worship artists will help form a non-stop 288-hour period of praise, prayer and preaching from the very start of the Games on 23 July through to the closing ceremony twelve days later. More information about how to support  Flourish Scotland at the Games can be found at www.flourishscotland.com.

On Friday 18th July the House of Lords will vote on Lord Falconer's Bill to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales. The outcome of this vote will carry weight in the Scottish Parlament as the Assisted Suicide Bill is processed there. Previous bills of this nature have been defeated because they were considered dangerous. While the bill is being debated in the Lords people opposed to the bill will gather from 9:30 onwards outside the building armed with placards, banners and wearing black and/or red. The organisers of this protest want people to consider that while we fight for human rights for the disabled, for assistance in life for the disabled, support and independent living for the less able, a bill is being debated for assisted suicide for the same people. At a time when the NHS and social care are being decimated and the ILF is facing closure, is the only assistance we’ll get a suicide bill? (see also World section - item 6 and Europe section - item 1)

The Salvation Army is 149 not out - and is using sport to help vulnerable people suffering from addiction problems and homelessness. The Salvation Army, which last week celebrated 149 years since it was founded by General William Booth, believes sport is a powerful tool in helping people recover from addiction problems and homelessness. The organisation has a number of programmes to get people involved in sport, including Partnership Trophy, a football tournament for homeless men and women, summer camps, weekly football matches, hill walking, badminton, tennis and many more. Captain Nick Coke, a Salvation Army minister, is working with people of all ages and backgrounds in east London, teaching them key life skills though sport. He explained: ‘Sport gives confidence, tackles stress, helps in treatment of people with addiction problems, and brings people into their community as well as keeping them healthy. We support them to get back on their feet and help them stay there; sport is a perfect tool for doing this.’

This week, beginning on Friday 11 July, the Church of England’s General Synod will be meeting in York.  This is always an occasion for the media to highlight debates or decisions which are seen to be controversial or eye-catching.  The main item on the agenda is the legislation to consecrate women bishops, which was narrowly defeated at the last Synod meeting in November 2012.  This time it is expected to be passed, mainly because of a great deal of behind-the-scenes consultation with those who were opposed on principle, to improve the wording.  Tom Sutcliffe (Diocese of Southwark) said, ‘The Measure which is before us this month makes much better provision for most of those who don't believe women can or should be bishops and priests. . . If this Measure were to fail, I think it would be a total disaster.’