Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

The fire on Saddleworth Moor is out, but the fire service told the public to stay safe on the moorlands, especially as schools are closing. Between 15 and 19 July there have been many fires on grasslands, including one near Epping Forest where forty fire engines attended a blaze which stretched across 247 acres. The London fire commissioner said, ‘This weekend we dealt with the largest grass fire in our history, as well as a range of other serious fires. The ground is extremely dry, and grassland and parks will act like a tinderbox when exposed to the smallest of sparks. We are asking people not to drop cigarettes or matches on dry ground or out of car windows; don’t have barbecues on dry grass or parks and don’t leave glass bottles out as they can concentrate the sun’s rays and start a blaze. Grass fires spread like lightning. If you see grass smouldering, call 999 immediately.’

On 18 July a protest was organised by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) outside the Nigerian High Commission in London, to mark 150 days since 15-year-old Leah Sharibu was kidnapped by Boko Haram in Yobe state, Nigeria. Leah was one of 110 schoolgirls abducted on 19 February from the a local government college. Five died during the ordeal and the rest were freed, but Leah remained in captivity as she refused to renounce her faith. CSW’s CEO Mervyn Thomas said, ‘It's very important to remember that this is not just a protest - this is prayer and protest. CSW believes in those two things going together. So we're hoping first of all that God will answer prayer, but we're also hoping that the Nigerian government will take action.’

A London-based nurse has been convicted of trafficking five Nigerian women into Germany to work as prostitutes after subjecting them to ‘voodoo’ rituals. Josephine Lyamu forced them to swear oaths to hand over money to her during ‘juju’ ceremonies. Praise God for the successful prosecution. The women had been psychologically manipulated and financially exploited, as well as sexually abused. This is the first conviction under the Modern Slavery Act, passed in 2015. See also the IJM prayer requests in the ‘World’ section.

A 19th-century prayer from Rev H Stobart: ‘O God, our refuge and strength, who orders all things in heaven and earth, look down with your mercy upon us as a nation. Remember not our iniquities, nor the iniquities of our forefathers, neither take vengeance on our sins. Pour out upon us, and on all the people of this land, the spirit of grace and supplication, and join us together in piety, loyalty, and brotherly love. Direct the counsels and strengthen the hands of all in authority for the repression of crime and outrage, the maintenance of order and law, and of public peace and safety; so that, leading quiet lives in all godliness and honesty, we may be your people and You may be our God; and that we may bless and glorify You, our Defender and Deliverer; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’

President Trump’s ‘working’ visit to the UK has attracted large-scale protests, as activists have had plans for major demonstrations laid out for months. The police response is the biggest since the riots in London after Mark Duggan’s death. Amnesty International said thousands will be making their voices heard: ‘In the 15 months of his presidency, we've seen a deeply disturbing human rights roll-back - including the discriminatory travel bans, a reckless announcement on Jerusalem, harmful policies on refugees, women's rights and climate change. He has shown an impatience bordering on intolerance towards peaceful protests, the media, and even the democratic process itself. So his visit to Britain is an important opportunity to underline the importance of free speech and the right to protest.’ A spokesman said police forces had worked together on a significant, multi-faceted security operation supporting the presidential visit. See

As the Government revealed details of its EU withdrawal plans, Brussels has warned Theresa May that the proposals must be workable in order to avoid a no-deal scenario. UK’s new Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, is insisting the Government white paper sets out exit aims while being practical, respecting the referendum result, and backing business. However, chief Brussels negotiator Michel Barnier said the proposals must conform to EU rules and not create extra costs, and he told business leaders to prepare for a no-deal scenario.

Vehicles were stolen and torched during disorder linked to loyalist bonfires. A pipe bomb exploded close to a police operation in Belfast. Police were warned that loyalist paramilitaries were planning to ‘orchestrate and participate in serious disorder’. There were nights of disorder in Londonderry. Petrol bombs and missiles were thrown. Hundreds of fires were lit at midnight to usher in the 12 July Orange parades. Masked men used burning cars to block roads close to the Ulster Hospital. A bus with passengers was hijacked before being set alight. Security alerts resulted in main roads being closed, while one incident prevented passengers from leaving Belfast City Airport. Fire and Rescue Service had received 327 emergency calls by 01:00 on 12 July. Dissident republicans were blamed for firing six shots at police with an automatic weapon. The police are treating the incident as attempted murder.

Four people were arrested when an estimated 4,500 people marched through the streets of Glasgow on on 7 July as part of the annual Orange Walk. A priest was attacked outside St Alphonsus’ church on Stevenson Street as the congregation gathered for afternoon mass while the marchers passed by. A worshipper who saw the incident said, ‘The priest was spat at, verbally abused, and also assaulted by a baton. I was disgusted. I eventually got hold of an officer after screaming at her to get resources to protect him.’ It is not known if the priest reported the incident to the police, or if it was another member of the public. A police spokesperson said, ‘We can confirm we are investigating reports of an assault on a man outside a church in Glasgow at around 4.20 pm on Saturday’.

Rod Liddle, of the Spectator, spoke about gay conversion therapy and the Government proposals making it illegal saying, ‘This is all at the behest of campaigning bodies like Stonewall, and their insistence that an alternative opinion to theirs should be made illegal’. He added, ‘Gay conversion therapy has made the lives of thousands of people happier. I spoke to one chap who had considered himself gay for much of his twenties and thirties, was uncomfortable about it, and is now straight and happy. Nobody is suggesting that all gay people might benefit from it. Nobody is questioning the right of gay people to live happily, free from discrimination. Yet because some gay people are so intolerant of any views which differ from their own, they wish to make these views illegal.’

Adverts on buses promoting a church-run event in Blackpool featuring Franklin Graham are being removed after a number of complaints were made. Blackpool Transport, which oversees the buses, claimed the ads ‘resulted in heightened tension’. A number of people had taken to social media to claim that he would be preaching hate and homophobia at the event, due to take place at the city's Winter Gardens in September. Jane Cole of Blackpool Transport said, ‘The removal of these adverts is as a result of us listening to and acting on customer and public feedback, which we aim to do at all times. Blackpool Transport is a proud ongoing supporter of the Pride and LGBT+ communities, and in no way did we intend to cause any distress or upset.’ Graham said, ‘I'm not coming to preach hate, I'm here to preach about a Saviour - Jesus Christ.’