Jo Cox's murderer to stand trial in November
24 Jun 2016
Tom Mair, 52 years old, was charged with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and possession of an offensive weapon. Jo was killed because of her ‘very strong political views’, her husband Brendan said. He also said she had become increasingly worried about the ‘coarsening’ language of political debates in the UK and globally. He added that the outpouring of public support and the establishment a £1m charitable fund had been sources of comfort to him and their two children.
World Refugee Sunday, 26 June
24 Jun 2016
While the EU referendum has dominated the news, the Bishop of Durham urges us to remember it is also Refugee Week, which for nearly twenty years has been celebrating the contribution of refugees to the UK. Pray that refugee charities will not suffer from compassion fatigue. Pray for the local welcome groups that have been springing up to continue and thrive. Pray for the local councils working to resettle Syrian refugees in their areas and for churches and other NGOs who welcome the refugees when they arrive. Thank God for the growing network of civic welcome in Britain which has been mirrored by extraordinary voluntary efforts in Calais and beyond, exemplified by three women who turned Help Refugees from a hashtag to a £2million operation feeding 20,000 people a day. Pray for the exciting new initiatives taking shape, including community sponsorship of refugees.
Valuing disabled people within the Church
24 Jun 2016
In 2013 the University of Aberdeen birthed ‘Kairos’ to support the spiritual needs of people with learning disabilities and their families. It provides families and professionals with materials to meet the expressed needs of the disabled with person-centred spiritual care and support. This week Pope Francis celebrated mass for the Year of Mercy jubilee of the sick and persons with disabilities. He said, ‘Love and solidarity are what make the world a better place, not a focus on physical perfection and hiding away those who do not fit a commercial ideal.’ Several altar servers with Down’s syndrome assisted Pope Francis at the mass in St Peter’s Square; persons with disabilities proclaimed the first two Scripture readings, one using braille. Pray for God to continue to develop the Christian organisations that raise people’s awareness of the spiritual needs of adults with learning disabilities. See also the Prospects website at and
Extreme weather - travel disruption and floods
24 Jun 2016
Today cars were submerged, two polling stations in Kingston and one in Barking were closed, and several people were rescued by boat, as flooding affected London and the southeast. Fire brigades attended more than 400 incidents of flooded premises and properties hit by lightning. London Underground reported the closure of several different lines, with severe disruption on others. London had localised flooding, causing problems to many road users. Some areas received the best part of a month's rainfall in a few hours. A similar pattern of unusually heavy rain with consequent floods and disruption was seen last week in some other areas of the country, and in some European countries.
Sir Cliff: 'illegal collusion'
24 Jun 2016
Sir Cliff Richard believes the broadcasting of a police raid at his Berkshire home in 2014 was the result of ‘illegal collusion.’ The operation - broadcast live by BBC News - came after allegations that the Christian singer had sexually abused children. The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case last week, saying there was insufficient evidence to prosecute. The BBC has apologised for any distress caused and South Yorkshire Police apologised over its handling of the investigation. Sir Cliff is considering taking legal action, ‘There must have been illegal collusion. I've never known investigations take place with lighting and cameras and special angles for the helicopter. I feel I have every right to sue for gross intrusion of my privacy.’
Belfast school not to use gender words
24 Jun 2016
The Girls' Schools Association (GSA) has issued advice to a Belfast school to ‘not use the terms girls, young women or young ladies’ when addressing pupils in certain circumstances. They say that ‘pupils’ or ‘students’ would be appropriate terms for addressing those in the classroom, particularly when transgender pupils are present. The association represents the heads of many of the top performing day and boarding schools in the UK independent schools sector. The advice also recommends creating unisex lavatories.
'Islam has no place in my country'
24 Jun 2016
Slovakia takes over the six-month EU presidency on 1July. Robert Fico, Slovakia's prime minister, says that ‘migrants change the character of our country’ and ‘multiculturalism is a fiction’. Fico has argued that Slovakia has no obligation to house Muslim refugees. ‘Since Slovakia is a Christian country, we cannot tolerate an influx of 300,000 to 400,000 Muslim immigrants who will start building mosques all over our land and change the nature, culture and values of the state.’ Fico declared he would ‘never make a decision that would lead to a unified Muslim community in Slovakia.’ Slovakia’s borders with Hungary and Austria have an additional 220 police officers assigned to maintain border checks. Migrants are arrested and usually sent back to their home country. See
IS fighters heading for Europe
24 Jun 2016
On Wednesday Belgian police received an anti-terror alert warning that a group of Islamic State fighters recently left Syria and are planning attacks in Belgium and France. There are no immediate plans to raise the security level to the maximum that would indicate an imminent threat of an attack. A source at France's Interior Ministry said Belgian authorities had transmitted a note to their French counterparts, who were currently reviewing the information. ‘We know the threat is very high,’ the source said. The group apparently left Syria about a week and a half ago, aiming to reach Europe via Turkey and Greece by boat without passports. A Belgian security source confirmed the contents of the alert.