British Isles
Fewer students taking RS A-level
The number of students choosing Religious Studies in A-level has fallen, following warnings of a lack of teachers. More than a quarter of pupils have been given either an A or A* -…
God Loves You tour
Less than half of the population across England and Wales call themselves Christian. In a largely secular society, where more than one-third claim no religion at all, Franklin Graham is sharing the hope…
NHS: staffing crisis
NHS staff shortages include nurses, midwives, GPs, hospital doctors and mental health workers. Staff leave because of low pay, stress and reduced job satisfaction. Recruitment and retention is a growing problem in this…
NHS: 'unsafe' A&E
Senior doctors accused NHS Grampian of ignoring safety concerns about emergency departments. They spoke out because they felt they could not deliver safe levels of care. Grampian’s two A&E departments have no senior…
Asylum-seekers put on barge despite safety fears
The first asylum-seekers have been transferred to the controversial Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge. Dozens of others had their transfers cancelled after issues were raised, including mental and physical health. The Care4Calais charity said…
Migration boosts Manchester churches
Migrant communities from West Africa and India are renewing and revitalising Manchester churches. As many of them work at hospitals, Fr Paul Hutchins has added a mid-week service to make attendance easier for…
Northern Ireland: police data breach update
Last week you prayed for the police to have adequate support and protection after their names, rank, grade, location and unit were made available online to the public accidently. This week the chairman…
Scotland: school unions threaten strike
GMB Scotland have announced that school staff in catering, cleaning, pupil support, administration and janitorial services will strike on 13 and 14 September, and teachers in the Unite Union have also voted to…
Comedy show cancelled over gender views
A comedy show in Edinburgh featuring the Father Ted writer and comedian Graham Linehan has been cancelled. The venue pulled the gig because it did not support the comedian’s views, which did not…
Safeguarding in the Church of England
On 16 August the Future of Church Safeguarding Programme was set up to recommend a model for fully independent safeguarding within the Church of England. Operating independently, it is led by Professor Alexis…
