18 October was Anti-Slavery Day. 40 million people are trapped in slavery worldwide, and have no one to protect them. In many places laws against slavery are not enforced by police, so slave owners and traffickers can prey on the poor and vulnerable without fear of consequences. According to a report, UK police don’t tackle modern slavery because cases are too difficult and senior officers believe the public lack sympathy for the victims. Sky news reported that 17 police forces held data on convictions for slavery; 1,265 slavery offences were reported but only 25 people were prosecuted. In the UK, slavery is not just a bad working condition. People are living under constant control and fear and facing daily physical, verbal and sexual abuse. They are trapped. The charity Hope for Justice described the current situation in the UK as ‘a human conveyor belt of slavery’. See also

Northern Ireland's’ supreme court judges are considering whether abortion laws breach human rights. Currently abortion is illegal unless a woman's life is in danger or if continuing the pregnancy would cause mental or physical harm. On 25 and 26 October a number of contributors explained why they believe the law is incompatible with human rights, while others explained their opposition to any law changes. Ireland's attorney general and lawyers for the department of justice argued for the status quo. Christian politician Jim Shannon said democratic values must be upheld, amid supreme court scrutiny of the abortion laws; and the majority of people in Northern Ireland support current laws. See also the next article.

In a statement to healthcare professionals and others involved in terminations, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, and his Scottish counterpart Archbishop Philip Tartaglia called for a change of attitudes, in favour of greater protection for human life. Over eight million pregnancies have been aborted since David Steel's private member's bill became law fifty years ago. Urging a period of prayer and fasting, the 2,000-word document signed by the Catholic leaders also expressed concern that there are not enough safeguards protecting unborn children with disabilities. They said there was an urgent need for parents and teachers to promote the sanctity of human life. See the previous article.

Islamic finance has been welcomed uncritically into the UK. Today there are over twenty lenders in the UK offering Islamic financial services. The British government has been promoting Islamic finance for some years, and in 2014 the UK made history by becoming the first non-Muslim country to issue a sovereign Islamic bond. However, there are serious problems and concerns about Islamic finance, which is why Christian Concern have produced a booklet on the subject. Islamic finance is based on the idea that the Qur'an prohibits all forms of interest; it also aims at increasing the influence of sharia law.

A pilot scheme in Essex, called CareRooms, would have patients waiting for discharge from hospital staying with local residents who have a spare room. Increasingly, hospitals are full of patients who have nowhere to go. NHS figures show that last year 2.2 million hospital ‘bed days’ in England were lost due to delayed transfers of care. NHS bodies and local authorities are in preliminary discussions on the project. Chief Medical Officer Dr Harry Thirkettle said that such patients would be transferred to residential homes because they either live alone, don’t have support, or have mobility issues. So someone with a leg fracture and unable to go up and down their stairs until that fracture is healed, could come and stay in ground-floor accommodation. Hosts would be paid for this service; they could earn up to £1,000 a month.

In 1947 people suspected of un-American activities were asked by Senator Joe McCarthy, ‘Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?’ Recently, Conservative government whip Chris Heaton Harris asked vice-chancellors for the names of professors who favour Brexit. A number of academics think that the staunch Brexiteer’s letter smacked of McCarthyism when he asked for copies of the syllabus and links to the online lectures which relate to this area. Many believe it contained an implied threat that universities would be challenged for any bias.

Christian Concern has intervened in a case at the European Court of Human Rights, which is set to rule whether sharia law should be applied to a dispute between Greek citizens who are Muslims. The ruling will determine whether sharia law can ever have supremacy over a country's domestic law. Mrs Molla Sali inherited the entire estate of her husband when he died, under the terms of a will that he had drawn up in accordance with Greek law. Two sisters of her husband are claiming that since he was a Muslim, the inheritance should be allocated according to sharia law, adjudicated by the mufti. A ruling at this level could have dire effects on the Council of Europe, including the UK. Christian Concern said it will highlight in court that sharia law is out of line with European law.

31 October 2017 marks 500 years since Martin Luther rebelled against the Catholic Church with his 95 theses - the beginning of the Reformation. Today,Germany is in a tense period politically as Angela Merkel, representing the CDU/CSU ‘party-union’, negotiates a coalition agreement with the FDP and Greens to form a new federal government for the next four years. Meanwhile the political challenges from the EU need her attention. A Watchmen Team International prayer letter request is, ‘As we remember and celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation in Germany, let us continue to pray for a “new reformation” and spiritual revival in Germany and in Europe, and indeed in all our nations.’ Much has been lost in Europe and Germany because of unbelief and rejection of God. We cannot be restored by a political party or ideology: we need humble repentance before God, prayer for His solutions, and faith in His saving power. Let us station ourselves as intercessors on the ramparts like Habakkuk and trust in God’s promises.

International news outlets tell us that the Syrian crisis has created a lost generation of children. But we can pray that this generation will be found by Jesus. Mission agency Cry Out Now has prepared a 30-day prayer guide to help us pray for Syrian children. Its vision is especially that other children will pray for them. God sees children’s faith when they pray; often it is very powerful! Our God is a God of hope, and His desire is that out of the turmoil and chaos of the Syrian crisis, He will have a people that belong to Him.

In this fallen world people in positions of authority break laws. The following are corruption instances in a three week period. Four Baltimore police detectives distributed heroin. A congressional staffer organised fraudulent money laundering schemes. A deputy secretary of state committed perjury. A Detroit deputy chief of police committed bribery and conspiracy. A Navy comptroller accepted illegal gratuities. A state judge dismissed cases in exchange for personal benefits. A Philadelphia judge and a witness made false statements to the federal election commission. Audio evidence in a federal investigation was tampered with for financial gain. A construction company paid $1 million in bribes for Atlanta contracts. A Drug Enforcement Administration special agent obstructed justice, committed perjury and other crimes; a former Task Force officer was also charged. A Pine Bluff man stole $1 million intended to feed hungry children. A Vigo County sheriff’s deputy committed fraud. Corruption damages the economy, reputations of businesses and of those fighting for justice.