Sharp rise in number of schoolgirls with emotional issues
Teenage years could never be described as an easy ride emotionally, but according to new research, it would seem that, for girls at least, early adolescence is getting increasingly difficult. According to new research emotional problems are increasing, with a 55 per cent rise between 2009 and 2014. This is compared to other mental health and behavioural difficulties, which didn’t see a significant change. It has been suggested that increasing pressure on girls to perform academically, coupled with anxiety over body image ‘amplified by social media’, could be reasons behind the rise. The research, conducted by University College London and the Anna Freud Centre, compared the mental health of 1,683 11 to 13-year-old boys and girls in 2009 with the same number of pupils in 2014. Dr Elian Fink, lead author of the report, warned that ‘more effective interventions’ were needed in order to address the issue, including increasing provision of mental health services for young people
Police report sharp rise in religious and race hate crimes in London
Anti-Muslim sentiment is widely considered to have increased in the UK, particularly with the rise of IS and following the January Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris. Race and religious hate crime have increased by more than a quarter in the past year, a new report from London's police force has found. Statistics released by the Metropolitan Police Service compare offences reported between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015 with those reported in the previous financial year. They reveal that these crimes, have risen by 25.7 per cent in the capital. The Met has attributed this rise to an increase in awareness of and willingness to report hate crime, as well as the support of more than 500 specialist investigators
Church to tackle bullying and harassment
The Methodist Council has pledged to tackle issues of bullying and harassment within the Church. The move is a response to concerns raised about the vulnerability of churches to destructive patterns of behaviour and affirms the desire for the Church to be a safe and inclusive community for all. ‘It is uncomfortable and difficult to admit that bullying and harassment do sometimes occur in our churches,’ said Tony Tidey, Connexional Wellbeing Adviser. ‘But the decision made today, and the recommendations that will be made to the Conference in July, are something to be proud of. By clearly stating our commitment to addressing this issue, we are calling everyone in our churches to a standard of behaviour that should reflect our calling as Christians to treat one another with dignity and respect at all times.’ Council members affirmed that bullying and harassment were always unacceptable and that dealing well with these issues in a church context is vitally important. See also the statement from 'The Mill Gathering'in last week's Prayer Alert.
Justin Welby: 'Islamic State is deeply evil'
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, described Islamic State (IS) as ‘deeply evil’, after news broke on Sunday that 30 Christians had been killed by the jihadist group in Libya. The Archbishop travelled to Egypt on Saturday to meet with religious and political leaders in the country, and express his condolences for the murder of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya in February. While he was there IS released another of its propaganda videos, purporting to show around 15 Ethiopians being beheaded, and another group of the same size being fatally shot in the head. In the video the victims are referred to as ‘worshippers of the cross belonging to the hostile Ethiopian church’. Country authorities have said that they were likely to have been migrants travelling through Libya in the hope of reaching Europe.
South Africa: A call for prayer amid ‘tit-for-tat’ measures
South African President Jacob Zuma called churches to lead the nation in praying for peace and friendship following xenophobic violence in Durban, Johannesburg and other parts of the country. ‘The majority of South Africans believe in peace, unity and friendship and have nothing to do with the sporadic incidents of violence that have taken place,’ Zuma said. South Africa has faced a backlash from the rest of the continent over the violence against immigrants. SA vehicles were pelted with stones in Mozambique, SA companies are being threatened with closure in Nigeria, there have been protests at various SA embassies across the continent and several SA musicians have been forced to cancel concerts abroad. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said the immigrants are asylum seekers forced to leave their countries due to war and persecution. President Zuma will travel across the country next week to preach anti-xenophobia messages as he attempts to bring an end to attacks against foreign nationals
Egypt: Record-length smuggling tunnel discovered
Tunnels are gates for terrorism and facilitate external terrorist support between Gaza and Sinai. On April 12 an Egyptian law was issued, maximising the penalty of digging tunnels linking Egypt’s border to any other state to 25 years. Also, using such tunnels or being aware of their existence without reporting them is punishable. The recent discovery of a 2.8 kilometre-long tunnel between Sinai and Gaza raised questions about the parties supporting digging operations, as such work requires expensive and advanced modern equipment, as well as an extensive labour force to dig either in rocks or loose land. The process takes four to five months, while the average cost of the required equipment would be 10 million Egyptian pounds. Most of the manufacturers of such equipment do not authorise sales except to states and major engineering and construction companies
Yemen: Ramifications 1 - US to block Iranian arms shipments to Yemen
The USS Theodore Roosevelt and her escort ship, a guided-missile cruiser, are sailing towards the Arabian Sea. This massive ship carries F/A-18 fighter jets and will be a show of force in the region amid reports that a convoy of eight Iranian ships, possibly carrying arms for the Houthis, is heading toward Yemen. Western governments and Sunni Arab countries believe Houthis get their arms from Iran. Officials said it's too soon to speculate on what the Navy ships may do as the Iranian convoy approaches, including whether Iran would consent to a boarding request and what actions the Navy would take if its request was refused. The month-long Saudi air strikes targeting Houthi rebels stopped on Tuesday night and a new Saudi operation will focus on, initially, a political solution in Yemen and on counter-terrorism at home. See also the article below and click on
Yemen: Ramifications 2 - Pakistan rebuffs Saudi kingdom proposal
Pakistan’s Prime Minister rejected Saudi Arabia’s request to join its military campaign in Yemen. He believes ‘if the Saudis enter into a ground war in Yemen - with or without Pakistani forces - it will become a quagmire’. It is thought that the Egyptian experience in Yemen, 20,000 casualties in the 1960s fighting the same Zaydi tribes that back the Houthis, figures prominently in Pakistani thinking. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned that the Saudi attacks in Yemen could be a catalyst for a broader sectarian war. Meanwhile in Yemen Christians are routinely harassed and this latest crisis involving Saudi Arabia and Iran will only make it worse for Christians there. See:
India: Christians living in fear
Police have failed to make an arrest six days after a church was attacked in the northern Indian city of Agra. St Mary’s Church was desecrated in the early hours of April 16 by suspected Hindu hardliners who broke open the church gates and destroyed two statues. Christians are living in fear of more attacks as Hindu hardliners continue to target Christian facilities in India. A statement released by the Archdiocese said, ‘Christian institutions are sitting ducks for these fringe elements who are targeting them to further their vested interest. This has spread fear among Christians and we feel very unsafe in our own motherland.’ The Archdiocese called on authorities to speed up their investigation and take punitive action to deter future attacks on Christian properties. Elsewhere, in Delhi, six churches have been attacked or vandalised since December last year. See also
Canada: Pro-life - an issue in election year
Anti-abortion movement ‘March For Life’ will demonstrate in Ottawa on 13 May. Support for the pro-life cause has grown from 19,000 to 25,000 in three years and it’s the largest annual protest in Canada. However abortion advocates are working hard in public debate. Pro-life views have been suppressed and derided in politics and on the eve of last year’s march Justin Trudeau declared that Liberal MPs would be forced to vote pro-abortion on any legislation. (Mr.Trudeau is the leader of the Liberal Party)The theme of this year’s march for ‘Let Life Win,’ a veiled reference to Trudeau’s ‘no choice but pro-choice’ edict. This is an election year in Canada. In the past pro-life organisations have encouraged pro-lifers to support pro-life candidates, not specific parties. Now, in response to Trudeau’s ongoing aggressive pro-abortion rhetoric, the organizers have launched a campaign called #No2Trudeau.