Society and Politics

• Fatalities wrongly blamed on Covid-19. From the very outbreak of the Covid pandemic in March last year, complaints were raised by families unhappy that the deaths of their loved ones were wrongly ascribed to Covid-19. Almost a year later, and at last some MPs and medical experts are demanding an inquiry, insisting too many fatalities are being blamed on the virus. One funeral director said it was “a national scandal”. The claims are part of a national newspaper investigation that raises serious questions over the spiralling death toll.
• Chinese takeover of UK schools. Hundreds of independent schools in England, left in dire financial straits by the coronavirus pandemic, are being targeted by Chinese investors, a newspaper report has revealed. 17 schools are already owned by Chinese companies, but that number is predicted to rocket. Nine of those 17 are owned by firms whose founders or bosses are among China's most senior Communist Party members, and some are giving communist-approved lessons that are seen as a threat to free speech. Read more here and here.
• It’s official – ‘pregnant persons’ are mothers! Official guidelines issued by the British Medical Association a few years ago advised NHS doctors not to call pregnant women “expectant mothers” because it might offend transgender people. Instead, mothers-to-be were to be referred to as “pregnant people”. Women’s rights campaigners denounced the move as “anti-science, anti-women and anti-mother”. Last week, Lord Lucas tabled an amendment to replace “person” with “mother” in UK legislation. The Government has now backed the amendment. (The Supreme Court additionally ruled last year, following the McConnell case, that only mothers can give birth). Whether any of this will have any effect on 'politically correct' reporting remains to be seen.
• Digital ID trust framework. The UK Government is proposing to create a digital ID process that can be used as an alternative to physical ID such as passports or bank statements. The initiative, known as the ‘trust framework’, is seen as particularly relevant to the conveyancing process, where consumers are often required to prove their identity multiple times. However, it is seen by some groups as “a complete loss of our privacy” which will “open us up widely to government abuse and control”. The UK government is inviting feedback on the initiative until Thursday 11 March 2021, on this link.

Church News

• Hundreds turn to traditional services during lockdown. The Book of Common Prayer has found a new audience among young people thanks to online services, with clergy saying congregants are looking for "traditional comfort" in times of uncertainty. One church in London saw a five-fold increase in the number of congregants opting for a Book of Common Prayer service. Meanwhile, a survey conducted by Savanta ComRes found that non-Christians were more likely, since the Covid pandemic, to agree with the statement that the UK Church is making a positive difference in the world – 25% today compared with 19% three years ago. More than one in three (36%) of the UK population agree that Christian churches are making a positive difference in the world.
• “Conversion therapy" ban overreach. It was announced this week that MPs will debate banning gay "conversion therapy" this Monday, 8 March. It is widely acknowledged that some conversion therapy practices in the past have led to psychological and emotional damage among those subject to them. But today conversion therapy is never practised by most ministries that offer support to Christians with same-sex desires. Yet these support groups are also the target of LGBT campaigners. Some Christian Charities are urging believers to email their MP, asking if he/she will raise concerns in Monday’s debate.

World Events

• Kenya’s locust plague turned into an opportunity. Swarms of desert locusts devastated hundreds of thousands of acres of crops across East African countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea in 2019 and again in 2020, leading to economic catastrophe and starvation. But now an African regenerative agriculture company is helping communities in Kenya turn the problem on its head. Specialising in insect-based protein that is environmentally sustainable to farm, it has come up with a way of turning desert locusts into animal feed and fertiliser. Affected communities are encouraged to harvest live locusts and receive immediate payment through a mobile platform. Read more here.
• UK’s lockdown results in aid to Yemen being slashed. One tragic financial legacy of Britain’s lockdown has been that foreign aid has been reduced from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of gross national income. In the case of Yemen – considered to be the worst humanitarian crisis in the world - the amount has been slashed by almost half, from £160 million to £87m. And it’s not just Britain that is pulling back on support to Yemen. The UN had hoped to raise £2.76bn for the country but has pledged only half of that figure. Yemen’s devastating civil war has left hundreds of thousands dead, with 80% of the population now in need of humanitarian assistance.
• Indonesia to impose fines on those who refuse Covid vaccine. Indonesia’s capital city, Jakarta, with a population of over 10 million, is the first region in the world to impose steep fines, along with the removal of social welfare benefits, on anyone who refuses to accept the vaccine. Other nations, too, are beginning to implement measures that are tantamount to forcing vaccine uptake; notably Israel, where those who refuse to take the jab will remain unable to access a number of venues and businesses; and Sweden. Read more here.
• Jews lead fight against oppression of China’s Uighur Muslims. 15 years ago, entire communities of American Jews were prominent in raising awareness of the genocide in Darfur: which resonated strongly with the Jews’ historical trauma. Now, all denominations of UK Jewry are among the most vocal advocates against oppression of China’s Uighur Muslims, hundreds of thousands of whom have been put in so-called 're-education camps', a Chinese government euphemism for what are widely seen as concentration camps. “Reflecting upon the deep pain of Jewish persecution throughout the ages, I feel compelled to speak out,” UK’s Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis stated. Read more here