Daniel and Amy McArthur from Ashers Baking Company told activist Gareth Lee they would not make a cake supporting gay marriage, and they were prosecuted for their decision. After a long-running legal battle over whether they had broken discrimination laws,  on 10 October the five Supreme Court justices unanimously found them not guilty. The court’s president, Lady Hale, said that the McArthurs did not discriminate against the customer by refusing to make the cake. They refused because the message was offensive to them, not the person requesting the message. She said, ‘It is an affront to human dignity, to deny someone a service because of that person's race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief. But that is not what happened in this case.’

Tens of thousands of young people are caught up in criminal activity and violence every year. The recent upsurge in knife crime is both terrifying and heart-breaking. It is time now for Christians to fight this battle with prayer. Following a popular prayer campaign held just before the summer holidays (a time traditionally when violence increases), Christians from across the country and across denominations are being called to harness the power of prayer to reduce knife violence. A recent survey revealed that although few youths admitted to owning a knife 15% said that they have friends who carry knives. The Peace on our Streets campaign encourages people to sign up to receive a daily prayer by text and then pray every day at noon using either the text or the downloadable prayer information sheet as a prompt to their prayers. To watch a video by a youth and children’s worker explaining the issues, click the ‘More’ button.

Therapists fear losing their jobs if they attempt to help a child explore why they may feel they were ‘born in the wrong body’. Therapists can only affirm a patient’s confusion or face being found guilty of ‘conversion therapy’. Meanwhile concerns are growing that teenage girls are turning to transgenderism as a coping mechanism in the same way many have with anorexia and self-harm. An anonymous child protection officer said, ‘If I have concerns about a child who says they identify as transgender, I can’t pass them on, as I could be labelled a bigot. But I have spoken off the record to GPs, education psychologists, and social workers, and many of us are questioning why so many young women are doing this to their bodies. We should at least be allowed to ask: “Are you sure?” It is a growing issue that needs to be addressed in a fair and balanced way.’

Following a report by a UN panel (see article ‘New UN report on climate change’ in world section), the Bishop of Salisbury said that the evidence shows that climate change risks are now critical. Ours is the first generation to know and understand this, and probably the last to be able to do something meaningful towards climate justice. ‘We have a narrow window now to act if we are to protect God’s creation for generations to come.’ He challenged the Government to lead in this change. ‘Building on the ten-year anniversary of the Climate Change Act, an ambitious UK Government would seek to be a world leader by committing to a target of net zero emissions by 2050.’ Christian Aid reported recently that major cities in the world including Houston, Shanghai, Jakarta, and London are in danger of being flooded if sea levels continue to rise at the current rate.

Reports from Pakistan have prompted fears that British Christian mother-of-five Aasia Bibi, held in prison there for over nine years, is displaying symptoms of dementia. The British Pakistan Christian Association (BPCA) cited a recent visit to Bibi by a Pakistani journalist who suggested her memory, mental sharpness and judgement were in decline. Found guilty of insulting Muhammad and drinking from the same water source as Muslims, she has been in solitary confinement - sentenced to death, despite support from high-profile figures including the Pope. On 8 October a special three-member Supreme Court reserved its judgment on her final appeal against execution. The chief justice warned media against commenting on or discussing the case until the court's detailed judgment has been issued. No date has yet been given for when the verdict will be announced. See

Mrs May has faced the Commons for the first time since the EU rejected her Brexit plan. We can pray for a plan to be agreed that respects the United Kingdom’s 2016 vote. There is mounting pressure from some Tory MPs to change course in the run-up to a crucial meeting of EU leaders next week. Pray for God to inspire Theresa May and her cabinet to recognise and agree on a good strategy that will ‘put God’s agenda for the national interest first’ in all talks and future votes. Mrs May recently said she had a duty to voters to ensure the UK left the EU in March in a way which protected jobs. May God help her fulfil that duty. The DUP's ten MPs could vote against the Budget if they consider any Brexit deal breaks their ‘red line trade barriers’.

There are ten immigration removal centres in the UK, housing roughly 2-3,000 people at any one time. A survey of seven of the centres by law firms and charities showed almost 56% of the detainees were defined as ‘adults at risk’. Such individuals are only supposed to be detained in extreme cases, suggesting that Home Office guidelines on detention have been breached. The survey also found that a third had dependent children in the UK, 84% had not been told when they would be deported, and almost half the detainees had not committed a crime. The majority had lived in the UK for five years or more, and some had been in the country for over 20 years. Pray for the home secretary, Sajid Javid, to change our immigration system to something that has compassion on the vulnerable and end indefinite detention.

Sir John Major has called the government to rethink the nationwide roll-out of Universal Credit, warning of an unfair cost to families. Benefit changes coming into force next year have been compared to the poll tax that caused the downfall of Margaret Thatcher. About 3.2 million households will be worse off by about £50 a week, according to the Resolution Foundation think-tank. Theresa May has promised financial help for those affected. But the compensation system is not in place yet - and fewer than 20% of affected families are expected to receive support from it. People whose circumstances change, who make a brand-new claim, or who come off benefits and then go back on them, will not be protected. Veteran anti-poverty campaigner Frank Field said families in his Birkenhead constituency were being forced into ‘destitution’ by the introduction of Universal Credit.

A survey by the independent pollster Levada Centre shows the number of Russians regarding Putin as Russia’s most trusted politician has fallen significantly recently. The survey asked respondents to list five or six politicians whom they trusted the most. Although Putin was first with 39%, trust in him had fallen 9% since June and a total of 20 percentage points since November. He recently signed into law an unpopular bill that gradually increases the state retirement age to 60 for women and 65 for men. Most ordinary Russians are deeply opposed to the reforms, which sparked rare street protests across the country. Putin’s lowest-ever rating in a Levada poll came in 2013, when only 30% said he was a trusted politician. Then his popularity surged to over 80% after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine.

The EU is taking a hard line on single-use plastics, with the European parliament's environment committee voting to bolster the Commission’s plastics policy. The report now lays out bans on plastic straws, plastic cutlery, and expanded polystyrene food packaging, as well as committing countries to cutting down on other plastics. It now faces a final vote later in October.