Author: LoveWorld UK

France’s parliament passed a bill aimed at curbing violent protests in response to three months of anti-government demonstrations by the grassroots “yellow vests” movement. Despite criticism that the law could curb civil liberties, it passed the lower house. The anti-hooligan law bans protesters from hiding their faces, gives police greater powers to extract potential troublemakers from demonstrations, and grants local authorities the right to ban individual protesters. The “yellow vest” movement erupted in November as a protest against fuel taxes but has morphed into a broader revolt against inequality and Macron’s presidency. Rioters ran amok in Paris during the early…

British Prime Minister Theresa May held roundtable talks with business leaders in Belfast, as she aimed to reassure Northern Ireland that she can deliver an orderly Brexit and prevent the return of a hard border with the Republic of Ireland. Since British lawmakers voted down the withdrawal agreement last month, parliament has instructed May to replace its most contentious element – an insurance policy covering the possible future arrangements for the border between European Union (EU)-member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is due to leave the EU in 52 days, yet London and Brussels…

Pastor Chris read theme scriptures from 1 John 1:7 and Isaiah 2:5, the former saying, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” With other scriptures including Isaiah 60:1, 19-22 and Psalm 119:105, 130-133, the man of God instructed the global congregation to give attention to the Word this month.

Britain’s Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, braved the weather to greet members of the public in snowy Bristol on Friday. Harry and Meghan, who are expecting their first child in the spring, shook hands and greeted local children who had waited for the couple outside Bristol Old Vic theatre in spite of the weather. The royals were in Bristol to learn about the city’s cultural history and visit organisations that support the local community, Kensington Palace said.

The European Commission said on Friday that under its proposals Britons would be exempt from visa requirements for short visits to the EU after Brexit on the condition that reciprocal arrangements were made for EU citizens travelling the other way. A short stay is defined as up to 90 days within any 180 day period. All non-EU countries benefiting from visa-free travel have since October been subject to ETIAS (European Travel Information Authorisation System) regulation, by which travellers are pre-screened before they arrive in Europe and those deemed dangerous can be denied the right to enter. Spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud said…

Amidst a rising death toll, a glimmer of hope in Brazil. A woman was saved from a sea of mud after a deadly dam collapse in the town of Brumadinho last week. And a local man has been dubbed the hero behind the rescue. Jefferson Ferreira, 33, was out looking for his sister amongst the trail of destruction when he heard of a report that someone was still alive in the mud. Thinking it might be his sister, Ferreira rushed to the site with a friend. When he arrived and got closer, it was not his sister but rather a…

A round-the-clock prayer service to stop an Armenian family being deported from the Netherlands was ended after 96 days on Wednesday (January 30), after the government agreed to make an exception to immigration rules. Using a law that bars police from entering a place of worship while a service is in progress, hundreds of supporters of the Tamrazyan family have held rites non-stop at the Bethel church in The Hague since October 26 to block their deportation. Late on Tuesday, the Dutch cabinet decided to allow the Tamrazyans and other families rejected for permanent residence after living for years in…

Brexit negotiators have spent two years looking at alternatives to the backstop insurance policy to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland and have not found any that work, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Wednesday (January 30). British lawmakers ordered Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday to renegotiate the divorce deal she struck with the European Union in November to remove the backstop, which would require some EU rules to apply in British-ruled Northern Ireland until an alternative plan can be found to keep the border open. In his speech in Dublin, Coveney said there were…

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told European lawmakers on Wednesday (January 31) that the bloc’s Brexit divorce deal with London was ‘the best and only’ one possible and could not be renegotiated. Addressing the European Parliament’s plenary session in Brussels, Juncker said that the so-called ‘backstop’ was a priority for the European Union as Ireland’s border with Britain would become ‘EU’s border.’ The head of the EU executive said he was an optimist and believed an agreement with Britain remained possible. The European Union would be willing to negotiate immediately if Britain changed its mind and opted for a closer…

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt says “extra time” may be needed to finalise legislation for Brexit. Mr Hunt said a possible delay in the UK’s departure from the EU beyond the 29 March deadline depended on the progress made in the coming weeks. The PM is seeking “alternative arrangements” to the backstop, but the EU says it will not renegotiate. The PM’s spokesman said cancelling Parliament’s February break showed all steps were being taken to avoid delay. The UK is due to leave the European Union at 23:00 on 29 March. The backstop is an “insurance” policy to stop the return…