Author: Loveworld UK

It was a firefighting Budget, uncharacteristic of opening budgets of any parliament, designed to solve short-term political problems and give a nod towards a longer-term vision. We knew the Chancellor faced an unprecedented set of economic, fiscal, parliamentary and personal political constraints on what he was able to do. In the end, he let the fiscal numbers drift with a giveaway Budget, in order to fix the Government’s political problems with cash. Universal Credit was afforded £300m a year to reduce the waiting time for transferring recipients to five weeks rather than six, and deal with specific issues around housing…

At least 26 people are dead after a gunman walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas Sunday morning and opened fire on the crowd. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made the announcement about the latest death toll at a press conference Sunday night calling it “the largest mass shooting in the state’s history.” “There are no words to describe the pure evil that we witnessed in Sutherland Springs today,” Abbott said. “Our hearts are heavy at the anguish in this small town, but in time of tragedy, we see the very best of Texas. May God comfort those who’ve…

US President Donald Trump has warned that “no dictator, no regime” should underestimate the US. His words came as he spoke to US and Japanese service personnel at the Yokota Air Base near Tokyo, at the beginning of his Asian tour. He told the crowd: “No one, no dictator, no regime… should underestimate American resolve. “Every once in a while in the past, they underestimated us and it was not pleasant for them, was it? “We will never yield, never waiver and never falter in defence of our people, our freedom and our great American flag.” Mr Trump’s tour of…

Disputed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers have been released on conditional bail in Belgium after turning themselves in to face a Spanish warrant for their arrest. A Belgian judge ordered the five, who fled Spain earlier this week after being accused of rebellion and sedition, not to leave the country until their extradition case is heard. “The request made this afternoon by the Brussels’ Prosecutor’s Office for the provisional release of all persons sought has been granted by the investigative judge,” a statement by the prosecutor’s office said. “The next step in the proceedings is the…

The shadow chancellor has said Theresa May will have “questions to answer” if allegations related to the offshore affairs of one of the Conservative party’s biggest donors prove to be true. John McDonnell was responding to an expose published as part of the ‘Paradise Papers’ investigation, by The Guardian, the BBC, Suddeutsche Zeitung and other media outlets, detailing the financial dealings of the rich and powerful. They have analysed around 13.4 million files said to have been leaked, about 18 months after the disclosure of the Panama Papers sent shockwaves through the world of business. The leaked documents suggest Lord…

Theresa May will pledge to “create a new culture of respect” in public life following another turbulent weekend of allegations in the Westminster sex scandal. The Prime Minister will meet with Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn and Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable in an effort to agree on Parliament-wide anti-harassment measures as she battles to get a grip on a furore that continues to dominate politics. In a speech to the CBI, Mrs May will promise to create a climate in which “everyone can feel confident that they are working in a safe and secure environment, where complaints can be brought…

“God’s plan is to exalt you; this month, He will exalt you,” Pastor Chris says announcing God’s due time! Moments ago, the BLW President, Reverend (Dr.) Chris Oyakhilome, announced the word of the Spirit for this season to the hearing of millions around the world, declaring November 2017 ‘the Month of Exaltation’! The prophetic utterance was preceded by special moments of worship with LMAM artistes, Eben and Jerry K. The man of God took out time to explain the seasons of God and how they bring blessings that we must carry, month into month and year into year, honoring God’s…

The Bank of England has increased interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 0.5% – the first rate rise since 2007. Millions of mortgage borrowers face an increase in their monthly repayments after the decision by the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) but savers should see a boost. The increase in the Bank rate was widely expected but marks a watershed moment after years of rock-bottom borrowing costs. Governor Mark Carney said that with unemployment at a 42-year low and inflation above its 2% target, it was time “to ease our foot off the accelerator” of stimulus which has been…

The Chancellor faces an increasingly stark choice on whether to prioritise deficit reduction or public spending according to new analysis predicting a near £20bn Budget black hole. Philip Hammond may have to abandon his goal to balance the books if, as expected, official forecasters sharply downgrade prospects for productivity growth, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said. The IFS said a downgrade could put the deficit on course to be £36bn in the 2021/22 financial year, nearly £20bn higher than the £17bn pencilled in by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) earlier this year. An additional headache is the…

Banking giant HSBC has reported a five-fold increase in third quarter profit as a sweeping overhaul aimed at shifting focus towards Asia pays off. Pre-tax profit climbed to $4.62bn, up from $843m in the same period last year as revenue rose 13% to $13bn, the UK-based group said. The large increase was partly due to a one-off $1.7bn hit from the sale of its Brazilian unit, and currency movements, that weighed on third quarter results in 2016. Stripping these out, adjusted profits actually fell 1% to $5.44bn as costs grew, reflecting investments in business growth programmes as well as higher…