British ⁠Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday that he wanted to build a “sophisticated relationship” with Beijing to boost the UK economy, signalling a reset after years of strained ties.

On the key day of his four-day visit to China, the first by a British prime minister in eight years, Starmer held an 80-minute summit with Xi at the ​Great Hall of the People before they lunched together. Starmer said the pair chatted about football and Shakespeare, as well as business matters.

China agreed to relax rules to allow some visa-free ⁠travel for British citizens as part of a partnership ​deal which London hopes will help expand its ‍service sector.

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Source: https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260129-uk-starmer-seeks-fresh-start-china-trump-shakes-up-global-relations?fbclid=IwY2xjawPoijdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeTUYavwTVhw4nyTEWkJ8ngUIF0SGTA7dxgYLaeq-ADflcknExc9PSPeWZW_Q_aem__p1Fxgj4VRTLf23nagCf2Q

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Labour has announced its biggest step yet in overhauling the UK’s approach to the Middle East, dropping its opposition to an international arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu despite pressure from Washington not to do so.

Downing Street announced on Friday that the government would not submit a challenge to the jurisdiction of the international criminal court, whose chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, is seeking a warrant against the Israeli prime minister.

The move makes it more likely that the ICC will now grant Khan’s request, in what would be a stunning international rebuke for Israel over the way it has conducted the war in Gaza and put Netanyahu at risk of arrest if he travels abroad.

It also reverses months of British policy after the previous government was steadfast in its support of Israel and its desire to stick closely to the US position.

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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/law/article/2024/jul/26/britain-drops-challenge-icc-arrest-warrants-israeli-leaders-netanyahu-gallant

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The Conservative Party suffered a dramatic collapse after a tumultuous 14 years in power, which saw five different prime ministers run the country. It lost 250 seats over the course of a devastating night.

Rishi Sunak – the outgoing PM – accepted responsibility for the result and apologised to defeated colleagues during a brief statement outside a rainy 10 Downing Street. He said he would resign as party leader in the coming weeks.

In his first speech as prime minister after greeting dozens of jubilant Labour supporters who had lined Downing Street, Sir Keir vowed to run a “government of service” and to kick start a period of “national renewal”.

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Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2v0e074jejo

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The Houthis have claimed one of their most significant strikes since they started launching missiles at ships in the Red Sea, after two projectiles hit a Belize-flagged cargo ship.

The Yemeni rebels claimed the ship was at risk of sinking, a significant propaganda victory for the Houthis if confirmed.

The security firm of the Rubymar, which was sailing from the United Arab Emirates to Bulgaria, said the crew had been evacuated safely but did not confirm a sinking.

The security company LSS-SAPU said the vessel was struck astern on Sunday, although there was nothing flammable onboard.

“We are unsure [of the ship’s condition]. There is nobody onboard now,” the spokesperson said. “The owners and managers are considering options for towage.”

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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/19/houthis-claim-cargo-ship-risk-sinking-red-sea-attack

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They tell us protest is what the United States is built upon.  We’ve seen “protests” go wrong, ending up in mass looting events, with no effort to put a stop to it. Protesters have free reign, because they’ve got arguments!  Police have to suppress any feelings and put up with their antics. 

Well now there are protests from the other side. Nothing is being stolen, but…traffic is backed up. Apparently the farmers in Europe have had just about enough of the government’s high and mighty rules and regulations. This is happening in Germany and all over Europe. There are details in the demands, but you get the picture. They say it’s all about government subsidies. I think it’s about global warming mandates.  

The concept of protest is the darling of the left. They can be so self righteous in their insistence that something is unfair. What happens when the tables are turned? Have you seen the pictures of the tractors at the Brandenburg Gate? All this lecturing, contrary to common sense, has gotten old.

There are big meetings going on and about to go on in Europe. They talk about the “transition to green energy” as if it’s an article of faith. But there’s a huge wild card, unspoken. You know who. If he should defy all the odds, win the legal cases, all their pie in the sky speeches may mean nothing.

Finally America has struck back against the Houthis. We’ve bombed them high and low, and hope they’ve gotten the message. They’ve been menacing world shipping in the Red Sea for a while now, and that’s a big deal. Much was made of the fact that nothing had been done to make them stop, but finally the U.S. hit them with dozens of airstrikes. Mind you, they are “coalition” air strikes, that way they have to take revenge on lots of us. Many nations have stayed out of the fray, hoping they won’t become a target.  

As much as I’ve enjoyed the scandals of Fani Willis, dare not go into it here.  You’ll have to look on your own if interested.  I don’t think they’re banking on losing to Trump’s lawyers, but it may turn out that way, assuming the judges aren’t swayed by the common logic.  But they may be.  They’ve tried to ban Trump from the ballot, on the pretext that he caused “an insurrection.” Colorado ruled against allowing him to participate based on their own conclusions, borne of kindergarten talk.  Other states have gone down this road, to no avail.  

Meanwhile everybody’s worried about our “democracy.” They think democracy is fine, as long as the authoritarians get to tell us what’s up.

Texas Governor Gregg Abbott has apparently decided that the flood of illegal immigrants has gone far enough. He sent the Texas National Guard to replace federal border agents, taking control of significant acreage comprising a state park in Eagle Pass.  (Why didn’t this happen about 10 million ago?)  He sent in the state’s national guard to dislodge the federal agents who are choreographing the invasion. And wouldn’t you know it.  The Biden regime is suing!  You’re going to love their statement. “Texas’ new actions demonstrate an escalation of the State’s measures to block Border Patrol’s ability to patrol or even to surveil the border and be in a position to respond to emergencies.” It seems that we already have an emergency, that the feds are facilitating.  Just a personal observation.

If they over-run Texas, and end up being able to vote, we’re done. Texas has been a bulwark for conservatism. If this state gets over-run, it may well be a harbinger of things to come.  

Mark

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – January 12, 2024 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The U.S. Air Force’s Mideast command said it struck over 60 targets at 16 sites in Yemen, including “command-and-control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems.”

President Joe Biden said the strikes were meant to demonstrate that the U.S. and its allies “will not tolerate” the militant group’s ceaseless attacks on the Red Sea. And he said they only made the move after attempts at diplomatic negotiations and careful deliberation.

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Source: https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2

The post US, British militaries launch massive retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

An American warship and multiple commercial ships came under attack on Sunday in the Red Sea, the Pentagon said, potentially marking a major escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Mideast linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

“We’re aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available,” the Pentagon said.

The Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

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Source: https://www.euronews.com/2023/12/03/british-military-reports-explosion-off-the-coast-of-yemen-in-the-key-bab-el-mandeb-strait

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Tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance staff walked off the job in the U.K. on Monday in what unions called the biggest strike in the history of the country’s public health system.

The walkout is the latest in a wave of strikes that has disrupted Britons’ lives for months, as workers — especially in the public sector — demand pay raises to keep pace with double-digit inflation. Teachers, train drivers, airport baggage handlers, border staff, driving instructors, bus drivers and postal workers also have all walked off their jobs in recent months to demand higher pay.

Teachers, health workers and many others say their wages have fallen in real terms over the last decade, and a cost-of-living crisis fueled by sharply rising food and energy prices has left many struggling to pay their bills.

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Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/thousands-uk-nurses-ambulance-staff-walk-public-health-system-strike

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The decision followed five years of debate and consultation on the church’s position on sexuality. It is expected to be outlined in a report to the church’s national assembly, the General Synod, which meets in London next month.

Under the proposals, the Church of England’s stance that the sacrament of matrimony is restricted to unions between one man and one woman will not change.

However, same-sex couples would be able to have a church service with prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or for God’s blessing after they have a civil wedding or register a civil partnership.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales since 2013, but the church did not change its teaching when the law changed.

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Source: https://apnews.com/article/anglicanism-england-wales-marriage-religion-5086b3376929156e5f41461193a67aa5?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=TopNews&utm_campaign=position_07

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The post Church of England refuses to back same-sex marriage first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Britain has become less religious — and less white — in the decade since the last census, figures from the 2021 census released Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics revealed.

Some 46.2% of the population of England and Wales described themselves as Christian on the day of the 2021 census, down from 59.3% a decade earlier. The Muslim population grew from 4.9% to 6.5% of the total, while 1.7% identified as Hindu, up from 1.5%.

More than 1 in 3 people — 37% — said they had no religion, up from 25% in 2011.

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Source: https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-england-wales-secularism-93b894a1e7e26ddaf244d35921a172e0

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The post Census: Christians a minority in England; non-religious grow first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.