Author: Loveworld UK

Donald Trump has laid the way for an increase in US troops in Afghanistan, vowing he would “fight to win” America’s longest war. The President said his original instinct was to pull US forces out but he now feared such a move would leave a vacuum for terrorists to fill. Mr Trump did not specify how many more troops would be added and gave no timeline for ending the US presence in Afghanistan. But officials said he had signed off on Defense Secretary James Mattis’ plans to send about 4,000 more to add to the 8,400 now deployed. In a…

Lidl has overtaken Waitrose to become Britain’s seventh largest supermarket in the latest sign of belt-tightening shoppers turning to discounters. The German-owned business grew sales by 18.9% in the 12 weeks to 13 August, taking its market share to 5.2%, according to industry data from Kantar Worldpanel. That puts it ahead of upmarket Waitrose, at 5.1%, and comes as a separate report from Nielsen suggested squeezed consumers were cutting back on grocery spending to save money. Waitrose had already fallen behind Lidl’s low-cost rival Aldi – which is now the fifth biggest chain. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons still lead…

A baby has been pulled alive from the rubble of a house after an earthquake struck the Italian holiday island of Ischia. The seven-month-old boy had been trapped with his family for seven hours following the 4.0-magnitude tremor on Monday, which killed at least one person. Firefighters are continuing to try to reach his two brothers, aged five and seven, who are said to be responding to rescuers and have been given bottles of water. The quake struck at around 9pm local time, killing an elderly woman who was inside a church when the tremor caused it to collapse. Dozens…

China says it will stop importing North Korean coal, iron ore, fish and other goods in September as it implements UN sanctions. The UN Security Council, including China, backed a new resolution last weekend imposing fresh sanctions on the rogue state in retaliation for its controversial nuclear programme. The sanctions aim to block $1bn worth of North Korean exports – about a third of its total exports. The Chinese government said the imports will stop on 5 September. It came as US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford said military options were being prepared against the North if diplomatic…

British consumers shunned the high street in sale season and also reined in their spending on leisure pursuits last month. Footfall – visitors to Britain’s brick-and-mortar retail stores – declined 1.1% in July, the biggest fall since January, said the British Retail Consortium. Figures released by the BRC showed high streets were the hardest hit with a 2.1% drop, while shopping centres saw a 1.3% fall. However, retail parks bucked the trend with a 1.7% increase in footfall, down to in part “convenience for shoppers”, the BRC said. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “The overall decline in footfall translated…

North Korea says it will have a fully developed plan for striking Guam with intermediate range missiles by mid-August. A state media report suggests the US territory could be attacked by four missiles – and Kim Jong Un will be able to decide whether to proceed within days. The rockets would land in waters about 18 to 25 miles away from Guam, an island that is home to about 163,000 people – as well as a US military base. President Trump has warned North Korea that it will be met with “fire and fury” if it issues any more threats…

The growth in house prices is slowing to a standstill, according to new figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. A net balance of 1% of surveyors reported an increase in prices during July, down from 7% in June. The figure records the gap between the proportion reporting a rise, minus those reporting a fall. This latest reading was the weakest since March 2013 – however, different regions across the UK are experiencing different trends. House prices are continuing to grow strongly in areas such as Northern Ireland, the West Midlands and the South West. But prices are falling…

A double-decker bus has crashed into the front of a shop on a busy high street in southwest London, with two passengers trapped. Police were called just before 7am following reports of a bus hitting a building in Lavender Hill, close to Clapham Junction train station. Photos posted on social media showed the vehicle on the pavement and smashed into the front of the Poggen Pohl Kitchen Design Centre. Shattered glass could be seen across the ground and paramedics are tending to people on the top deck.

BLW President announces direction of the Spirit for August, ‘the Month of the Shining Light’! Before declaring the eagerly anticipated word of the Spirit for August 2017 — ‘the Month of the Shining Light’ — the man of God, Rev. (Dr.) Chris Oyakhilome, read Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Pastor Chris went on to read Isaiah 60:2 and Romans 12:10-11, shedding more light on this new phase of the operation of the Spirit through us. “Never lag in zeal and in…

Russia has reacted angrily after a US bill imposing fresh sanctions was agreed overwhelmingly by the country’s lawmakers. The bill, which also brings sanctions against Iran and North Korea, was described as “seriously flawed” by US President Donald Trump. But Congress voted for it by such an overwhelming majority that he was unable to veto it. President Trump’s anger was mirrored in Moscow, where Russia’s prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, wrote on Facebook that the bill would bring “consequences”. He said: “First, it ends hopes for improving our relations with the new US administration. “Second, it is a declaration of a…