Man arrested after ‘entering Manchester mosque with axe’ during prayers
A man has been arrested after walking into Manchester Central Mosque in Rusholme on Tuesday evening, allegedly carrying an axe and a knife. Volunteers challenged him when he walked in as 2,000 men were praying, and then they called the police. Greater Manchester Police said a man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon and possession of Class B drugs. No one was injured, no threats were made and the incident has not been formally declared to be terror related. Police and the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, visited the mosque and said the incident was a “cause for deep concern” for Muslims across the region, especially during Ramadan. The police have promised more patrols. BBC report here.
Bill to require labelling of kosher and halal meat introduced in the Commons
The Conservative MP Esther McVey has introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill calling for compulsory labelling of kosher and halal meat. She told the Commons that the proposal was not intended to ban kosher or halal meat, but compulsory labelling was necessary to allow informed choice. She said: “The unique process of halal and kosher meat requires the animal to have its throat slit. In the case of halal meat, the animal is often stunned before it is killed—although it might not be—and for the shechita killing for kosher meat, there is no pre-stunning. This lack of stunning causes the animal to experience severe pain”. Jewish News quotes Shimon Cohen, the director of Shechita UK, which campaigns to defend Jewish religious slaughter, saying the process renders an animal insensible to pain almost immediately. He said if the aim is transparency, then labelling should cover all slaughter practices. The bill passed its first reading on Tuesday and is due to return for the second reading on 10 July.
US legal action after clergy prevented from helping detainees
The Religion News Service reports that a group of religious organisations and faith leaders in Minnesota is taking legal action against the Department of Homeland Security, alleging that the government’s refusal to allow faith leaders access to immigrant detainees at the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, is a violation of their rights under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ and the Rev Christopher Collins, a Jesuit priest say the ability to provide pastoral care ensures people are “treated with dignity and humanity, not as mere inventory.” Their lawyer said many clergy have ministered to prisoners and detainees in other facilities., but here the federal government has not provided any reasonable safety protocols for the clergy to follow in order to be admitted to the building.
Trump says there is a ‘tremendous renewal’ of Christianity in America
President Donal Trump referenced Christianity in his State of the Union address, saying: “There has been a tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity and belief in God. This is especially true among young people, and a big part of that had to do with my great friend Charlie Kirk.” He said Americans should “reaffirm that America is one nation under God, and we must totally reject political violence of any kind.” He did not explicitly acknowledge the ICE immigration raids in Minnesota which have galvanised local churches in protest, but he framed immigration as a crisis and said, to Republican applause, that the “first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens”. Democrats heckled his speech, but there has been no formal complaint from the churches since.
Hindus and Jews most highly educated religious groups in America
US Hindus and Jews are much more likely to have a four-year college degree than Americans in other religious groups, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. It says that 70 per cent of Hindus and 65 per cent of Jews have a bachelor’s degree or more education. For most other religious groups, the share ranges from 35 to 45 per cent. The lowest rate of degree level education is among evangelical Protestants (29 per cent) and members of historically Black Protestant denominations (24 per cent). People who describe their religion as “nothing in particular” are less likely than Americans overall to have a bachelor’s degree, with a rate of 29 per cent. The study is here.
‘Hong Kongers in the Church of England’ support group for growing congregations
A group to welcome and resource Christians who’ve moved here from Hong Kong, has been set up by the Church of England. “Hong Kongers in the Church of England” met for the first time this week and a communities’ enabler, Katie Woo has been appointed. The project is backed by the CofE’s racial justice unit, the Diocese of Oxford and the Teahouse group of Chinese heritage clergy. The need has arisen because Hong Kong Christian congregations have experienced “unprecedented” growth, with one church in Reading run by the CofE, Methodists and URC, growing from a congregation of 150 to 650 in five years. That has now led to a Cantonese church plant, with four more planned. Similar growth is reported in Stockport and Leeds.
Bristol parishes are ‘beacons of hope’ in their communities
The Diocese of Bristol has published an audit of the social action projects that took place in churches across the region in 2025. The report found that 64 per cent of parishes offered activities for the community, the most common were hospitality and community meals, toddler groups, lunch clubs, youth work, drop-in sessions, training and advice services. 418 activities were delivered, supporting 40,773 people over the past 12 months, with 1,634 volunteers contributing 121,660 hours of service. The report identified opportunities for further development which require additional funding, more volunteers and improvements to buildings. The acting Bishop of Bristol and Bishop of Swindon, Neil Warwick, said parishes “act as beacons of hope to their local communities” providing community, food and compassion to those who need it most.
Another article investigates stories of Gen Z turning to religion
The Independent carries the latest article about a suggested Christian revival, pulling together Bible sales, the Bible Society survey, anecdotal stories of swelling congregations, the popularity of the Conclave film, the singer Rosalia in a nun’s habit and monastic home design trends, which, it says, all point towards renewed interest in religion. Helen Coffey, Senior Features Writer on The Independent’s Lifestyle desk, says: “A hunger for deeper meaning is an understandable response to an uncertain future. It’s not confined to Christianity or organised religion; there has also been a marked jump in young people identifying as ‘spiritual’ and engaging with tarot, numerology and the Chinese zodiac”. Article is here.
