Syria: UN calling conflict a civil war
UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous says the conflict in Syria is now a full-scale civil war. The comments come after reports that the Syrian government has lost ‘large chunks of territory’ in some cities. The UN also reported members of its observer team in Syria were attacked by angry crowds as they tried to reach an embattled mountain village near President Bashar al-Assad's hometown. The vehicles also were later shot at. The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) said that it is impossible to respond to all humanitarian needs at once due to simultaneous fighting that has spread to several parts of the country. The ICRC is trying to locate hundreds of citizens believed to have fled Homs in search of safe areas.
Pray: for the thousands of innocent families trapped in terrifying situations in Syria to receive help, aid and comfort; and may they see an end to this violence. (Gen.6:5)
More: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/06/12/annan-says-syria-conflict-is-now-civil-war/#ixzz1xbLtP4Hl
Belgium heightens terror alert level
The body that keeps tabs on the terrorist threat in Belgium, the OCAD, has just heightened the country's terror alert level from 2 to 3 across Brussels. The OCAD that analyses the security situation believes that there is now a greater terrorist threat following Friday night's stabbing of two police officers on the Brussels metro. The OCAD says that the terrorist threat in Brussels is now serious. Until yesterday alert level 3 only affected the Brussels borough of Saint-Jans-Molenbeek where the arrest of a woman wearing a full veil sparked rioting. Level 3 has now been extended to the entire Brussels Region.
Pray: that the situations which led to the terror alert rising would be calmed. (Ac.4:29)
More: http://europenews.dk/en/node/55495
Belgium heightens terror alert level
The body that keeps tabs on the terrorist threat in Belgium, the OCAD, has just heightened the country's terror alert level from 2 to 3 across Brussels. The OCAD that analyses the security situation believes that there is now a greater terrorist threat following Friday night's stabbing of two police officers on the Brussels metro. The OCAD says that the terrorist threat in Brussels is now serious. Until yesterday alert level 3 only affected the Brussels borough of Saint-Jans-Molenbeek where the arrest of a woman wearing a full veil sparked rioting. Level 3 has now been extended to the entire Brussels Region.
Pray: that the situations which led to the terror alert rising would be calmed. (Ac.4:29)
More: http://europenews.dk/en/node/55495
Spain: Bishop banned from official city events in Alcala
The city council of Alcala adopted a motion banning Bishop Juan Antonia Reig Pla from official city events. The motion answers the bishop's remarks criticizing homosexual lifestyle. The motion, passed on May 15th, bans Bishop Reig Pla from local festivities and calls for him to be moved to another diocese. It was presented by the political group ‘Union, Progress and Democracy’ and was backed by other left-leaning organizations as well as the Spanish Socialist Party. The ruling People’s Party has opposed the motion. The diocesan priests stated: ‘In response to these very grave acts, we express our adherence to the Catholic doctrine taught by our Father and Pastor, Bishop Reig, as well as our support for him and his apostolic ministry, and we invite all to pray for religious freedom, for our Bishop and for those who persecute the Catholic Church.’
Pray: that this ban would be lifted and we would see a return to Spain’s Christian roots. (1Cor.3:11)
Spain: Bishop banned from official city events in Alcala
The city council of Alcala adopted a motion banning Bishop Juan Antonia Reig Pla from official city events. The motion answers the bishop's remarks criticizing homosexual lifestyle. The motion, passed on May 15th, bans Bishop Reig Pla from local festivities and calls for him to be moved to another diocese. It was presented by the political group ‘Union, Progress and Democracy’ and was backed by other left-leaning organizations as well as the Spanish Socialist Party. The ruling People’s Party has opposed the motion. The diocesan priests stated: ‘In response to these very grave acts, we express our adherence to the Catholic doctrine taught by our Father and Pastor, Bishop Reig, as well as our support for him and his apostolic ministry, and we invite all to pray for religious freedom, for our Bishop and for those who persecute the Catholic Church.’
Pray: that this ban would be lifted and we would see a return to Spain’s Christian roots. (1Cor.3:11)
UK: Becoming less peaceful
According to the annual Global Peace Index (GPI) published by the Institute for Economics & Peace the world has become more peaceful for the first time since 2009. However it also reports that the UK is less peaceful. Globally, austerity-driven defence cuts creating gains in several indicators of militarization and improvements in the Political Terror Scale have led to changes in the annual rankings, whilst Syria has dropped over 30 places on the rankings. The index reveals Somalia as the least peaceful country, which with Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo make up the bottom five. The UK has fallen three places to 29th position, which means it is the first time the UK placement has not risen in the list. The index also estimates that if the world had been completely peaceful in 2011, the additional economic impact would have been an estimated $9tn - equal to the size of Germany and Japan's economies combined.
Pray: that our rankings in this index would rise and we would see the positive impact on our economy. (Ps.85:8)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jun/12/global-peace-index-2012
The deployed troops and families back home
The demands and stress of deployment in Afghanistan can lead individuals to switch off from thinking and communicating with their families back home, in order to focus on the task in hand. However, this is distressing for the families and leads to fear and worry. Then, in reverse, some children of serving personnel deployed get too upset when talking to their parent on the telephone or video link via Skype and so refuse to do so. This in turn proves to be upsetting and stressful.
Pray: about the needs of both those deployed and the families back home that there will be good communication and support between them and that those deployed and those back home will have the appropriate concern for the other. (Jn.15:12)
More: http://www.army.mod.uk/welfare-support/23208.aspx
GMC holding proceedings against Christian doctor
On the 11th June the General Medical Council (GMC) decided to continue disciplinary proceedings against Christian GP Dr Richard Scott, despite the fact that the patient who made the complaint has refused for two years to give evidence face to face. (See Prayer Alert 21-2011) Dr Scott works at Bethesda Medical Centre in Margate, and was first reported to the GMC in September 2010 for discussing his Christian faith with a patient at the end of a private consultation. He was threatened with an Official Warning by the GMC, a blemish on his 28 years’ service as a professional. As well as deciding to continue with the proceedings, the GMC has also made the extraordinary decision that part of the case will be held in secret. The press and the public will be barred from attending, and Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, has been specifically excluded from attending the hearings to support Dr Scott.
Pray: the hearing will be fair and will set a benchmark for future expressions of faith in the NHS not to be seen as illegal. (2Ch.19:7)
Cases of legionnaires disease in Edinburgh rise to 80
The number of confirmed and suspected cases of legionnaires' disease in Edinburgh had risen to 80 by last Saturday withevery prospect of further cases being confirmed. Patients being treated in Scotland's biggest outbreak of the disease include 15 cases in intensive care. On Friday the North British Distillery in Edinburgh was served with an improvement notice by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). However, both the firm and health inspectors said the order did not mean that its three cooling towers were the definitive source of the outbreak. The Health and Safety Executive and Edinburgh City Council are continuing their investigations into the possible source of the outbreak. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's Health Minister said: ‘Although there has been a rise in the number of confirmed cases, it is reassuring to see that the number of suspected cases is decreasing and that 16 people have now been discharged from hospital.’
Pray: for all those affected by the disease and for the authorities to be able to resolve the problem at its source. (Ps.116:15)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9321587/Cases-of-legionnaires-in-Edinburgh-rise-to-80.html
Downing Street receives petition supporting traditional marriage
A petition of half a million signatures supporting the traditional definition of marriage has been handed in to Downing Street . The petition by the Coalition for Marriage supports the legal definition of marriage as the ‘voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others’ and expresses opposition to any attempt to redefine itn - It was signed by over 550,000 people. While the list of signatories was submitted to Downing Street, the full petition of names and addresses will be handed in to the Home Office as it is too large to deliver to No 10, filling more than 30 A4 boxes. The petition was launched on 20 February in response to the Government's plans to redefine marriage. Although the petition was submitted, it remains open and www.C4M hopes to reach a million signatures in the coming months. It comes just before a public consultation on redefining marriage closes on Thursday.
Pray: for a favourable response to this petition and for further signatories to sign-up in the months ahead. (Heb.13:4)