At least 28,000 ethnic Chin (mainly Christian) refugees in Malaysia and India have lost their refugee status and are faced with returning to Buddhist-majority Myanmar (Burma), where they risk discrimination and military attack. The status change is a result of a policy revision by the UNHCR, which has stated that 'the conditions that would normally produce refugees no longer exist' in Chin province. Most Christians in Myanmar come from ethnic minorities. Kachin Christians in northern Myanmar are already facing a genocidal campaign of ethnic cleansing by the military. The thousands of Chin Christian refugees now face a terrible choice: risk returning to a place of conflict and persecution, or remain as illegal immigrants facing a life of poverty or potential imprisonment. To understand the situation better, see https://missionsbox.org/news/making-sense-myanmar-chin-kachin-shan-wa-states-uwsa/

Save the Children (SCF), using UN data, have found that huge numbers of children under 5 perished from severe hunger. Some 84,701 children may have died between April 2015 and October 2018 because of a lack of food. Parents had to witness their children wasting away, unable to do anything about it. Since the Saudi-Emirati military intervention in March 2015, commercial imports of food through the vital Hodeidah port have been reduced by more than 55,000 tonnes a month, enough to meet the needs of 4.4 million people, half of whom are children, SCF said. The World Food Programme says that up to 14 million Yemenis are now at risk of starvation as fighting rages on in Hodeidah. 'Any further decline in imports could well lead directly to famine,' it warned. Multiple past attempts to hold negotiations between the government alliance and Houthis have failed.

Almost 4,000 people have been evacuated from the slopes of the Fuego volcano after it began erupting on 18 November, with ash and lava spewing from its crater. This comes five months after almost 200 people were buried by volcanic ash and mud during a violent eruption. That eruption generated pyroclastic flows - fast-moving mixtures of very hot gas and volcanic matter - which engulfed whole communities. Volcanologists say that this time, lava is rising 500m above the volcano's crater. The ash cloud towers one kilometre above the 3,763-metre tall volcano. Fuego is one of Latin America's most active volcanoes.

Praise God for the rescue of an 18-year-old woman in Ghana who had been enslaved for years on Lake Volta. Forced to work in the fishing industry seven days a week, Elinam (not her real name) had endured physical abuse and was denied food if she did not work. She attempted, unsuccessfully, to escape several times, but last week police and International Justice Mission (IJM) were able to find her and bring her to a safe aftercare home where she can recover and heal from trauma. Pray for her continued healing and wellbeing.

The Government has been forced to bring forward its proposed changes to gambling machine betting limits. Philip Hammond had announced in his Budget speech that the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) would be cut from £100 to just £2 by October 2019, five months later than had been expected. After considerable protest, including the resignation of sports minister Tracey Crouch (see https://www.prayer-alert.net/british-isles-ireland-pa-site/item/11140-minister-resigns-over-delayed-crackdown-on-betting-machines), this change will now be put into effect by April 2019. James Mildred, for Christian charity CARE, said it was a 'stunning victory' against FOBTs, which are seen as highly addictive and damaging to families and mental health. However, he added: ‘This is only the first step. The damaging effects of gambling are becoming more visible across society, and the Government must introduce legislation to tackle this. Unless change is forthcoming, it is going to be children who are losing out.'

A couple have been recognised for giving more than a hundred years of service to the Church of Scotland between them. Don and Alice Barrie have played key roles at a church in South Lanarkshire for 51 and 60 years respectively. On 4 November their church presented them with long service awards from the moderator of the CoS general assembly, at a special surprise party. Alice’s father had insisted that she take music lessons from an early age; she took over as church organist at the age of 13 and has never looked back! Don became a church elder in 1967, and served as treasurer. As well as their church duties, the couple successfully ran a farm and raised five children.Their minister, Mike Fucella, said: ‘Church in a rural situation like ours can at times be frustrating, with very few people to do a great deal of work. Don and Alice deserve a big thank you. They have served with cheerfulness, often willing to try new things - open to the future God has in store for us. Without their partnership in the Gospel, I would find things very difficult indeed.’

On 15 November, the day after Theresa May persuaded her cabinet to endorse the draft EU agreement, two cabinet ministers (including Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary) and three junior ministers resigned in protest, and Mrs May had to defend her actions against a chorus of criticism by MPs. At the time of writing her survival was far from certain. However, she resolutely defended the deal, saying, ‘The course I have set out is the right one for our country and all our people. Am I going to see this through? Yes.’ Meanwhile, Michel Barnier and his colleagues also have to ask the 27 EU members to approve the draft agreement, which might raise further difficulties. On 25 November, the draft deal will go to an EU summit, and in December it will need to be approved by Parliament.  Given the degree of turmoil, your prayers are needed more than ever. To help you in this, you might want to use the declaration issued by Passion for the Nation, entitled ‘The Mother of Parliaments’. See http://passionforthenation.uk/

The younger brother of the Manchester bomber Salman Abedi will be extradited to Britain before the end of the year, according to Fayez al-Sarraj, the Libyan prime minister. Hashem Abedi, 20, was arrested in Libya shortly after his older brother blew himself up at an Ariana Grande concert in the Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017, killing 22 people. In an interview, Mr Fayez said that Libya was working with British authorities. He added: ‘I think from here to the end of this year we will finish all the legal procedure. We are fully cooperating because we understand the suffering of the families of the victims of this terrorist attack.’ Greater Manchester police said that counter-terrorism officers had been granted a warrant for Hashem’s arrest, and that the Libyan authorities were asked earlier this year to consider extraditing him to the UK. They believe they have enough evidence to charge him with the murder of 22 people, the attempted murder of others who were injured, and conspiracy to cause an explosion.

Lambeth Palace was transformed on 13 November when the front of the building was lit up with giant stars. This was part of the Church of England's new campaign, #FollowTheStar, which aims to encourage people to attend churches over Christmas. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who led the event, said: ‘Christmas, for some, is a wonderful time - family, noise, friends and fun. For others it is isolated, or there are arguments; it just varies widely. #FollowTheStar is celebrating the fact that at the centre of Christmas it is Jesus who brings joy, healing hope and love, whatever situation you are in, and inviting others to share in that love. If you are a Christian, you might think about inviting someone to come to church with you. Church and a meal would be even better!’ Thousands of services and events will be taking place in churches all over the country in the run-up to Christmas.

In the House of Lords on 14 November, Archbishop Justin Welby congratulated Prince Charles on his 70th birthday and praised his ‘lifelong dedication’ to serving his country and his ongoing concern for young people, especially through the Prince’s Trust. He added: ‘There has been talk of meddling. In the Church we politely say “being prophetic”. He has shown his prophetic instincts, not least in his welcome advocacy of the critical need to protect the environment. His Royal Highness has also been a leader in speaking out on the plight of persecuted Christians around the world, something for which I am most grateful. His deep confidence in his own personal faith has been a basis for, as he has put it, “building bridges across chasms”. As the whole nation has seen, it is matched by his clear love for this country. We have united this year to celebrate his family’s joys, and I am delighted to express the same joy on this occasion.’