On 28 September, the IDF neutralised 100+ explosives thrown at them by over 20,000 people rioting at five locations along the Gaza Strip frontier. At the border fence protesters, encouraged by Hamas, burned dozens of tyres, using the thick black smoke as a screen to throw rocks and explosives at Israeli troops. IDF soldiers responded with tear gas and gunfire ,and Israeli aircraft carried out two airstrikes on Hamas positions in the Strip. A statement said, ‘With armed terrorists only minutes away from Israeli families, it is the IDF’s duty to protect them’. A tweet said, ‘Imagine a mob of 20K people, throwing bombs & grenades, attempting to reach your home. The people of southern Israel don’t have to imagine; this is happening right now, regularly, on Israel’s border with Gaza.’

Virtually all media outlets are unaware of the protests in Gaza by opponents of Hamas. Palestinian media in the Strip do not dare to publicise the underground protests against the terrible injustice imposed on Palestinians by Hamas since it took control of Gaza by force in 2007. Al-Monitor has learned that recently dozens of Palestinians have demonstrated in different refugee camps, claiming Hamas had taken the Strip back to the Middle Ages and accusing leading Hamas officials and activists of corruption and of favouring their supporters over the general population. They called on Hamas to take care of its people or ‘disappear’. A few waved signs against what they termed Gaza’s ‘dictatorial regime’. Similar protests took place in 2017; they were violently suppressed by Hamas security forces.

Until a week ago, Enrique Ceballos was a high court judge in Venezuela. Now, because of threats around his work as a judge, he is waiting on a plastic chair outside an NGO-run registration centre for asylum-seekers in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, along with his wife, son, and daughter. ‘I needed to rule in favour of the government,’ he said. ‘It’s really difficult to work like that.’ Over 1.6 million Venezuelans like Ceballos have left the country since 2015, leaving behind a crumbling economy and a political crisis that has triggered shortages in food and healthcare. Hundreds of thousands are in Colombia, others in the Caribbean - a few kilometres from Venezuela’s coast. Venezuelans are often helped to apply for asylum and to integrate by Christian NGOs, as the soaring numbers have taken small island governments by surprise.

A maximum of 30,000 refugees will be allowed to resettle in the United States in the next fiscal year. The new ceiling marks a dramatic decrease from this year’s 45,000-person cap, which had also been a significant reduction from previous years. Evangelical and Catholic advocates for refugees were quick to argue that reducing the number of refugees allowed into the USA is a continuation of a series of unprecedented attacks on American values and on the humanitarian nature of the refugee resettlement programme; they said it falls far short of helping the large number of vulnerable people around the world. This argument over quotas comes as the number of displaced people worldwide reaches a record high. UNHCR said there are 68.5 million displaced people in the world today, more than 28 million of whom are considered refugees or asylum-seekers. The Trump administration says Christians in Iraq face genocide; yet only 18 have been allowed to resettle in America this year.

During the Hebrew month of Elul, Jewish people mark God's creation of the world. This year’s celebration included an event its organisers believe could be a fulfilment of biblical prophecy. The sound of shofars, scripture projected onto Jerusalem's Old City walls, and music from an orchestra and choir marked the World Creation Concert. The Sanhedrin's spokesman hopes that the annual concert will spread throughout the world to usher in peace, blessing and health, with similar concerts in other venues and with people praying towards Jerusalem: ‘this is our prayer to the entire world’, he said. The organisers are already preparing for next year - the Temple Mount, a house of prayer for all nations.

Volunteer chaplain Paul Song has shared the gospel with inmates at Brixton prison since 1998. Many have become Christians. Last year, after a Muslim imam was appointed head chaplain, Pastor Song came under frightening opposition. Islamic militants attacked his classes and physically assaulted and abused him because of his faith. ‘My classes were often disrupted. At times inmates openly spoke in the chapel in support of IS and suicide bombers. There was nothing I could do about it. They spoke with such hatred of Britain that it was frightening.’ The imam said that the Christian material used by the pastor (and by churches throughout the world) was ‘too radical’, and called the pastor’s Christian views ‘extreme.’ He was dismissed, but a petition to reinstate him was signed by over 40,000 people. His case was reviewed and he has been reinstated.

Volunteer chaplain Paul Song has shared the gospel with inmates at Brixton prison since 1998. Many have become Christians. Last year, after a Muslim imam was appointed head chaplain, Pastor Song came under frightening opposition. Islamic militants attacked his classes and physically assaulted and abused him because of his faith. ‘My classes were often disrupted. At times inmates openly spoke in the chapel in support of IS and suicide bombers. There was nothing I could do about it. They spoke with such hatred of Britain that it was frightening.’ The imam said that the Christian material used by the pastor (and by churches throughout the world) was ‘too radical’, and called the pastor’s Christian views ‘extreme.’ He was dismissed, but a petition to reinstate him was signed by over 40,000 people. His case was reviewed and he has been reinstated.

The following is part of a Prayer for the Nation publication. ‘We thank You Lord, for those who have served faithfully within our Sunday Schools, children’s churches and organisations over the years. Now we declare this is a new day, and we declare this is the time for a new move of Your Spirit amongst the children of our land. In the Name of Jesus, we call forth those carrying fresh revelation and creative ideas, able to teach Your children with relevance, life and depth. We thank You for the new wineskins You are releasing regarding children’s ministry, and we speak shift and change into any curriculum, plan, or methodology which is of the old season. We decree the children’s ministries of this land will take hold of the challenge and opportunity of the day. We declare, Lord, Your people will be willing volunteers in this day of Your power.’

Despite Theresa May's earnest hopes, Europe is not supporting the Chequers border plan, and some of her own Conservative Party are not behind her. Theresa May accused the EU of failing to treat the UK with respect, capturing positive newspaper headlines the next day. But she now faces the Tory party conference, from 30 September to 3 October. Pray for God to strengthen her as she faces a cabinet civil war over EU membership. Ask God to dilute the deep differences of opinion within the Conservative party and soften the sharp edges of aggressive voices. The clock is ticking towards the Brexit deadline of March 2019. The next milestone is 18 October, when Donald Tusk expects the British government to provide a solution that will avoid a hard border in Ireland. Unless this problem is resolved, no final treaty with the UK on trade and other matters will be agreed.

Jane Fisher’s statements on Radio 4 sounded appealing. The new non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), she says, is safer and more accurate than the current test, is available in Wales, is being delayed by bureaucracy, and women in England are ‘desperate’ for it. Those against the test were not mentioned in the interview, even though the plan takes the form of an abortion. In Iceland and Denmark, which have such screening, the abortion rate of babies with Down’s is almost 100%, as technology advances and testing becomes more precise. In a society that highly values intelligence, will we one day decide there is an IQ level so low that it would be better for a child to be aborted? What about blind people in a world where visual media like TV and WhatsApp messages are taking over from radio and phone calls? People have committed suicide because of bullying over their hair colour: could parents decide that their ginger unborn baby should be aborted?