Europol assists the 28 EU member states in their fight against serious international crime and terrorism. It also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations to reduce terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, organised fraud, euros counterfeiting, and smuggling. But new dangers of online radicalisation and people-trafficking are growing. The networks behind crimes in these areas are quick to seize new opportunities, and are resilient in the face of traditional law enforcement measures. Pray for stronger and wider monitoring of danger through better intelligence-sharing at the highest levels, so that countries can maximise the use of information from all possible sources. Most terrorists have criminal backgrounds, and terrorism is funded by crime. Pray for police across continents to improve the sharing of databases on criminals as they establish an intercontinental cooperation network, so that policing reaches darker places not yet touched by law and order.

France has an unemployment rate of 9.5%, double that of the other big European economies, and President Macron has vowed to cut it to 7% by 2022. The country's unwieldy labour code, 3,000 pages long, is a straitjacket for business. Macron's popularity has plummeted recently as he begins his drive to overhaul the rigid labour laws, giving the details first to the unions and bosses' organisations and later to the public. He promised a ‘revolution’ to free up the energy of the workforce, making it easier for bosses to hire and fire. Protests against the plan, spearheaded by the far left, are expected on 12 September, but two of the biggest unions will not take part.

Hurricane Harvey has overwhelmed residents of Texas and Louisiana. The situation is unprecedented, and potential impacts are currently unknown. Pray for God's strength and stamina for the local search and rescue teams and the 24,000 National Guard deployed to recover the many thousands trapped in homes and torrential channels of floodwater. Pray for God’s peace and provision for weary refugees who have survived life-threatening winds and flooding, taking refuge in makeshift shelters, many having lost everything. Pray for the officials coping with a unique human crisis that is beginning to unravel; these communities will take years to rebuild. At the time of writing people have been enduring misery for seven days, they are running out of food and water and medical needs are overwhelming. But ‘love your neighbour’ community camaraderie is high - see this week’s Praise article 1.

Social injustice occurs nationally, regionally and locally from unequal wealth and resource distribution, and unfair treatment of individuals of differing race or culture with laws that support exclusion. On 25 August an indigenous people living on Peru's largest oil-field concession threatened to block the government from accessing their territories, and to halt production unless a rights law is implemented within twenty days. They fear big oil concerns taking and destroying their homes while unequal government regulation considers profit of more value than people. The so-called ‘prior consultation law’, passed in 2011, requires the Peruvian government to seek free, prior and informed consent from indigenous groups before approving any development plans which might affect them. Tribal leaders accuse the government of refusing to carry out the consultation process while it negotiates a new thirty-year contract for Block 192 in the Peruvian Amazon with a Canadian firm whose current agreement expires in August.

Former defence chief General Sir Richard Barrons says the rise of military ‘killer robots’ is almost inevitable. He stated, ‘The advantages of artificially intelligent war machines that can make decisions, learn and open fire without human control will see countries face growing pressure to adopt the technology, despite ethical misgivings.’ In his opinion a proactive international ban, such as the one called for by technology experts recently, is likely to be flouted by unscrupulous countries. He spoke after over a hundred technology leaders wrote an open letter calling the UN to outlaw ‘lethal autonomous weapons’, the use of which will lead to more civilian casualties and abuses. On 27 August the Bishop of Oxford discussed the ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence on Radio 4. To listen, go to

On 29 August North Korea launched a missile over Japan, saying that it was ‘the first step’ of military operations in the Pacific. State media also repeated threats to the US Pacific island of Guam, which it called ‘an advanced base of invasion’. Russia and China said that US military activity in the region was partly to blame for the increase in tensions. BBC correspondent Jonathan Marcus reported, ‘Launching a rocket over Japanese territory, with the possibility that it could deposit debris on Japanese soil, shows that Pyongyang is intent on maintaining its brinkmanship. However, it is noteworthy that North Korea did not make good on its threat to direct a missile towards the US Pacific territory of Guam - something that might well have precipitated a US military response.’ See also British Isles article 4, ‘Theresa May on North Korea’.

The IS terrorist group has released a disturbing propaganda video in which its fighters are shown stamping on a bust of Jesus, desecrating religious statues, and ripping up photos of Pope Francis, before the church went up in flames. The video, filmed in the Philippines, features a narrator speaking with an American accent; he praises ‘the truthful soldiers of Mohammed’ who have infiltrated the city of Marawi. About 200,000 residents have been evacuated from the city since the start of the conflict in May, but several hundred - many of them Christians - are held captive inside the city. The video narrator claimed that the Philippine government tried to subjugate the Muslims and expel them from the land, and said IS soldiers freed inmates from the local jail and attacked local churches. He added that ‘the religion of the cross’ would be broken.

On 30 August the Israel Rescue Coalition sent members of a psychotrauma and crisis response unit to Houston, to aid those who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. ‘People need help on the ground,’ said Dov Maisel. ‘They need to be able to wrap their minds around what was lost, and they need assistance figuring out how to cope and where to go from here.’ Maisel’s previous experience includes serving in Haiti in 2016 following Hurricane Matthew, and in Nepal in 2015 after a devastating earthquake. Meanwhile, Donald Trump's administration has not yet decided whether to accept assistance from Mexico to help the victims. The Mexican government expressed its ‘full solidarity’ with the people and government of the US, and said it had ‘offered to provide help and cooperation’ in the wake of Harvey. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, Mexico provided soldiers to help serve meals, distribute supplies, and conduct medical consultations.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most unreached nations in the world. A partnership between Windows International, Saudi Advocacy Network and Pray for Saudi has designated 23 September as the international Saudi Global Day of Prayer. The group are dedicated to reaching Saudis for Christ, and know that prayer plays a crucial role. They are inviting Christians and prayer groups across the nations to unite and participate in a thirty-minute prayer slot. The vision is a circle of prayer from around the globe praying for Jesus to reach into the hearts of many Saudis and bring them to salvation. There will be live prayer times broadcast from different locations across continents. Resources and more information can be found by clicking the ‘More’ link.

Many have been praying that God would give dreams of Himself to Turkish Muslims even while they are persecuting Christians. We can praise God that He is winning hearts in hard places: Turkish Muslims are having Christian dreams, visions and healings. Pray for God to continue to draw Muslims to Himself as they seek forgiveness during Hajj (which ends on 1 September), and to speak to them in the weeks following as they reflect on their pilgrimage. See: