RAF continue to bomb IS targets
Royal Air Force aircraft have continued airstrikes against the IS terrorist network inside Syria and Iraq. RAF Tornados and Reaper drones have now been reinforced by a detachment of Typhoon fighters, which carry the same Paveway IV precision guided bombs as the Tornadoes. The deployment of the Typhoons and an extra two Tornados offers a significant increase in strike capacity to both the RAF component and the wider coalition air campaign. Pray for wisdom and accurate intelligence for those conducting these airstrikes and for protection of the innocent; for protection for the RAF pilots carrying out these raids; for the families of RAF personnel stationed in Akrotiri, Cyprus, and particularly for the families of the 300+ RAF personnel deployed at short notice, who remain at home in the UK.
Flood defences
It is going to be a grim Christmas for many in Cumbria as they clean up after the floods. Those who were also affected by the 2009 floods might not be inclined to believe the ‘once in a lifetime’ mantra which accompanied last weekend’s weather. The Met Office’s chief scientist suggested that all the evidence points to a link between climate change and our record-breaking winter rainfall, and new methods of prevention and cure must be found and funded. As a nation of islanders we may have to rediscover a lost resilience in our relationship with water. Many are now saying that councils should utilise the skills of those who know the countryside best - and pay farmers appropriately to take natural flood management seriously. Pray for wise land management of the large swathes of north-west England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland that are vulnerable to flooding.
EU meeting to discuss UK proposals
On Thursday and Friday next week a meeting of the EU Council will be held in Brussels. David Cameron was warned that a central demand to curb immigration might be asking too much. Donald Tusk, president of the council, will chair the first detailed talks on the issue between Cameron and his 27 peers. He sent EU leaders a progress report after Cameron laid out the reforms he wants if he is to campaign for continued EU membership in a referendum due to take place in 2017. Mr Tusk said, ‘We have made good progress, but have to overcome substantial political differences on the issue of social benefits and free movement.’ Many governments are willing to make changes to keep Britain in the Union; however the main stumbling block is Cameron's pledge to cut immigration to Britain by denying benefits to workers from other EU states for four years after they arrive. The draft agenda for the meeting on 17-18 December 2015 can be seen on: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/european-council/2015/12/17-18/
EU says IS has chemical and biological weapons
Islamic State is armed with biological and chemical weapons but Europeans don’t take the existential threat seriously, according to a European Union parliament document. Also, Israeli experts say IS is armed with weapons forbidden by the Geneva Convention and that it is a state in every sense of the word, with its own currency, a university and even licence plates. The EU report said that chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear substances (CBRN) have been carried undetected into the European Union. Interpol’s monthly CBRN intelligence reports show numerous examples of attempts to acquire, smuggle or use such materials. The report also said, ‘At present, European citizens are not seriously contemplating extremist groups using chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear materials in Europe. Under these circumstances, should it occur, it would be even more destabilising. See: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2015/572806/EPRS_BRI(2015)572806_EN.pdf
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Dominican Republic: pro-life landmark victory
The constitutional tribunal of the Dominican Republic has issued a landmark ruling overturning a law pushed through by President Danilo Medina. The new law, which had been personally advocated by the president as part of a broader revision of the criminal code, introduced a paragraph that would have allowed abortion to be legalised in cases of rape or incest, or when doctors deemed the preborn child to be suffering from illnesses or disabilities which rendered them ‘incompatible with life.’ After the president signed the law, two non-profit organisations filed a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality, arguing that it violated the constitutional protection of Article 37 of the Dominican Republic's constitution, which guarantees the right to life as inviolable from conception to death.
112 people per second open a Bible app
Every second, the world conducts 40,000 Google searches, creates five new Facebook profiles, and opens YouVersion’s Bible App 112 times. In the app, three bookmarks are created, four verses are shared, and 18 verses are highlighted. More than fifty Bible chapters are listened to, and 342 chapters are read. YouVersion was launched in 2008 and now has 200 million installs, offering the Bible in 1,200 versions and 900 languages. Mobile devices are being changed into Bibles that people carry with them everywhere they go. 200 million installs represents countless moments of individuals transformed by their time in the Bible. The most popular Bible verse is Romans 12:2: ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will.’
USA: turkeys on carbon-intensive flight to White House
Yesterday (26 November) was a day of celebration in the United States: it was Thanksgiving, when most families celebrate with a roast turkey dinner. Thanksgiving also came just days before President Barack Obama attends a global climate change conference in Paris (see this week’s Prayer Alert Europe article). There is an interesting White House tradition that has captured the imagination of the public in recent years, of ‘pardoning’ the White House turkeys. Myth says that President Lincoln's 1863 clemency to a turkey, recorded in an 1865 dispatch by White House reporter Noah Brooks, was the origin for the pardoning ceremony. The president pardoned a couple of turkeys again on Wednesday this year; however, the birds took a carbon-intensive cross-country flight from San Francisco International Airport to meet the President, who will depart from the same airport on Sunday to attend the Paris global climate conference and discuss ways to reduce carbon emissions.
Somalia: Islamic extremism and tribal antagonism
The militant Islamist group al-Shabaab has publicly declared that it 'wants Somalia free of any Christians'. Those who are suspected of being Christians are frequently killed on the spot. Christians must keep their faith hidden. Believers are isolated, and meet in small groups. They cannot own Bibles, as this could put them in danger. Islam is enshrined as the state religion in the nation's constitution, making apostasy illegal, and those who attack Christians do so with impunity. A believer says, ‘We are experiencing horrible things here every day. It appears that I live in hell on earth. I wish I could just stand inside a church and cry out in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.’ The government is barely functional and the nation is largely governed by a tribal system. Somalia has become a safe haven for Islamic radicalism. But one Somali Christian has regular contact with camel-herders and has given them a radio tuned to a Christian station.
Syria: the West has betrayed Christians
The head of the Syriac Catholic Church has accused Western governments of betraying Christians in the Middle East, and said it was ‘a big lie’ to suggest Islamic State could be defeated with airstrikes. Syriac Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan said, ‘All Eastern patriarchs, myself included, have spoken out clearly to the West from the very beginning: be careful, the situation in Syria is not like Egypt, Tunisia or Libya. It’s much more complex, and conflict here will create chaos and civil war. They disagreed, saying the Assad regime will fall soon. That hasn’t happened and five years later, innocent people, especially Christians, have no support. The West has betrayed us.’ The West is now stepping up attacks after terrorists killed 130 in Paris and dozens in Beirut, but the patriarch said airstrikes were ineffective at targeting IS because its religiously-indoctrinated operatives are well financed and well armed, and have infiltrated local populations.
Mali: Christians vulnerable following attack
Gunmen shouting Islamic slogans attacked the Radisson Blue Hotel, frequented by foreigners, early last Friday. After Malian commandos stormed the hotel, a large number of hostages were freed. Although it is suspected that the attack was sparked by terror attacks on Paris last week, it is important to keep in mind that the attack happened within the context of insecurity that has been lingering since the 2013 Islamic rebellion. A fragile peace accord reached in June 2015 has so far not succeeded in brokering lasting stability. An Open Doors worker said, ‘Some of the Christians who were forced to flee the North during the 2013 rebellion have ventured back, but have found it very hard to cope with the destruction of their properties and the ongoing anxiety. However, as this attack clearly shows, Christians in the South also continue to face insecurity.’