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Topic: News From British Isles, Ireland, Europe and Worldwide
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News Room
Admin Group
Joined: 07/25/2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6560
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Posted: 02/24/2016 at 12:14pm
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News From British Isles, Ireland, Europe and Worldwide
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India: Convictions - a milestone for anti-slavery
work |
Over the years Prayer Alert
readers have prayed for justice for the poor slave-labourers in India. Last
week, an Indian court made great strides in protecting the poor by convicting
two brick kiln owners and two supervisors who had forced families - including
children as young as 5 - to work as bonded labourers. The four were arrested in
two separate cases. These men lured poor families with promises of good jobs and
fair pay. But the labourers and their children were trapped with violence and
forced to work as slaves in order to pay off an ever-growing false debt. Large
advances are no reason to hold someone against their will, said the legal
director with International Justice Mission in Bangalore. Courts saw the clear
exploitation that had taken place and found the kiln owners and supervisors
guilty under multiple sections of Indias Bonded Labour System and sentenced to
two years imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine. |
Praise: |
God for
justice, may this be the tipping point for meaningful sentences and effective
law enforcement. (Ps.7:9) | |
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Charges against street preacher
fabricated |
The Crown Prosecution Service
has dropped all charges against Michael Jones, a street preacher of Hornsea, who
was arrested and charged for comments made about Islam and IS. The accusations
of shouting All Muslims are terrorists, they should not be allowed in this
country, Islam is not a religion its terrorism and Islam does not preach the
Bible were proven to be fabricated by a passer-by and a woman on her lunch
break. Thankfully, Michael made a recording of all of his preaching, without
which he would quite likely have been convicted and would now have a criminal
record. Andrea Williams from the Christian Legal Centre said, Michael was just
exposing the evil of IS, as many others have attempted to do. He was faulted
merely for linking the actions of this group back to their ideological
foundations. |
Praise: |
God that
Michael had the forethought to record his messages, pray for the protection of
the rights of individuals to free expression and an end to over-sensitivity
when it comes to critiquing Islam.
(2Ti.4:2) | |
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Watching and Praying over the UK's relationship with the
EU |
The decision over whether we
'stay in' or 'leave' the European Union has the potential of bringing
significant division into every area of our society in the UK. As the body of
Christ we need to be on our guard in prayer over our families, churches,
communities, businesses and governments asking that His kingdom will come and
His will be done in and for the UK as well as for the rest of Europe. As we go
to press the EU leaders summit is about to take place on 18 - 19 February . If
there is agreement then David Cameron will be in a position to announce a
referendum date and the Yes and No campaigns will start in earnest. Now is the
time to watch and pray over the next stage of the negotiations that are taking
place between the UK and the rest of the EU nations. |
Pray: |
for God to
be sovereign over all decision-making, giving wisdom in the choice of a
referendum date, and clear and balanced media reporting in the coming weeks.
(Mt.6:10) | |
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Pastor makes appeal for missing Ben Nevis
pair |
An appeal has been made by
Chris Denham, the pastor at Hope City Church in Leeds, for a missing couple,
both experienced climbers, who have not been seen since embarking on a climb up
Ben Nevis last weekend. Efforts to locate Rachel Slater, 24, and Tim Newton, 27,
in the Scottish Highlands were suspended on Tuesday due to treacherous weather
conditions. Mr Newton's brother is assistant pastor there and he posted a
picture of the couple on Instagram with the message, Please pray for the safe
return of Tim & Rachel and for the weather to clear which is preventing
rescue teams from searching at present and for all the family. Believing for
miracles to be taking place on that mountain because God is able
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Pray: |
for the
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team as they resume the search.
(2Co.9:8) | |
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British military training
establishments |
The ongoing news about the
Deepcut inquiry keeps military training establishments in our minds. Initial
training is conducted at training centres around the country - which one youll
go to depends on your age and which part of the military you are joining. This
is usually followed by a period of trade training where personnel undergo more
specialist training for their particular role in military life. These periods of
training can be quite intense, at least initially. The Padre and the welfare
team provide a listening ear and pastoral support during this time. The Padres
are also asked to take regular services with the recruits, provide training on
morality, integrity and living to certain standards. Pray that those in early
stages of military training will not feel too homesick or alone, for new
recruits to make wise and lasting friendships amongst their peers and quickly
learn to take care of each other. |
Pray: |
for Padres
supporting recruits to find ways to inspire them to explore the Christian faith.
(Ps.9:10) | |
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NHS 'never events' a disgrace, says Patients
Association |
More than a thousand NHS
patients in England in the past four years have suffered from serious mistakes
that should never happen. These never events included a man who had a testicle
removed rather than just a cyst. A woman's fallopian tubes removed instead of
her appendix. The wrong legs, eyes or knees were being operated on and there are
hundreds of cases of foreign objects such as scalpels being left inside bodies
after operations. Patients' lives were put in danger when feeding tubes were put
into their lungs instead of their stomachs. Patients were given the wrong blood
type during transfusions and others given wrong drugs or drug dosages. Katherine
Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said, It is a disgrace
that such supposed 'never' incidents are still so prevalent. How are such basic,
avoidable mistakes still happening? There is clearly a lack of learning in the
NHS. It is unforgivable to operate on the wrong organ, such mistakes can never
be rectified. |
Pray: |
for NHS
England to improve their training and best practice standards.
(Ecc.7:1a) | |
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Serving migrants in our midst |
UK cities are taking in
refugees, Birmingham has taken 50, but the need is enormous. Birminghams
refugees are mostly Eritreans, Afghans, Sudanese and Iranians. Many need
housing, all need friendship and support. People wanting to help dont know how
to get involved. Nabil came from Tunisia, heavily pregnant and with an
18-month-old daughter, no money and nowhere to stay, her husband had left her.
She was desperate. An acquaintance put Nabil in touch with an Interserve partner
who organised help and support - toys for the toddler, a solicitor appointment
and a food parcel. Nabil broke down in tears. No one has ever shown me love
like this before, you are the sunshine in my darkness. The months ahead are
likely to see unprecedented numbers of refugees arriving in our towns and
cities. How we as a nation respond to the situation may decide the future of
these desperate people. Pray for organisations like Interserve who are serving
migrants in our midst. |
Pray: |
for the many
people in our cities living in crisis, turned away from agencies because they
are full; for our overloaded services to cope in 2016 and for Gods people to
demonstrate love through action.
(Dt.24:19) | |
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Harassment, vilification, intimidation'- Bishop
Balls sex abuse victim speaks out |
A sex abuse survivor accused
the Church of England of attempts to prevent him from sharing his story. Graham
Sawyer was abused by Bishop Peter Ball in 1970 and 1980. In a General Synod
fringe meeting Sawyer said he experienced harassment, vilification and
intimidation when trying to speak about his experiences. Bishop Ball was jailed
last December for misconduct in public office and indecent assault. He was
cautioned in 1993 for gross indecency against a minor but was allowed to work in
churches until 2010. Tuesday's fringe meeting was organised by the Church
Reform Group, of which Sawyer is the chair, and the National Council of Hindu
Temples. The director of communications for the Church of England was not at the
meeting and therefore unable to respond to the accusations. The Archbishop of
Canterbury has promised that an independent inquiry into child abuse will be
launched in the coming weeks. |
Pray: |
for honesty
and integrity to thrive throughout and in the aftermath of the investigations.
(Mt.10:26) | |
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Leicester Royal Infirmary closes wards over swine
flu |
Three wards at Leicester
Royal Infirmary have closed after 16 cancer patients were diagnosed with swine
flu. The patients have been isolated to avoid an outbreak. Another three people
with flu are being treated at the city's Glenfield Hospital but these cases have
not yet been confirmed as swine flu. Anyone suffering from cold and flu symptoms
should avoid the hospitals. It is a normal winter, swine flu is the normal flu
and the number of cases is not that high across the East Midlands. However, when
it gets into a clinical setting where people are very vulnerable then this is a
difficult situation to manage. Doctors say, Everything is being done and it is
under control. |
Pray: |
for the
outbreak to be contained, for those who are already suffering not to develop
complications.
(Ps.35:10a) | |
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Sweden: Under the weight of many thousands of
refugees |
A Swedish Christian writes,
Sweden has always wanted to have a generous immigration policy and grant asylum
to all who need it. Therefore, many refugees have entered Sweden during the
current wave. In 2015 there were 163,000 seeking asylum - a huge number for a
nation with less than 10 million people and far more per capita than any other
EU country. Therefore, the infrastructure finds it very difficult to cope with
the demands for accommodation, handling of applications, schooling in Swedish
and otherwise, health care, validation of professionals and helping people to
find a job. The result is a long frustrating wait of up to two years for the
outcome of an application and a rise of violence both inside and outside of
asylum accommodation. Outside extremist groups/individuals opposed to the influx
of refugees have been setting fire to asylum accommodation. Many incidents are
also reported of Christian refugees being attacked and threatened. The churches
are taking up the challenge and do a lot to help, for example making friends,
teaching Swedish, arranging activities. |
Pray: |
for the
authorities to set wise policies; for the violence to be curbed; for everybody
to accept each other, living side by side in peace. Pray also for all those who
work extremely hard to make everything work.
(Ps.31:6,7a) | |
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Germany: Freedom to speak |
Intercessors in Germany
write, Since the Paris massacre, Istanbul attack and assaults in Cologne,
feelings of unease and fear have intensified. Also, we now know that certain
information was purposely withheld by official sources to avoid causing civil
unrest in Cologne. Truth only came to light through unnamed police officers who
revealed there was a gag order to prevent the release of information about
crimes committed by migrants. There was a one-sided reporting strategy by the
media and politicians to steer the public into thinking they were being fully
informed. But the public is now being informed from other sources and see
through the veil of propaganda. They protested with anger. Many said nothing so
as not to be accused of being right-wing extremists. But Christians do not have
a spirit of fear but of power and confidence. This word also means freedom to
speak. Whoever is confident also speaks freely, without giving in to fear
before God and mankind. |
Pray: |
for
Christians to speak out confidently what they believe without the fear of man
and for journalists and politicians to report the true facts so that the best
solutions can be found.
(2Ti.1:7) | |
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Global prayer for stability |
Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen
are no longer viable nation-states. A number of nations are supporting fighters
who have ruthlessly taken many innocent lives. Refugees are streaming into
Western nations, with all the resulting challenges and dangers. IS is spreading
and instigating intolerable situations. On Wednesday 28 people died and 61 were
wounded by a car bomb in Ankara. Egypt has ordered the closure of the country's
last remaining centre for the treatment of torture victims amid a surge in
allegations of torture by Egyptian officials. North Korea is sabre-rattling
while the poor starve. So many nations need to be soaked in prayer, all of them
holding a real sense of tension and danger if one party makes the wrong
decision. Pray for the leaders of these nations to be led by the King of Kings
and the Lord of Lords. May they make decisions that God can bless.
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Pray: |
for the
Church to arise and overcome in each situation and reveal Gods purposes and
plans. (Jer.29:11) | |
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Israel: Turning Jerusalem into a Christian
Mecca |
Christian pilgrimages to
Jerusalem have increased greatly within the last decade as Christians trace the
footsteps of Jesus, meditate and pray for their families and churches. It is a
potential life-transforming event. There is also a growing global phenomenon of
governments financing pilgrimages to Jerusalem, as a place of intercession, to
pray for their national troubles. Ghanas government faced criticism for
attempting to sponsor Pentecostal pastors for such a trip to intercede for the
nations many socio-economic difficulties. Over the years, various Christian and
Church organisations have asked governments to sponsor pilgrimages, stating,
Christians are entitled to state sponsorship for pilgrimages to Israel just as
Muslims receive sponsorship to go to Mecca. Is Jerusalem becoming Meccanised?
Post-resurrection history of Christianity indicates no geographical centre as
the focus of Christian encounters with God. When you pray, go into your room,
close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.
(Mat.6:6) |
Pray: |
for the
continued spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth and for
Christians to pray and worship God in spirit and truth. (John 4:21,
22) | |
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Russia: Denies bombing Syrian hospitals and
school |
An estimated 50 people were
killed in missile attacks on at least four hospitals and a school in rebel-held
northern Syria on Monday. Russia has been accused of being responsible for the
attacks. The UN said intentionally directing attacks at hospitals constitutes a
war crime. In an article by President Putins press secretary Mr Peskov in a
Russian newspaper, the Kremlin said, accusations against the Russian Federation
in the video-conferencing application of air strikes on hospitals in Syria were
unacceptable. We categorically allot as deplorable those who make such
statements and are unable to somehow prove their allegations. Asked by
journalists to comment on the information about the hospital bombardment in
Syrias Idlib province, as well as accusations of Russian air and space forces
in this incident, Peskov called for people to go back to the source and noted
that Syria's Ambassador to Russia, Riyad Haddad said that the hospital in Idlib
province was destroyed by the Americans, not by the Russian forces. The White
House said that the US cannot confirm that the hospital attacks were initiated
by Russia. |
Pray: |
for
containment of this escalating situation.
(Ps.11:5) | |
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Mexico: Pope targets Trump in visit to US/Mexico
border |
The pontiff showed solidarity
with migrants in a rebuttal to the GOP (Grand Old Party Republican)
front-runner. Without naming him, Pope Francis rebuked Donald Trump and GOP
immigration hardliners during a visit to the US/Mexico border. He led Mass in a
field just a few hundred feet away from the United States. He laid flowers at a
nearby memorial honouring migrants who had died trying to cross the border. He
said, We cannot deny the humanitarian crisis which in recent years has meant
migration for thousands by train, highway or foot, crossing hundreds of
kilometres through mountains, deserts and other inhospitable zones. The human
tragedy that forces migration is a global phenomenon. They are expelled by
poverty, violence, drug trafficking and criminal organisations. No more death!
No more exploitation! There is still time to change, there is still a way out
and a chance, time to implore the mercy of God. |
Pray: |
for the
vulnerable not to be victims of the GOPs spirited debate on migrants and for
the Popes appearance and message to resonate among American Hispanic voters as
the campaign trail heats up.
(Ps.72:11,12) | |
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India: Racial tensions escalate after recent
attack |
Police face criticism for
allegedly failing to stop Wednesday's mob attack on an African student in
Bangalore. A young Tanzanian woman was pulled from her car, stripped, beaten,
paraded naked and sexually assaulted by young Indian men. Her car was set afire
and a local policeman took no action. A short time before this outrageous attack
a drunk Sudanese student ran over and killed an Indian woman on the same street.
He too was pulled from his car and beaten; his car was set afire. Both were
horrendous incidents on the same street just minutes apart. Both incidents fed
the prejudices bubbling just below the surface of young Indian males. Pray for
more to be done to prevent racial discrimination and for the mob culture
emerging to be eradicated. |
Pray: |
for women,
Indian or foreign, to be respected and honoured by men and the culture. (Mt.5:3,
9) | |
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Australia: Nine Christian leaders
arrested |
Nine Christian leaders were
arrested after hosting a prayer vigil at the Minister for Justices office. They
were part of Love Makes A Way and were protesting over the deportation of 267
people to detention camps in Nauru. Most of the people were seeking asylum and
medical treatment in Australia and 30 of them were babies born in Australia to
refugee mothers. But Australia has worked hard to deter refugees. No-one should
be detained on Nauru, where there is no functioning hospital it would be
particularly cruel to rip children out of classrooms and send away these 37
babies born on Australian soil, said Love Makes a Way spokesperson Kate Leaney.
The Christian leaders occupied the office to pray and to appeal to Justice
Minister Michael Keenan so that he might stand for freedom from oppression for
people seeking asylum in Australia. 10 churches have offered to take in the
asylum seekers. |
Pray: |
for the
Government to release the asylum seekers into the hands of those offering
refuge.(Mt.5:7) | |
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Uganda: Thursdays elections
backstory |
At the time of posting this
article the people of Uganda are voting after days of violence, at least one
person killed and a leading opposition candidate briefly detained twice when he
tried to hold campaign rallies. Why should we care about the election? A win
would give President Museveni a fifth term in office and delay the question of
political succession for five years, amid speculation that he is preparing the
way for his son or wife - both powerful individuals. Musevenis original
election ended a civil war and created impressive economic growth. But recently
the economy and development have faltered, corruption is rife, public services
are badly resourced and poorly functioning. Uganda is sitting on a demographic
time-bomb with 38 million people aged under 20. The average Ugandan is 15. The
faltering economy will struggle to create jobs for the youth bulge, adding to
the 10 million unemployed. Past elections resulted in violence and accusations
by the opposition of repression. |
Pray: |
for a fair
and just election and for the special election police to peacefully contain any
violence. (Ps.72:2-4a) | |
More: | |
Source: Prayer Alert - World Prayer Centre UK
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