The twenty-first session of the Conference of the Kyoto Protocol will take place from 30 November to 11 December 2015, in Paris. The preliminary list of speakers (139) includes all the leaders who have registered to deliver a statement at the Leaders’ Event on Monday, the first day of the summit. Due to the number of speakers, two meeting rooms will be available for delivery of these statements, and the list is divided into two segments - morning and afternoon. Even then, it will be necessary to limit the duration of each statement to three minutes. An alliance of Catholic development agencies advocating protection for the world and its people from the impact of climate change will also meet in Paris, even though the French government has cancelled public rallies in association with the summit, citing security concerns. See: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/11/24/catholic-groups-to-attend-climate-summit-despite-paris-attacks/

Chancellor George Osborne has surprised critics by doing a U-turn on tax credit cuts and also vowing to protect police budgets in his spending review. Millions of low paid families will not now see their benefits cut in April. Rather than phasing the cuts in, as he had been expected to do, he decided the ‘simplest thing’ was ‘to avoid them altogether’, even though it would mean missing his own target for overall welfare spending in the early years of this Parliament. This announcement was followed by the surprise decision not to cut police budgets, amid security concerns sparked by the terror attack in Paris. This declaration was met with disbelief and ‘euphoria’ among senior police officers, according to the BBC's Danny Shaw.

Canadian singer Justin Bieber turned a pop concert into a megachurch service when he shared why he loves God so much. After riding his skateboard into the arena at the start of the show, he sang a number of songs. Then Bieber sat on a stool next to Judah Smith, the man described as his pastor, and more or less preached. He credited God for helping him back onto his feet after a string of widely-publicised troubles. Meanwhile, Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and his wife visited Israel and shared on social media how it had impacted their faith. Underneath photos they wrote, ’Live your life in a way that brings honour and glory to God’ and ‘Because God is love, He gives us the opportunity to share His love with others’. His wife posted her reflections on the Garden Tomb, asking people to consider the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. See http://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/christian-boxer-manny-pacquiao-and-wife-share-scripture-on-social-media-while-touring-israel.html

According to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency seen by Reuters on Wednesday, Iran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium has increased in the past three months even though Tehran is supposed to reduce it significantly under a deal with major powers. This isn't the only recent piece of mixed news. Last month October Iranian state media announced that the country had tested a new model of the Emad missile, a mid-range ballistic missile with the ability to deliver a nuclear warhead. The test violated a UN resolution. Iran also released five high-value al-Qaeda prisoners in September, including the interim head of the global terrorist network. Also, Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, a US-Iranian dual citizen, was convicted of espionage by a secret court in October, while Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi was arrested in Tehran in mid-October.

Republican presidential candidate John Kasich has called for the formation of a new government agency to promote Judeo-Christian values and defeat radical Islam. Kasich said, ‘We need to beam messages around the world about what it means to have a Western ethic, to be a part of a Judeo-Christian society - it means freedom, opportunity and respect for women.’ He compared the idea of the new agency to when America used to beam messages to the former Soviet Union. The new agency would promote Judeo-Christian values to China, Russia, and the Middle East. When questioned about the implications this agency would have on Americans who do not ascribe to the Christian faith, Kasich responded that this agency would also benefit them because supporting Judeo-Christian values ‘involves building up tolerance’. He also implored the West to begin again to embrace our Jewish-Christian ethic rather than running from it.

On Thursday anti-globalisation protesters were calling for APEC (American-Pacific Economic Cooperation) to be dismantled. They are accusing the trade bloc of taking advantage of poorer countries. The protests are taking place on the streets of Manila, where leaders are attending the APEC regional trade summit. Hundreds of people from indigenous, student and labour groups clashed with police, who deployed water cannon. Some protesters managed to break through police barriers. A protest leader, Renato Reyes, said, ‘APEC and globalisation have only benefited the rich countries while further impoverishing developing countries like the Philippines.’ At the time of writing, tens of thousands of soldiers and policemen are in place in the sprawling city to guard against disruptions and attacks while demonstrators carrying big placards under the hot sun are chanting slogans such as ‘down with APEC, down with America’.

Not long after IS terrorists hit Paris, Boko Haram terrorists hit Nigeria. An explosion hit a fruit and vegetable stand in the city of Yola in northeastern Nigeria. Thirty-two people lost their lives and eighty were wounded, according to reports from the Red Cross and the National Emergency Management Agency. The attack bore all the hallmarks of Boko Haram, who have killed thousands in Nigeria and surrounding countries in its quest to enforce Sharia law. Just as President Obama had commented that IS had been ‘contained’ days before the Paris attacks, a few days before the Nigerian attacks President Muhammadu Buhari visited Yola and stated that Boko Haram was losing strength and would soon be defeated. Both attacks serve as a reminder that terrorism remains a real threat that must be addressed. According to Christian Today, Boko Haram began its military campaign in 2009 and has recently joined IS as its African arm.

A Christian brother in Pakistan writes, ‘If you are asking for prayer requests from Christians in Pakistan, one of the first things mentioned is the repeal of the blasphemy law. The easiest way of persecuting Christians is to simply accuse them of saying something against the prophet Muhammad, which results in the death penalty with no possible pardon or waiver. Please pray for the safety of people in Pakistan. As tragic as the Paris incident was, is it only when terror happens in western nations that it makes headline news? Who heard of what happened in Lebanon at the same time? or in Pakistan where three busloads of people were blown up and there were several other attacks throughout the country? Most Pakistanis, particularly Christians, live with daily fear of going out of their homes on the street. Please pray for your Christian brethren in Pakistan. Thank you.’