Pakistan: Searing heatwave
25 Jun 2015
224 people are believed to have died so far during Pakistan's heatwave in southern Sindh province (nearly 1,700 people died in a similar heatwave in India last month). Most of the deaths have been in Karachi, with temperatures of 45C (113F) in recent days. The city has seen power cuts caused partly by increased electricity demand for air-conditioning. Many of Pakistan’s victims are elderly people who have been suffering from fever, dehydration and gastric problems. The morgue reports an increased number of bodies being brought in. Hundreds of patients suffering from the heatwave effects are being treated at government hospitals. The body's normal core temperature is 37-38C. If it heats to 39-40C, the brain tells the muscles to slow down and fatigue sets in. At 40-41C, heat exhaustion is likely - and above 41C, the body shuts down. Chemical processes start to be affected, body cells deteriorate and there is a risk of multiple organ failure.
Lebanon: Prayer for government, help to refugees
25 Jun 2015
As Muslims fast and pray during Ramadan, we pray for them. ‘The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.’ Christians in Lebanon are asking us to pray Psalm 92:12-13 with them. Lebanon still does not have a president. This could lead to bigger issues. Pray for a strong godly leader to move Lebanon forward. Pray for the local churches reaching out to Syrian refugees. Pray for them to grow deeper in Jesus, pray for them to have strength to continue to reach out and to be bright lights in this darkness. Without a central ruling government, the refugee camps and the large population create an economic burden for the country. In the midst of this, Christians are trying to bring physical care and support to the poor. Pray for Christian brothers and sisters as they minister to the suffering.
Vatican State: Pope speaks out on climate change
25 Jun 2015
On 18 June Pope Francis called for a radical transformation of politics, economics and individual lifestyles to confront environmental degradation and climate change, criticising consumerism and irresponsible development and calling for swift and unified global action. The vision he outlined in a 184-page papal encyclical is sweeping in ambition and scope: he describes relentless exploitation and destruction of the environment and says apathy, reckless pursuit of profits, excessive faith in technology and political shortsightedness are to blame. The most vulnerable victims are the world’s poorest people, who are being dislocated and disregarded. He places blame on overuse of fossil fuels and human activity, while warning of an ‘unprecedented destruction of ecosystems’ with ‘serious consequences for all of us’ if swift corrective action is not taken. Developed countries are mostly responsible and are obligated to help poorer nations confront the crisis. See also article below and read the full encyclical at:
In a move to prevent the abuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, the government has drafted a bill attempting to reduce false accusations. A mandatory death sentence for the crime of ‘defiling the name’ of Muhammad makes false accusations a serious risk to non-Muslims; they are often used to settle personal grudges. The mob violence that sometimes follows an accusation poses a risk to whole Christian communities if one of their members is accused. If passed, the bill would impose penalties for false accusation and also make it necessary to prove that a person accused of defiling the name of Muhammad had done so intentionally. Pakistan has a secular legal system and an Islamic one based on sharia. According to the constitution, the Federal Shariat Court has the power to decide whether any of the country’s laws are ‘repugnant to the injunctions of Islam’ - the president must then ‘take steps to amend the law’.
USA: Charleston response to killings
25 Jun 2015
The shooting in a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, has raised new concerns about racism and gun violence. On Wednesday night, 21-year-old Dylan Roof walked into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and after sitting for some time with the congregants, shot and killed nine people. Federal officials are investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime. The family of Dylan Roof posted on Twitter that they extend their deepest sympathies and condolences to families of the victims, saying, ‘Words cannot express our shock, grief and disbelief as to what happened that night. We offer our prayers and sympathy to all of those impacted by these events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those killed this week. Our hope and prayer is for peace and healing for the families of the victims, the Charleston community and those touched by these events throughout the state of South Carolina and our nation.’ See also
A woman and child were killed and 40 civilians were injured in a brazen bomb and gun attack on the Afghan parliament in Kabul. A suicide car bomber and six gunmen were also killed in the attack. MPs were evacuated to safety amid chaotic scenes. The speaker of the parliament, Abdul Rauf Ibrahim, managed to continue talking during the blast in a moment of calm under fire, captured live on TV. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack that was timed to coincide with the appearance in parliament of Afghanistan’s new defence minister. The attack raises new questions over Afghanistan’s ability to maintain security without Nato’s help. Over the weekend Taliban forces took control of Chardara district in Kunduz. The continued insurgency also suggests divisions within the Taliban as it occurred soon after some senior Taliban figures entered talks in Qatar.
North Korea: News agency reports bad drought
18 Jun 2015
State news agency KCNA said main rice-growing provinces have been badly affected and more than 30% of rice paddies were ‘parching up’. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans are believed to have died during a widespread famine in the 1990s. This drought is unlikely to be as deadly because of recent agricultural reforms, correspondents say. The United Nations World Food Programme says North Korea regularly faces significant food shortages and currently about a third of children in the country are malnourished. North Korea's closed economy means it is likely to suffer more in the drought. It is unusual for North Korea to talk openly of its shortages, so the very appearance of the report in state media is significant. It indicates the situation is serious, and it may well indicate that North Korea wants outside help. The drought report coincides with the release of two South Korean prisoners from North Korean custody, which may underline the desire of the North to elicit sympathy and more tangible aid.
Gaza: Government is expected to resign
18 Jun 2015
President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority told leaders of his political party on Tuesday that the government he formed a year ago after signing a reconciliation pact with the rival Hamas movement would resign within 24 hours, according to a senior Palestinian official and local news reports. The so-called consensus government, headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, has never been seen as effective, and it has been unable to assert itself in the Gaza Strip or meaningfully lead a reconstruction effort there after last summer’s devastating war between Hamas and Israel. It was unclear whether Mr Hamdallah, a former university president who was first tipped two years ago to lead a previous government, would be replaced or reappointed with a reshuffled cabinet. The move is an acknowledgment that the April 2014 pact between the West Bank-based Palestine Liberation Organisation and Hamas, the Islamist faction that dominates Gaza, has - like several before it - failed to bridge years of bitter schism.