Malta: 5,184 single parents on social benefits
09 Jun 2015
5,184 single parents were on some form of social benefits as of last April, social solidarity minister Michael Farrugia revealed. Responding to a parliamentary question by opposition MP Clyde Puli, Farrugia revealed that the government spent €6,312,863 on benefits for single parents, €2,237,818 on social assistance, €1,281,482 on the ‘Social Assistance for Single Parents’ scheme, €1,396,045 on unemployment assistance and €1,397,518 on medical assistance. This made up 10.58% of the government’s total expenditure on social benefits. The government also spent €6,008,248 on the most recent children’s allowance payment. There are 371 fewer single parents on social benefits compared with the previous year and 418 single parents have benefited from the benefit tapering scheme - a gradual phasing out of social benefits for unemployed people who find a job - since its introduction at the start of 2014.
Macedonia: Challenges for prayer
09 Jun 2015
Macedonia’s ethnic composition dominates its political and social existence, where segregation is more prevalent than harmony. The large (and growing) Albanian minority feel more connected with their own kind in Albania and Kosovo than with the other ethnicities of Macedonia. Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia also have agendas for Macedonia. Economic difficulties cause significant emigration and urban pull; many of the 2,000 villages are dwindling or disappearing altogether. Media and literature are important ministries in Macedonia, and the Bible Society oversees the distribution of two new Macedonian translations of the Bible. The Gideons are the largest distributors of Scripture, giving out many New Testaments. A Christian cultural centre in Skopje includes a Christian bookstore, but so far only a few books have been translated into Macedonian. The JESUS film has been widely viewed on television and film. It is available in Albanian, Macedonian, Romani and Turkish.
Luxembourg: English- speaking church
09 Jun 2015
Luxembourg International Christian Centre is an independent, English-speaking Full Gospel church that was founded on 14 October 1991. It was born from a group of nine adult Christians of four nationalities, who had been meeting for Bible study and fellowship for the two previous years. In August 1991 an Australian pastor, John Brown, and his family arrived in Luxembourg, believing the Lord had called him to start an English-speaking church. By the Lord’s leading the two groups met. At this time, the church consisted of 10 members from five nationalities, and nine young people under 16 years of age. John stayed a little over ten months, then left for Scotland. Graham Kettle, who had pastored two previous churches, then took up the pastorate. The church has continued to grow and take shape over the years, becoming the International Christian Centre. The Lord has answered their needs in growth, and their prayer is for more space to grow.
A Lithuanian recording studio has already published three music albums of Lithuanian Christian contemporary music, and now have some experience in this field. They pray heartily and seek for support for the release of new albums. They are finding that still many of the current Christian musicians in Lithuania do not know the laws that are in force and do lots of incorrect steps. Their hope is that albums of Christian music will be published according to all the laws and requirements of the governing agencies. They have trodden a breakthrough path to sound recording studios, producing centres, publishing and advertising companies, and are preparing presentations of published music albums. They distribute music albums in all possible ways - in shops, concerts, online and through mail.
Councillor Aurelia Frick went to Luxembourg on Monday 8 June for a working visit. Her discussions centred with Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn about the Luxembourg EU Presidency which will be in the second half of 2015. Aurelia Frick also met Minister of Culture Maggy Nagel and Lydia Mutsch, Minister for Equal Opportunities. Liechtenstein and Luxembourg maintain both bilaterally and in international organisations a close collaboration that is underlined and strengthened by regular visits at ministerial level. The conversations between the two foreign ministers centred mainly on European issues. While Jean Asselborn presented the priorities of the Luxembourg EU Presidency, Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick campaigned for understanding among concerns around the Liechtenstein financial contributions under the EEA Financial Mechanism and the difficulties in the adoption of EU legislation in the EEA. Aurelia Frick and Jean Asselborn also mentioned the current challenges posed by refugee flows to Europe.
The Baltic-region based Saber Strike military exercises have been an annual part of NATO’s Allied Shield training exercises since 2010. This year they began in Latvia at 10 am at the Adazi military base in Latvia on 8 June. Present at the ceremony were recently elected Latvian President (currently Defence Minister), Raimonds Vejonis, of the Greens and Farmers Union, and National Armed Forces Commander Raimonds Graube. The exercises will take place in all three Baltic States and Poland. The joint exercises will host more than 6,000 troops from the United States, Great Britain, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Poland, Norway, Denmark and Slovenia. According to Allied Command Operations, this military exercise will see the involvement of approximately 11,000 troops from nineteen different Allies and three partner nations. These training events are part of Nato's assurance measures in response to challenges on its southern and eastern periphery.See also
Five European Union member states that have not recognised the 2008 unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence are under pressure to change their position. Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Spain were ‘targeted by great powers,” Vecernje novosti newspaper claims. The Belgrade daily adds that some Latin American and Caribbean countries are also under pressure. Pristina recently claimed that Nigeria could soon recognise Kosovo. On the other hand, Serbia will intensify its diplomatic efforts in order to prevent new recognitions. The issue will be discussed by the Serbian government; more than 100 countries have recognised Kosovo as a state while Pristina strives to reach the majority in UN General Assembly.
Italy: 1,200 rescued migrants
09 Jun 2015
On Monday Royal Navy warship HMS Bulwark arrived in an Italian port, carrying 1,200 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean Sea. The ship docked at Catania, in Sicily, where the migrants will be handed over to the Italian authorities. Bulwark has been on a search and rescue mission in the area for the past month. Captain Nick Cooke-Priest said the people traffickers were committing acts ‘tantamount to murder’. BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, who was on board Bulwark during the rescue, said a small, wooden vessel had been packed with about 400 people. There had also been two rubber dinghies, each carrying about 100 people. The fact that many didn't even have life jackets was another reminder that the gangs who trafficked them had little regard for their lives. Five of the men rescued are going to be questioned by Italian police about possible links to the smuggling gangs.