As of 18th August, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stood at 594 million according to Johns Hopkins University. In addition to this, the recorded number who have died totalled 6,446,679.
67.4% of the world population has received at least one dose of a vaccine and 12.47 billion doses have been administered globally. Only 20.3% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.
The following table charts the worldwide 7-day average of cases over the course of the pandemic.
Data on a county by country level can be found here.
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) remains concerned about what it sees as continuing unacceptably high numbers of deaths from COVID. While many governments of wealthier countries have all but abandoned coronavirus restrictions following successful vaccine rollouts, the organisation's director-general emphasised that the pandemic is "nowhere near over" and that ongoing measures should still be considered.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said sub-variants of Omicron continue to drive new waves of cases, hospitalisations and deaths around the world. Amid increasing COVID transmission and rising hospitalisations, Dr Tedros urged governments to "deploy tried and tested measures like masking, improved ventilation and test and treat protocols". "I am concerned that cases of COVID-19 continue to rise - putting further pressure on stretched health systems and health workers," he said. "I am also concerned about the increasing trend of deaths."
Among the variants and subvariants being tracked by the WHO is BA.2.75 - nicknamed the centaurus - which was first discovered in India in May. Additionally, 2 further offshoots of Omicron – BA. 4 and BA.5, are considered to be fuelling a global surge in cases — 30% over the past fortnight, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is an acceptance that the virus is spreading again — evolving, escaping immunity, and driving an uptick in cases and hospitalisations. This is a clear sign that the pandemic is far from over.
Pray:
For divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to vaccinate, prevent or control the emergence of new waves of infection.
For wisdom in government as leaders determine their ongoing responses to COVID, balancing a desire for normality with a need for appropriate protection.
That individuals, leaders and nations continue to focus on the needs of others rather than themselves, and that co-operation and compassion lie at the heart of the world’s response to the crisis.
We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Saviour to those who are seeking answers and purpose.
It has been 175 days since Russia launched an invasion on Ukraine back in February.
On Thursday (18 August), the UN human rights office said that more than 5,500 civilians have been killed so far in the conflict. More detailed figures can be found here.
When Vladimir Putin re-focused his war in Ukraine on the country's east, he did so bruised by the failures of his initial lunge towards Kyiv and desperate for a face-saving success.
After a slow and bloody march through Luhansk was finalized with the capture of the city of Lysychansk, the Russian President might consider himself halfway there. But the war has arrived at another crossroads and fighters on both sides are steeling themselves for a third act of fighting that could tip the balance of the conflict.
"It's a very attritional struggle," said Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow for Airpower and Technology at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), describing the tone of the war after four months of fighting in Donbas. It's a struggle between two armies, both of whom have taken huge losses and are very close to exhaustion."
The recent provision of longer-range weapons by the US and UK seems to have changed the course of the war in Ukraine’s favour. Over recent days, there have been missile strikes on bases, bridges and key Russian infrastructure in Kherson Oblast, Zaporizhzhya Oblast and Crimea, which historically would have been untouchable. This has hampered Russian supply routes and created a growing risk that their troops in the Kherson area could be trapped.
There has been a mass exodus of Russian families and personnel from Crimea who had thought that it was safe. Russian military leaders are reported to have relocated on the East side of the Dnipro River following the taking out of bridges.
However, there has been some positive news regarding blocked grain exports from Ukraine, bringing a hopeful end to the standoff that had exposed millions to the risk of starvation.
Turkey, brokered a deal, mid-July that included joint controls for checking grains in ports and Turkey ensuring the safety of Black Sea export routes for Ukrainian grain. Turkey also set up a coordination centre with Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations for grain exports.
Several ships have now left Ukraine, the most recent destined for Ethiopia.
Twenty million tonnes of grain are stuck in the country, as a result of the blockade imposed by Russia on Ukrainian ports. If the deal holds, Ukraine expects to export up to three million tonnes of grain per month.
Ukrainian authorities say there are good signs that the grain exports are safe, and have urged companies to return to the country's ports. The hope is that the exports will help ease the global food crisis while bringing in much needed foreign currency.
Pray:
God of all peoples and nations,
Who created all things alive and breathing,
United and whole,
Show us the way of peace that is your overwhelming presence.
We hold before you the peoples of Ukraine and Russia,
Every child and every adult.
We long for the time
When weapons of war are beaten into ploughshares
When nations no longer lift up sword against nation.
We cry out to you for peace;
Protect those who only desire and deserve to live in security and safety
Comfort those who fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones
Be with those who are bereaved.
Change the hearts of those set on violence and aggression
And fill leaders with the wisdom that leads to peace.
Kindle again in us a love of our neighbour,
And a passion for justice to prevail and a renewed recognition that we all play a part in peace.
Creator of all hear our prayer
And bring us peace. Make us whole.
Amen.
Sri Lanka, located just off the coast of southern India, has been rocked by ongoing protests for months over its worst financial crisis in seven decades. It has been plunged into chaos as its president has fled, appointing the prime minister as interim leader as questions swirl about the country's future.
Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left Maldives on a flight to Singapore on Thursday 14th July. Sri Lanka’s ruling party has asked the new president, Ranil Wickremesinghe to provide security and other assistance to enable him to return to the country in the next week.
Ranil Wickremesinghe has restarted bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He has called on legislators to form an all-party government to resolve the country’s worst economic crisis in 70 years. The talks with the IMF aim to secure a four-year bailout programme that could provide up to $3bn. He told parliament the negotiations were progressing but did not provide a timeline for when a deal would be finalised.
The country's foreign exchange reserves have plummeted to record lows, with dollars running out to pay for essential imports including food, medicine and fuel -- leaving millions unable to feed their families, fuel their cars or access basic medicine. Frequent and largely peaceful protests have been held since March, with rising public anger over food costs, electricity cuts, and the government's handling of the crisis. The crisis has been years in the making, said experts, who point to a series of government decisions that compounded external shocks.
Over the past decade, the Sri Lankan government has borrowed vast sums of money from foreign lenders to fund public services, which coincided with a series of blows to the Sri Lankan economy, from both natural disasters like monsoons and man-made catastrophes, including a government ban on chemical fertilizers that decimated farmers' harvests.
Facing a massive deficit, Rajapaksa slashed taxes in a doomed attempt to stimulate the economy. But the move backfired, instead hitting government revenue. The country lost access to overseas markets and imports of fuel and other essentials saw prices soar.
Topping all that, the government in March floated the Sri Lankan rupee -- meaning its price was determined based on the demand and supply of foreign exchange markets. However, the plunging of the rupee against the US dollar only made things worse for ordinary Sri Lankans.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has kept its key rates steady, a widely anticipated move as it awaits the effect of past hikes to trickle through the economy while a fall in global commodity prices is also expected to soothe domestic inflation.
The Standing Lending Facility rate stayed at 15.5 percent on Thursday 18th August, while the Standing Deposit Facility Rate remained at 14.5 percent.
The United Nations and several prominent international human rights organisations have condemned the repeated use of emergency regulations against peaceful protesters by the Sri Lanka government. They have urged the newly appointed Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to end the crackdown against the months-long protests.
More: Al Jazeera, CNN, The Guardian
Pray:
For political stability that allows for effective government on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka
For those who are suffering most from the economic collapse of the rupee and the series of disasters and man-made catastrophes
That Sri Lanka be restored to the prosperity and security of former years.
The landmark truce in Yemen, which has been holding since April, has been renewed for an additional two months through 2 October, UN Special Envoy for the country, Hans Grundberg, announced recently.
The extension includes a commitment by the Government and Houthi rebels to intensify negotiations to reach an expanded agreement as soon as possible.
The envoy thanked the leadership of both sides for agreeing to the extension, and for their continued constructive engagements.
“I count on the continued cooperation of the parties to meet their commitments and implement all elements of the truce and to negotiate in good faith to reach an expanded truce agreement, and to put Yemen on a path to sustainable peace. The Yemeni people deserve no less,” he said in a statement.
The current truce in Yemen has created the “best opportunity for peace in years”, according to a USA spokesperson, who added. “Justice, accountability, and redress for human rights abuses and violations are essential for an enduring peace in Yemen, and the United States has long supported Yemeni civil society toward these ends,” the spokesperson said.
As a result, the American government is exploring the creation of a new international committee to document and report on human rights violations in Yemen, months after a Saudi lobbying campaign quashed an independent United Nations investigation into possible war crimes.
However, Abdulrasheed al-Faqih, a prominent Yemeni human rights defender, said the administration’s proposed plan to “replace” the independent UN body that had been investigating possible war crimes was deeply flawed. The state department, he said, was considering including representatives from Yemen’s presidential leadership council, which has close ties to Riyadh, as a “partner” in the new international mechanism.
“They are working on a very, very bad mechanism that can replace the [UN body],” he said. “First of all, the starting point is that the mandate is weak, and second, it is not independent at all.” Faqih said if the administration pursues the proposal it would be akin to asking Vladimir Putin to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Two others familiar with the preliminary discussions, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said they were also aware of efforts by the administration to reach out to NGOs to discuss the plans.
Al-Faqih is co-founder and executive director of Mwatana for Human Rights, a group that monitors and documents war crimes, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and restrictions on the press. The group’s field researchers have compiled extensive evidence of Saudi’s previous bombing campaigns in Yemen, and contributed to a 288-page report in 2019 by the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), which found that the Saudi attacks appeared to violate international humanitarian law by “targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
More: UN, The Guardian, Aljazeera
Pray:
That any signs of peace, however fragile, be supported and nurtured leading to a long-term solution for the people and nation of Yemen
That abuse and injustice be challenged and rooted out, so that justice may be seen in the land of Yemen
For those who have suffered during the seven years of conflict in the Yemen, through famine, disease and attack. Pray that their needs will not be forgotten and lost in political negotiations.
The US Supreme Court has overturned the historic Roe V Wade ruling, meaning abortion is no longer considered a constitutional right in the United States of America. Introduced in early 1973, Roe V Wade meant individual states could no longer ban abortion - it was legal for every woman across the country. Now that the ruling has been overturned, it's believed around half of the US states will ban the procedure.
Speaking to Fox News, evangelical pastor Rev Franklin Graham said: "The United States Supreme Court just announced one of the most significant rulings in my lifetime - officially voting to overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade decision because it was 'egregiously wrong from the start,' as stated by Justice Samuel Alito."
Addressing followers on Twitter, Rick Warren of Saddleback Church: "The Supreme Court has overturned ROE v WADE ending the federal support of abortion! Millions of unborn Americans say thank you!"
Alliance Defending Freedom - a non-profit legal organisation that has often spoken out against abortion - reflected on the ruling in 1973, saying: "That decision fabricated a federal constitutional right to abortion and has resulted in the deaths of more than 60 million unborn children. States may now fully protect innocent, unborn life.
Pastor Jentezen Franklin echoed the remarks made by other church leaders, saying: "This is a remarkable answer to the prayers of millions of people for decades. "I honestly never dreamed in my lifetime I would see this happen. We do not gloat or dare say anything but praise to our God for this courageous and just decision by the Supreme Court. Now we must support, love and demonstrate God's grace and goodness to would-be mothers and the precious children this decision has rescued."
J.John, evangelist, speaker and author, said: Whilst we celebrate this news, let’s be known as a Church that steps up and supports mothers and families who are in need. Most of us will know someone who has been impacted by abortion and this is an opportunity for us to extend the love of Jesus to them. Babies matter. Women matter. Families matter."
Reverend Raphael Warnock, who supports abortion laws, said: "I'm outraged by the Supreme Court's decision. As a pro-choice pastor, I’ll never back down from this fight. Women must be able to make their own health care decisions, not politicians."
The Vatican's Academy for Life praised the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on abortion, saying it challenged the world to reflect on life issues, but also called for social changes to help women keep their children.
"The fact that a large country with a long democratic tradition has changed its position on this issue also challenges the whole world," the academy said in a statement.
"This also means ensuring adequate sexual education, guaranteeing health care accessible to all and preparing legislative measures to protect the family and motherhood, overcoming existing inequalities.
"We need solid assistance to mothers, couples and the unborn child that involve the whole community, encouraging the possibility for mothers in difficulty to carry on with the pregnancy and to entrust the child to those who can guarantee the child’s growth."
More: Premier Christian news Christian Concern VIDEO
Pray:
That God will continue to mobilise the church to meet young mothers and fathers in their moment of need, that the Church will we be a shining light and a beacon of hope to the fearful and broken-hearted.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
Hunger is tightening its grip on more than 20 million Ethiopians who are facing conflict in the north, drought in the south and dwindling food and nutrition support beginning next month, the UN food relief agency has warned.
“The combination of conflict and drought have caused inflation to soar,” the World Food Programme (WFP) added, noting that as of April, the Food Price Index in Ethiopia was up by 43 per cent compared to the same month last year.
According to WFP, 19 months of war have left more than 13 million people in the north requiring humanitarian food assistance, mainly in conflict-affected zones in Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions. Over the past two months, since the Government announced a humanitarian truce, food and humanitarian supplies have been flowing into the Tigray region.
Additionally, the Ethiopian government has commissioned a UN agency to rebuild some of the destroyed infrastructure in Tigray, a region in conflict with Addis Ababa and controlled by rebel authorities, as part of a project funded by the World Bank (WB). The project aims to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by the conflict and improve access to basic services and make it easier for victims of gender-based violence to access assistance programmes.
Several of Ethiopia's international partners have suspended their aid since the start in November 2020 of a conflict between the federal government and rebels in Tigray, marked by numerous abuses and which has led to a serious humanitarian crisis in the north of the country.
In April, the WB became the first major financial institution to release funds to Ethiopia since the war began. Some observers saw a link with the announcement a few days earlier of a "humanitarian truce" in Tigray.
Since the truce, fighting has stopped in Tigray and the federal government has allowed desperately needed humanitarian aid to be delivered by road again after a three-month hiatus.
But the region remains without most basic services - electricity, telecommunications, banking - and several of Ethiopia's partners continue to press for their restoration. A few days earlier, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said for the first time that he was open to negotiations with the Tigray rebels, who regained control of most of the region in 2021.
More: Christian Aid, Africa News, UN.org
Pray:
For those people who are facing the combined suffering of famine and conflict, that they may be provided for and supported in their struggles.
That the humanitarian truce will hold, allowing aid to flow to previously inaccessible areas of Ethiopia.
For the estimated 400,000 children in northern Ethiopia who are malnourished.
Prayer for East Africa (from Christian Aid)
Loving and compassionate God, When Famine stalks the land, nothing grows.
Plants cannot, people cannot, ideas and dreams cannot everything withers and dies.
It is a violent aberration of your will for the world and it is multiplied now by conflict, climate change and covid.
God of the flourishing field, there is enough to feed us all. Call us to that sacred sharing neighbour to global neighbour
Your gifts of food, water, a chance to live the life so delicately crafted by your divine spirit.
We will not turn away but turn towards each other with generosity and a justice-driven compassion
that searches for solutions.
Famine stalks the land, so may our outrage grow, may our determination steel itself, may our solidarity spur us into action.
God of the flourishing field, help us feed each other.
Amen
In a world of hopelessness, it's time to release a sound of HOPE!
In a world of darkness, it is time to let our light SHINE!
What does hope look like? We asked some of our friends this question and went on a journey to discover what is hope, and how is the body of Christ bringing the hope of Jesus to the community.
'Hope is the light into the darkness'
'There's joy in hope'
'There's purpose in hope'
'I'd say it gives me a reason for living'
'Hope, for me means that there is a light at the end of the tunnel'
'So coming from a life without hope. It's kinda just opened the entire world up'
'Hope is a life of fullness and peace that can only be found in Jesus'
Join us on Saturday 27th August for the Global Day of Hope!
Watch the programme and more info at www.globaldayofhope.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hopemovement...
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hopemovementg...
We are excited to continue our GO PRAY 1st Friday, 'Praying for the Harvest' with key prayer ministries from around the world.
We will meet together on September 2nd, 6:00am - 7:00am (pacific) to pray together with Teaching and worship, led by Dr Jason Hubbard (IPC).
Then from 7:00am - 8:00am we will pray for the Harvest!
As always, our primary prayer focus is that Jesus Christ will be exalted, honored, and treasured in the nations!
May He be 'revealed' that He might be 'revered.' May He have the Supremacy and Pre-eminence in all things, Col. 1:18 ... He is Worthy!
GO PRAY - 1st FRIDAY – 2nd September 2022
6AM (PACIFIC) | 1PM (UTC) | 8PM (WIB)
More info and Join us at www.gopray.world