Famed Christian geneticist Francis Collins has urged churches to remain closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 amongst congregations. Speaking to the Southern Baptist Convention, Collins said that churches gathering in person are a ‘source of considerable concern’ because of the potential for ‘super-spreading’. Meanwhile the US Supreme Court ordered a federal district court to reconsider its support for restrictions on indoor religious services in California. The restrictions are being contested in several other American courts by Christians insisting their liberties are being infringed. Collins also urged Christians to reject the idea that mask requirements ‘invade your personal freedom’. He said, ‘This is a lifesaving device. When you put on that mask, you're protecting yourself from other people, but mostly you're protecting them from you. You're doing the unselfish, loving thing of saying, “I'm going to protect people from me”. That's a Christian action if ever I've heard one.’
South Georgia: huge iceberg threatens wildlife
10 Dec 2020
Experts from around the world are anxiously monitoring the world’s largest iceberg - the size of Devon - as it creeps close to the shores of South Georgia, putting the lives of thousands of seals, penguins and other wildlife at risk. It is travelling towards a wildlife haven, a breeding ground for over a million animals. It is estimated to weigh one trillion tons and is only 200 metres deep, so it can get much closer to land before running aground. It is travelling at 1mph. Dr Andrew Fleming from the British Antarctic Survey, which has two monitoring stations on South Georgia, said, 'The next two to three weeks are going to be key in deciding whether the berg will hit South Georgia or narrowly miss it. The fact that it is still in one piece is unusual; it is the biggest iceberg in the world right now, and probably in the top five ever.'
India / China: water war
10 Dec 2020
Beijing and New Delhi have long been at loggerheads over a disputed border in the Himalayan mountains (see ) This led to massive skirmishes earlier this year. The two Asian powers are battling it out over water. China will build a hydroelectric project in one of the largest rivers in the world, which Indians call the Brahmaputra River. After Beijing announced its biggest hydropower project in history, New Delhi said that its aggressive plans could have major implications for India's food and water security, and would give China power to use waterways as a ‘weapon.’ Indian officials are now considering a rival water project in the same waters, from Arunachal Pradesh to Bangladesh. Analysts say that things could quickly spiral out of control because the two powers have not honoured a water-sharing agreement, which usually governs plans and discussions surrounding new water projects.
Turkey: bogus reforms ‘charm offensive’
10 Dec 2020
Last week we prayed for change and the need for reforms to alter the way Turkey polices, prosecutes, judges, and imprisons its residents. Almost all Kurdish mayors have been replaced by government-appointed administrators. Judges whose verdicts disagree with government diktats are probed and often punished. 63,014 people were prosecuted for insulting President Erdoğan between 2014 and 2019; 9,554 of them were sentenced. A political analyst said Erdoğan's reform program survived only nine days, and his charm offensive is fake and is too little too late. He wants Turkey to continue as a third-world democracy while hoping to lure foreign investment on the same terms as a Western democracy, but investors are leaving. The economy is in freefall, with double-digit inflation and central bank interest rates up to 15%, while unemployment rises sharply. Erdogan promises to democratise, hoping to reverse the economic downfall, but that will not happen without real reforms.
Ashenafi Hailu was racing on his motorcycle to the aid of a friend trapped by the Ethiopian government’s military offensive in the Tigray region when a group of men on foot confronted him, identifying themselves as militia members of a rival ethnic group. They dragged him by a noose to save bullets. As the noose tightened around his neck he thought he would die. He passed out and awoke alone near a pile of bodies. His motorcycle and cash were gone. Nearly 50,000 Ethiopians fleeing Tigray have sought safety in Sudan, in what the UN called the worst exodus of refugees Ethiopia has seen in over two decades. Reports of looting, ethnic antagonism, and killings are at odds with Ethiopia’s prime minister saying, ‘No civilians are being hurt.’ Worrying prospects are that the fighting is degenerating into a guerrilla war that could unravel both Ethiopia’s national fabric and the stability of the entire Horn of Africa region, including Eritrea and Sudan.
Hope for the countryside
03 Dec 2020
The Agriculture Bill has now been finalised and received royal assent. The good news is the setting up of a trade and agriculture commission is to be included. Its purpose is to protect the UK's higher standards of environmental protection, animal welfare and food quality in farming and food production against imports produced to lower standards. The new legislation will bring substantial change in how farming and food production are supported; pray for our farmers as they adapt (Isaiah 28:24-29). See also
Tanzania: thousands saved at Operation Decapolis
03 Dec 2020
Gary Smith, one of the evangelists at a two-week outreach, writes, ‘Tonight was the last night of the crusade in Singida. The last two weeks have been absolutely incredible with thousands of salvations, miracles, and people filled with the Holy Spirit. I am rejoicing in all that the Lord has done. I’ve heard testimonies from bishops and pastors who are overjoyed as many new believers joined their church this morning. This is worth every dollar spent and every day away from family, to see people saved and planted into the local church. It’s not just making converts but to make mighty disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!’
International Christian Concern
03 Dec 2020
After their son experienced a miraculous healing at the hands of Jesus, Bassam and his wife turned from their fundamentalist Muslim background and placed their trust in Christ. However, as a result Bassam and his family began receiving death threats, prompting them to flee from their home. In response, International Christian Concern stepped in to provide Bassam with a taxi business so that he could continue providing for his family with dignity. He expressed, ‘We prayed to God, but the answer exceeded our expectations. I wasn’t prepared for such a big blessing.’