Sir David warns of 'crisis moment'
16 Jan 2020
‘The moment of crisis has come in efforts to tackle climate change.’ ‘We have been putting things off for year after year.’ ‘Southeast Australia is on fire because the temperatures of the Earth are increasing,’ warned Sir David Attenborough. The crisis has come because, although scientists are urging rapid responses. international decisions made on key issues at climate conferences are put off and several countries are trying to dodge their commitments. Sir David said, ‘This is not just having a nice little debate and then coming away with a compromise. This is an urgent problem that has to be solved and we know how to do it - that is the paradoxical thing. We are refusing to take steps that we know must be taken. The release of greenhouse gases is increasing, not falling. The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now higher than anything experienced in history.’
Police Federation: ‘we need action’
16 Jan 2020
Warnings from the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) about long-term funding of police services have received widespread media coverage. An estimated half a million applications are needed to fill 53,000 police officer posts, to fulfil the Government’s pledge to boost the service by 20,000. The federation calls on ministers to deliver on recent promises and rewrite funding rules by introducing at least a ten-year strategy for budgets, to allow forces to plan properly for the future instead of sticking to the current annual review. Speaking on Sky News a representative said, ‘Many promises have been made; we now need them to be turned into action.’ An estimated one in every 170 people in England and Wales will be needed if those 53,000 vacancies are to be filled. See also
PM would back 'Trump deal' on Iran
16 Jan 2020
Boris Johnson has said that the Iran nuclear deal should be replaced with a ‘Trump’ deal. He recognised US concerns that the 2015 deal was ‘flawed’, but there had to be a way of stopping Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. His comments come amid reports that the UK, France and Germany intend to try to rescue the situation by triggering a dispute mechanism in the 2015 deal - which was abandoned by the US in 2018. Boris said, ‘Somehow, we have to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. If we're going to remove we need a replacement. From the American perspective, it is a flawed deal negotiated by President Obama. Let's work together to replace it with the Trump deal. That's what we need to see. President Trump is a great dealmaker by his own account, and by many others.’
The leader of the German Evangelical Alliance, Reinhardt Schink, spoke out against the tragedy of Christian refugees and migrants who are sent back to Afghanistan and Iran, even though they could face prison, torture and death. He cited statistics about asylum-seekers who have converted to the Christian faith in Germany, but later been rejected by the authorities. ‘Behind all these nameless figures are devastating personal destinies, and risk us harming our own values system. Authorities should use the “know-how” of the Christian churches.’ He said that experts should engage with church leaders, who guarantee that a person has effectively been baptised, taken a Christianity course, and become an active member of a church community. Schink added, ‘It looks as if pastors are suspected of not telling the truth. We hurt ourselves as a country when precisely those migrants who had integrated well and had become bridge builders between cultures are expelled.’
Ireland: general election
16 Jan 2020
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that Ireland will hold a general election on Saturday 8 February. It is unusual for Ireland to hold elections on a Saturday; they are usually on a Thursday or Friday. As a result of the decision, the Irish parliament - or Dáil - will be dissolved. Varadkar has been leading a minority government for two years since taking over from former Prime Minister Enda Kenny in 2017. Finian McGrath, the Dublin Bay North TD and minister for disability issues, has said he will not seek re-election. But he is far from retiring and will remain involved in political activism. He said, ‘I hope to spend time encouraging some of the 13 percent of Ireland’s population who have some form of disability to get involved in politics at a local or national level.’
DR Congo is one of the ten poorest countries in the world, coping with violence, disease, hunger, and the mass displacement of people caused by years of civil wars and cross-border conflicts. Partly through impunity and political impotence, conflicts continually flare up in the border areas, and East Congo remains a hotbed of unrest. Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that attacks mostly children. Left untreated, complications include blindness, brain swelling, diarrhoea, and severe respiratory infections. Congolese health officials say that comprehensive vaccination programmes are the only way to stop the epidemic from spiralling out of control. Ill-informed opposition can derail such plans. Measles has killed 6,000 people in a year, but its severity is overshadowed by the world's second-biggest Ebola epidemic on record - killing over 2,230 so far. Although new infections have slowed recently, the WHO warns that the virus is likely to resurge.
Philippines: fears of huge volcanic explosion
16 Jan 2020
Taal volcano began spewing lava rocks and ash on 13 January, forcing 53,000+ residents to flee. However thousands refused to leave their animals and possessions. Clouds of ash carrying microscopic shards of glass 62 miles cause serious illness if lodged in people’s lungs. Taal is dangerous because 459,000+ people live within an 8-mile danger zone, and a 10.5- mile evacuation zone affects 930,000. Strong, continuous earthquakes rumble, new vents have opened, fresh ash covers towns and the lake’s water temperature has risen. An estimated 25 million people are at risk if the volcano erupts again. Please pray for the thousands in 118+ evacuation centres or with friends and family. Pray for medical teams giving psychological and medical care and for those providing water-tankers, rescue vehicles, and ambulances.
Australia: faith and fires
16 Jan 2020
Australia's prime minister, a Pentecostal, has said, ‘I have always believed in miracles'. Millions have been praying. Recently the crews battling Australia’s wildfires have seen a break in the weather. Cooler temperatures and mild winds have caused the fire’s behaviour to change, so firefighters are now fighting not fleeing. Please join 24-7’s online prayer, ‘God of all comfort, give strength to the emergency services fighting fires, the medics tending the sick, and the pastors conducting funerals and binding up broken hearts. We ask you to give wisdom to politicians as they seek to respond effectively to this crisis and begin to review long-term environmental policies in light of this disaster. Forgive us, Lord, for the damage we do by exploiting our environment and failing to care for your creation. You “cover the sky with clouds and supply the earth with rain”.’ For the full prayer, see