Italy: rescue boat defies Salvini, enters port
27 Jun 2019A German humanitarian group operating a rescue boat with 42 rescued migrants on board was in limbo in the Mediterranean for two weeks after Italy ordered it not to enter its territory. The captain ran out of options and turned the boat towards Lampedusa. He said, ‘I know what I'm risking, but the survivors are exhausted. I'm taking them to safety.’ Italy's hard-line anti-migration interior minister Matteo Salvini vowed fines, arrests, and a boat seizure. He said that other European countries should take responsibility for the migrants; in this case Germany, where the NGO has its headquarters, and the Netherlands, because the vessel flew a Dutch flag. On 27 June the boat reached Lampedusa and law-enforcement officers boarded it. By then the migrants were ‘desperate’. Salvini wants Italy to ignore European rules and refrain from registering and identifying future new arrivals.
Spain: worst wildfire in twenty years
27 Jun 2019On 27 June, amid a Europe-wide heatwave, a forest fire in Catalonia raged out of control, despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters working through the night. It broke out on 26 June, and had destroyed over 10,000 acres by the next morning. Already thirty people have been evacuated from farmhouses, and the regional government warned that it could eventually devour 50,000 acres. It may have been caused by manure in a farm generating enough heat to explode and produce sparks. Much of Europe is gripped in a record-breaking heatwave that could send thermometers above 40 C (104 F).
Algeria: punished for worshipping at home
27 Jun 2019Prosecutors sought a six-month prison sentence and a huge fine for a 35-year-old father in the coastal town of Mostaganem because he invited a Christian couple to come and pray with him in his home. The judge instead awarded a two-month suspended prison sentence and a small fine to the new Christian, who requested anonymity as he fears for his life in the officially Muslim country. He was accused of organising Christian worship; and the law forbids non-Muslim worship for unregistered churches. Sources said that a neighbour had denounced him; he is frightened and shocked by this accusation. Algeria is ranked 22nd on the World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, up from 42nd last year.
Tunisia: bombs target security forces
27 Jun 2019Two explosions rocked Tunis on 27 June, targeting security positions. One blast struck a security vehicle in a busy area of the capital, while the second targeted a police building. A number of police personnel and three civilians were killed. Tunisia has been battling militant groups operating in remote areas near the border with Algeria since an uprising overthrew autocratic leader Zine Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. Since the revolution, dozens of the security forces and 59 foreign tourists have been killed. After an IS-claimed suicide bombing killed twelve presidential guards in 2015, Tunisia has been under a state of emergency. Tunisians made up a large component of the foreign fighters in IS, while the porous border with neighbouring Libya has also aided militants. Spiritually Tunisians are being exposed to the truth of the gospel as they interact with believers on social media sites and search Christian websites.
USA: child brides
27 Jun 2019In the US you can marry at 12 but can't drink beer until 21. Keri met Paul, 24, at a party on her 15th birthday. They slept together just once - and Keri became pregnant. Paul asked her to marry him so that he didn’t go to jail for statutory rape. Her father's consent was needed; he gave it. Keri couldn’t finish school, and later described her marriage as horrible, with Paul treating her ‘like a maid’. Making even small legal changes on this issue is a slow, hard-won process. On 29 January, the senate in South Carolina passed a bill to end child marriage. 17 American states still have no legal minimum age for marriage if a child is pregnant and has consent from a judge or family member. So 12-year-olds continue to be legally wed to men much older than they are - if they’re pregnant.
Lebanon: families who lost everything
27 Jun 2019Four brothers and their families in a wealthy Syrian suburb lost homes, cars, and belongings through shelling. They moved to the relative safety of a new city, sharing just one apartment (16 children, parents, and grandparents). The inflated rent has to be paid on a daily basis. Their vulnerability and poverty were difficult to adjust to. Family members suffered stress-related ailments, including ulcers. A pastor coordinating a Lebanese relief project visited them and asked what they needed. They said they wanted to be treated like humans not animals. One said his brain had stopped and he couldn’t think ahead: ‘How can I rebuild my life, when I now have no home and no money?' The pastor said there is hope, because Jesus gives us hope. He prayed with the sick family members. Since that visit, the family has received some food assistance through the church, and a few of them are attending Bible study sessions.
Japan ‘waters down’ climate change commitment
27 Jun 2019As host of the G20 leaders’ summit, Japan has drafted a weak statement on climate action, in a bid to keep the US onside. This follows a G20 executive decision last week in which all countries but the US reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Paris agreement. Japan is trying to build consensus with the USA, as they are negotiating a trade deal. But other G20 members, including the EU, are expected to push for more ambitious language at the expense of US endorsement. Japanese campaigners are organising protests to coincide with the G20's opening on 28 June. One of them accused President Shinzo Abe of being ‘full of hot air’ when it comes to his pledges on climate action. Also, on 26 June 12,000 people gathered in London to pressurise politicians to tackle global climate change more urgently. See
Praying for Buddhists
27 Jun 2019The idea of Buddhism (and Hinduism) as a ‘religion’ is partly an invention of early Western missionaries. Later the concept was taken up by Buddhists themselves. Buddhist ideas are woven into a wide tapestry of belief, ritual, filial piety and morality that often involve the occult, other gods, and ancestors. Few practising Buddhists have turned to Christ, except in Cambodia, China, Laos, Mongolia, South Korea, and Vietnam, which have growing churches or substantial Christian populations. Yet churches are being planted among Buddhists, and there are recurring reports of monks studying the New Testament and meeting Christ. Pray for the remaining Buddhist peoples of the world to encounter Christ, who is ‘desired by all nations’ (Haggai 2:7). Buddhist mindfulness, types of meditation, and statues are being adopted around the world. Pray for fresh Christian approaches to reach those seeking the peace that only Christ can give. See