Spain: immigrant centre attacked
05 Dec 2019
On 4 December, a bomb squad in Madrid destroyed a grenade which had been thrown over the wall of a migrant centre for children. Police said it was a training grenade containing a small amount of explosives, and no injuries were reported. The centre houses dozens of unaccompanied minors, many of them immigrants. The attack has been widely condemned by Spanish politicians and human rights campaigners, with many linking it to anti-immigrant rhetoric. During a televised election debate in November, the leader of the far-right Vox party, Santiago Abascal, accused youths at the centre of causing a spike in crime in the surrounding neighbourhood, where he lives. In the election, Vox more than doubled its seats to become the country's third most-powerful party.
The new European Commission
05 Dec 2019
The mandate for the 2019-2024 European Union sees the election of new MEPs to the Parliament and a change to the whole European Commission, as Ursula von der Leyen replaces Jean Claude Junker as president. Pray for God to direct the new members to be people of integrity as they step into positions of authority. Ms von der Leyen, who took office on 1 December, will focus on an ambitious climate agenda to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, and will work closely with the European Parliament to strengthen democracy and create a fair social market economy in Europe. She also gave a very personal insight into her idea of Europe’s path amid global challenges saying, ‘We need to do it the European way’.
Ukraine: Russia 'biggest obstacle' to peace
05 Dec 2019
Lithuania’s foreign minister has said that Russia represents the biggest obstacle to the peace process in Ukraine, as it represents itself misleadingly as a ‘neutral party’ in the conflict while actively participating. Ukrainian armed forces have fought Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine since 2014 and killed over 13,000 people. Moscow denies providing weapons, training and personnel to support the separatists, but independent observers, journalists and official monitors have substantial evidence to the contrary. Lithuania, with an ethnic Ukrainian population of 44,000 people, has sent military equipment to back Kyiv’s efforts in the war, and hosts 500 American soldiers to bolster NATO's eastern flank near Russia's borders.
Captivity and conflicts, seventy years on
05 Dec 2019
In 1949 the UN agreed a Convention of the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. Seventy years later, there are an estimated 21 million forced-labour victims worldwide. Contemporary forms of slavery include trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage, and abducting children for use in armed conflict. Pray for stronger, wiser networking between governments and agencies working to eliminate slavery. Also in 1949, NATO was established as the world's most powerful defence alliance. The current ‘alliance’ has strained relations between America and France, who hold opposing views, Turkey disagrees with NATO’S plans for Baltic areas, the USA is criticising NATO countries for their alliance funding, and the UK’s Armed Forces Christian Union's director said it is unfortunate that ‘public disagreements’ have marked the anniversary of an alliance created to stand for unity. See
Global: GO 2020 outreach
05 Dec 2019
Christians will soon celebrate Christmas, BUT hundreds of millions of people have not yet heard of Christ. The great revivals and mission advances throughout church history followed the pattern of prayer preceding evangelism. Now, tens of thousands of churches with hundreds of mission organisations and prayer movements are joining forces for an epic prayer and mission initiative, unlike anything the world has known, called GO 2020. The goal is to reach one billion unreached people with Christ’s Good News. By May 2020, GO 2020 aims to have mobilised 100 million Christians to pray that unreached people groups, at home and abroad, will come to know the Lord, as mission agencies preach and teach. No one organisation can accomplish such a feat, but many can flow together like tributaries into one unstoppable river. To get involved, go to
Global: small island states and COP25
05 Dec 2019
The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is an intergovernmental organisation of low-lying coastal and small island countries, many of which are put at risk by climate change. As COP 25 enters its second week, AOSIS warns, ‘We are mired in a planetary emergency of existential proportion. We have breached 60% of the 15 planetary tipping-points. The impacts are real and current for people living on small islands. The entire atoll of Tuvalu is at risk of flooding from sea-level rise by 2050. Even greater segments of other small island states are at risk much earlier than previously projected. Our schools, ports, hospitals, centuries-old monuments, sacred sites, and other critical infrastructure are at risk of inundation and destruction.’
Samoa: measles crisis
05 Dec 2019
An exceptional measles epidemic in Samoa is attributed to a decision in 2018 to suspend a vaccination programme after two infants died following vaccination. UNICEF has now sent Samoa 110,500 vaccines, and the government has issued extreme measures to secure ‘public safety’ as the crisis worsens. No vehicle is permitted on the road unless it belongs to an exempt service from the public sector or is being used to seek medical assistance from a medical facility. All inter-island travel between Upolu and Savaii is prohibited, except to get medical assistance. Everyone must stay at home to await the vaccination units being mobilised for the MMR vaccination plan. Public sector services exempt from closure include hospitals, morgues, fire and emergency services, police, search and rescue, and security. But people continue to avoid vaccinations, even as the country is shut down under strict emergency laws, in part due to high-profile foreign interference.
Iran: 200+ killed, hundreds arrested
05 Dec 2019
Iran's president Hassan Rouhani has called for the release of unarmed and innocent people arrested during the two weeks of protests in over 100 cities and towns after a 300% fuel price increase. The protests have now turned political as young and working-class protesters demand that religious leaders step down. Iran's leaders, blaming 'thugs' linked to the USA, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, have urged the country's judiciary to mete out harsh sentences to those involved in the demonstrations. Amnesty International reported at least 208 deaths on 2 December. Demonstrations and deaths have continued since then. Amnesty says that families of victims were threatened and warned not to speak to the media or hold funeral services. It added that the death toll is evidence that Iran's security forces went on a horrific killing spree, and urged the international community to help ensure accountability. See