The family of church-going teenager with special needs, Nora Quoirin, who was found dead after she disappeared from a Malaysian resort near Kuala Lumpur last August, is suing the hotel's owner for alleged negligence. Nora went missing from the room she shared with her siblings. Her body was found by a stream over a mile away from her accommodation, after a ten-day search around the resort. A preliminary post-mortem revealed starvation and stress had caused fatal intestinal bleeding. Authorities ruled out abduction or rape as a motive, but her parents raised concerns over the handling of the inquiry and are requesting a public inquest to determine the events that led to her death. They strongly believe that Nora's disabilities made it unlikely that she wandered off on her own. A window was ajar, with its latch broken, on the morning she disappeared. The resort's main gate was left open without security or camera surveillance.
Germany: Libya civil war Berlin meeting
23 Jan 2020
The Berlin conference on Libya, attended by rival leaders in the civil war and many international leaders including Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Erdogan, concluded on 19 January. It set forth mechanisms for the establishment of a cease-fire committee which will meet regularly. However, few expect short-term changes on the ground in Libya, as a sustainable resolution remains elusive. In the days following the summit, observers said that Turkey’s increased involvement in the conflict has expanded its diplomatic clout in the nine-year conflict; it has positioned itself as a key broker in developments moving forward. Boris Johnson said that the aim of the conference was to ‘stop jockeying for position. The people of Libya have suffered enough. It is time for the country to move forward.’
Switzerland: Davos - climate change
23 Jan 2020
The World Economic Forum annual meeting of 3,000 of the world's richest and most powerful people took place this week in Davos. One of the speakers was Greta Thunberg, who opened a debate entitled, ‘How to avert a climate apocalypse’. Attendees were not able to avoid climate change, as the theme was ‘Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.’ Meanwhile let us pray for Canadian residents cleaning-up after a monstrous winter storm that brought thirty inches of snow, causing chaos; for Australians dealing with the aftermath of severe thunderstorms, floods and hail the size of golf balls in different areas, while fire weather warnings cover parts of Western Australia; and for tens of thousands living near the restless Philippines volcano ‘recharging’ with fresh magma and toxic gas. The forum is asking all companies in Davos to commit to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
In Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa, the rise of Islamist militancy is a challenge to Christians and also to the existence of states and governments in the region, and thus to the rest of the world. The overthrow of Libya’s President Gaddafi and the power vacuum in Libya brought a wave of Islamist influence backed by money, weapons, drugs and organised crime that is spreading across Sub-Saharan Africa. In weak or ‘fragile’ states, where rule of law and governance are ineffective, Christian populations are left unprotected. The president of Mali said the very existence of Mali is at risk from jihadists. They exploit ethnic, tribal and socio-economic groups, creating conditions that draw recruits and increase their influence, thus widening the risk to global security. Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Mauritania, backed by France, have a task-force to combat jihadist insurgents. Pray for God to increase their intelligence sources so that they prevent attacks and catch militants. See also Europe article 1.
China: coronavirus Wuhan lockdown
23 Jan 2020
A virus that was first discovered on 31 December in Wuhan now has over 500 confirmed cases and has spread abroad. Anxiety is growing as 11 million people are told not to leave the city and experience lockdown in an attempt to control the spread which is killing people (17 dead, with the toll rapidly rising). Planes and trains in and out of the city are suspended, and no buses, subways, taxis or ferries are running. Millions of Chinese people travel to different destinations for the 25 January lunar New Year holiday. Supermarket shelves were reportedly bare as residents scrambled for supplies, while people took to social media to complain about soaring prices for groceries. The virus, which originated in a seafood market ‘conducting illegal transactions of wild animals’, may have originated in snakes. The centre for infectious disease analysis at Imperial College London estimates that there could be 4,000 people sick with the virus in Wuhan.
All the lists of candidates parties have now been submitted, and some parties have agreed to run together in this new election. There was a joining together of several left wing and some of the smaller right wing parties, yet polls show that there will be no clear victor. We cry out for mercy: ‘Lord, have mercy on Your people as Israel needs a God-given government. Since You are the One who raises up and pulls down, please raise up the one of Your choice to be the next prime minister, defence minister, finance minister, etc. We plead with You for a government which will do Your will for Israel at this time. Abba, show us how to pray and even give us specific people to pray for. President Trump plans a “Deal of the Century” peace plan that could impact the elections. May you reign over the timing and content of this plan.’ (Psalm 99:1)
Nigeria: Boko Haram’s own goal?
23 Jan 2020
Could the faith statement of an executed Christian leader encourage Christians facing persecution in Nigeria? Boko Haram beheaded Rev Lawan Andimi, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). But could a faith message that militants recorded with him be an own goal for terrorists? CAN has urged Nigeria’s government and the international community to act decisively to help Christians under attack in Nigeria, calling for three days of prayer and fasting for effective action. The Church views the unabated kidnappings and killings as shameful for a government boasting that it has conquered insurgency. ‘Each time the government claims the defeat of the insurgency, more killings of our people are committed. We are almost losing hope in our government’s ability to protect Nigerians – especially Christians, who have become an endangered species under its watch.’
Saudi Arabia / Yemen: prayer focus
23 Jan 2020
The Lord has moved the hearts of workers in Saudi Arabia and Yemen to have a special prayer focus for the Khawlan people, a tribe with a unique Semitic language living in a region straddling the border between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. During a special prayer gathering in Saudi Arabia for the Khawlan Tribe in October, those present sensed that God was encouraging a call for the global church to join in a five day prayer focus for these unreached people. Would you join in? People can pray at any time, and there will be a special prayer focus for this people group from 14 to 18 February. Click the ‘More’ button for a five-day prayer guide translated into various languages, including English, plus a video.