Facebook removes Russian and Iranian accounts
24 Aug 2018
Facebook has identified and banned groups and pages engaged in misleading political behaviour and removed 652 pages, groups, and accounts linked to Russia and Iran, for ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’ that included the sharing of political material. Facebook significantly stepped up policing its platform after acknowledging that Russian agents successfully ran political influence operations on its platform aimed at influencing the 2016 US presidential election. Other social media networks have done likewise, and continue to turn up fresh evidence of political disinformation campaigns.
Australia: yet another change of PM
24 Aug 2018
On 24 August, after a bitter row that has thrust the country's political landscape into turmoil, Australia’s Liberal party named finance minister Scott Morrison as the country's new leader, after he emerged victorious from a three-way race with former home affairs minister Peter Dutton and foreign minister Julie Bishop. The ugly fight for power comes just nine months before a May 2019 deadline for a new general election, and continues a torrid period of instability for Australian leadership - Mr Morrison will be the country's sixth prime minister in less than ten years. Mr Turnbull, who called the leadership vote after losing the majority support of the party, opted not to contest it. The crisis for the Liberal party is far from over, however. Mr Turnbull intends to resign from parliament, leaving the new government facing a by-election for his Sydney seat that could see it lose its one-seat majority. It is reported that Ms Bishop, having been defeated in the leadership ballot, would likely also resign from politics.
In June we prayed for the Christian film Voices of the Silenced to influence today's culture - see But on the eve of its premiere Vue Cinemas refused to screen it. Dr Mike Davidson, who produced the documentary, sued Vue for breaching the terms of their contract. On 15 August the cinema chain, which operates almost ninety venues across the UK and Ireland, settled in full the legal claim brought by the makers of Voices of the Silenced. Dr Davidson said that he hopes that in the future cinema operators will not fold under pressure from LGBT activists wishing to silence those who want to move away from same-sex attraction and behaviour. Shot in eight countries, the film presents reflections from doctors and theologians, as well as the testimonies of people who have abandoned homosexual relations.
Bethlehem to Ireland to Rwanda, with love
17 Aug 2018
When Saleem left Bethlehem in the West Bank to attend YWAM’s Discipleship Training School in Belfast, he said he felt like a nobody ‘because of my past, and who I was’. But while his outreach team were in Rwanda, he played soccer with friends and talked to them about his past, the situation in his country, and what God was teaching him about forgiveness. ‘After I spoke, a Hutu stood up and said his family was killed by Tutsis in the war, and he was getting ready to go to the Congo to join a Hutu rebel group so he could get revenge by killing Tutsis.’ But after he heard Saleem’s testimony, God touched his heart, and he said he now was choosing the grace of God. That night God spoke to Saleem, ‘He said, “See my son, your past is important, and you are everything to me”. From that night on, I knew that I was really someone!’
Security
17 Aug 2018
After Salih Khater attempted a terror attack outside the Houses of Parliament, we can pray: ‘In the Name of Jesus, we enforce God’s original plans for peace, mercy and hope over and against every plan and purpose of Satan to bring death or destruction, and we declare this nation will be a place of safety. We declare You are the one in whom we put our trust. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses; but we remember the Name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7). We thank You for Your love and Your covenant with us, and we come into agreement with Your word that “love always protects”. We thank You for those You have called to watch over our nation at this time, both in the spiritual realm and in the physical realm, and we release Your strength and Your wisdom to them in the Name of Jesus.’
Brexit: 'no deal' WTO option
17 Aug 2018
Politicians and the Bank of England now say that the chances of a ‘no deal’ scenario are high, and may leave the UK with no trading deals in place. Pray that a spirit of fear will not entrench our nation. WTO's director general believes ‘this is not going to be a situation where all trade stops and there is collapse in terms of the economy as a whole. The tendency is that prices will go up because you have to absorb the cost of that disruption’. The WTO facilitates 164 countries, without free trade agreements with each other, to trade using the same tax on imports and the same limits on the number of goods. After Brexit, the UK could lower/waive tariffs to stimulate free trade. Cheaper products could enter UK, but some UK producers could fold. We can pray for business to thrive. The UK already trades under WTO rules with China, US, Brazil and Australia, plus any country without a trade agreement with the EU.
Climate change is a faith issue
17 Aug 2018
Christian charity Operation Noah has launched an animated film designed to help Christians around the world recognise the human cost of climate change - particularly for women and children. According to the charity, while most adults in the UK think that climate change is real and caused primarily by human activity, many Christians don't yet see it as a faith issue. Recent polling indicates that environmental issues are seen as less important by conservative Christians than in other parts of the church. Inspired by real-life stories, the film tells the story of a seven-year-old girl living on a South Pacific island who is already experiencing the impacts of climate change. UN figures indicate that women and children are 14 times more likely than men to die or be injured during extreme weather events.
The Refugee Council
17 Aug 2018
The Refugee Council works with refugees and asylum-seekers in the UK, offering practical support and advice throughout their journey. For over sixty years it has helped people fleeing war, rape, or torture. Refugees have unimaginable stories to tell. Many have lost everything, and their lives will never return to normal. The council supports them and empowers them to rebuild their lives. Pray for all those helping refugees as they make the challenging first steps towards resettlement. Pray that they can obtain the necessary immigration documentation and move towards accessing a source of income or interim financial support. Pray for God to anoint the counsellors who assess refugees with physical and mental health problems. Pray for more stable and secure accommodation to be available across our nations for those who need it.