There are 13,000 slaves in Britain. Many argue there are many more. Those who escape suffer post-traumatic stress disorders. Many fear the police. Trust is so eroded that some are afraid to engage with charities. P worked twelve-hour days at a car wash after a ‘friend’ offered him the job. He soon discovered he wouldn't get paid. Worse was to come. The house he'd been placed in was guarded by two or three big men who took his phone and threatened to kill him if he tried to escape. One night when his guards were drunk he ran to the police. He now works in the Co-op’s ‘Bright Futures’ scheme, which helps survivors of modern slavery into work. Slavery survivors are given a four-week work placement, which ends in a non-competitive interview. If both parties are happy there is a full-time job on offer.

The three institutions of the EU are Parliament (EP), Council (EC), and Commission. The EP president, Antonio Tajani, presides over the debates and activities of parliament, along with fourteen vice-presidents, and represents parliament internationally. Donald Tusk is president of the EC, that is all EU heads of state. He is its representative on the world stage, attends summits, and represents the consensus view of the EU states. He also chairs meetings of heads of state. The president of the Commission, currently Jean-Claude Juncker, allocates portfolios to the commissioners, who are nominated by their home countries. The EU Council, where legislation is discussed, is led by the country holding the six-month rotating presidency, currently Bulgaria.

In 2016 one in three Europeans thought their governments and political leaders were mostly or entirely corrupt. When the survey was published, work began on a project with civil society and individuals in governments across the EU to demonstrate that ‘corruption is not inevitable’. The focus is public procurement, a sector which sees corruption-related losses of almost €5 billion per year in the EU. The Integrity Pact is a signed commitment by contractors and bidders in public contracts to act with integrity and transparency. An independent organisation monitors compliance with the commitment. Local government, civil society and private companies are using it to ensure that 17 big public contracts in 11 EU countries are being run efficiently, accountably and in the public interest, so that taxpayers’ money goes where it is intended.

A 15-year-old girl from a Jewish school had her face slashed in an anti-Semitic attack, just days after two kosher shops were torched. The shops had been painted with swastikas in December. Many believe France is seeing a return of anti-Semitic currents. Anti-Semitic speech is heard more and more, and warning bells are ringing all over Europe. Simply to admit the problem is not enough; it is time to act and identify the sources of anti-Semitism in France. Hostile opinions towards Jews are more prevalent among the extreme right, the radical left, and the Muslim community - itself the object of considerable animosity in France.

A respected Lagos church leader reports that worshippers in their church in Rivers State were gruesomely murdered by heartless cultists. 15+ people, including women and children, were cut down in a hail of bullets. The following day Fulani herdsmen invaded villages, killed an estimated 50+, and destroyed houses and properties. The government appears powerless, and has been accused of being impervious to people’s sufferings. The security agencies seem so desensitised that you wonder if they still value human lives. But we cannot fold our hands and let this continue, it is time to rise as intercessors and pray. For suggested prayer points to guide your prayers for Nigeria please click the ‘More’ button.

The Christian Association of Nigeria has urged the government to declare the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) a terrorist organisation. Stating they should be prosecuted for genocide against the Christian minorities, Rev Dr Musa Asake said, ‘We make bold to say that Nigeria’s security system has become dysfunctional. This is shown by the inability of the various security arms to wrestle to the ground those threatening the existence of Christians and other innocent citizens in Nigeria. They have not produced an efficient system to overwhelm the resurgence of Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen who are prowling villages, shooting and killing innocent Christians.’ Asake said MACBAN is not a business group; it combines bloodshed with enterprise, and the Fulani herdsmen are clearly associated with it. For the full press report see

The USA is working with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to create a border force, potentially 30,000 fighters, along the Turkey/Iraq borders and along the Syrian side of the Euphrates. Since 2014 it has led the coalition of nations using air strikes and specialist troops to fight IS across Syria and Iraq. IS has now lost most of that territory. For much of the war, the US and Turkey worked together against the Assad government. But this decision to back Kurdish fighters has enraged Ankara, and Syria denounced any new border force as an assault on its sovereignty, adding that Syrians joining the force would be ‘traitors’. Turkey vowed to ‘drown’ Kurdish border security forces in bullets, and Erdogan accused America of forming a ‘terrorist’ force on Turkey’s border. The fragile state of relations between the nations deteriorates.

A prayer team recently visited some places in Pakistan connected to terrorism. They felt the presence of evil, but also felt prayer backup that allowed them to pray as God wanted them to pray. They experienced protection by the prayers of others. Please pray that their intercessions will bring real change, and that people will be encouraged to pray even more for their country. Continue to pray for God’s protection over the team - that there will be no backlash, particularly for those inside Pakistan who do not have intercessors covering them. We can also praise God that unreached people groups will soon be targeted with prayer petitions. A large prayer organisation will soon produce daily prayer material for the Hindu ethnic groups in Pakistan.

25% of people in Namibia have HIV/AIDS, and 35% are unemployed. Life expectancy is plummeting. Political conflicts, colonialism and apartheid have left scars. Ethnic tensions and potential economic collapse threaten the fragile stability. Although 90% of the population is Christian, afro-spiritualism has crept into the church, leading to ungodly worship practices. However, a prayer movement is sweeping the nation and building community among Christians. The San, the Himba, and the peoples of the Kavango and Caprivi strips are the least evangelised in Namibia; missionaries need wisdom and discernment to develop specific approaches to reach them. Purity in worship and in the Church must be restored in the lives of Namibian Christians. The deeper their walk with God, the brighter the light of Christ will shine through them, attracting those who have not heard or do not yet believe.

Mount Mayon, in the Philippines, is erupting like a fountain. By 18 January, forty thousand villagers had been evacuated. People expect volcanic mudslides and roofs collapsing from accumulated ash and rainwater. Pray for those living in fear. In North America thousands are still engaged in search and clean-up efforts from last year’s wildfires, followed by huge mudslides. Pray for those who have lost everything. In Africa humanitarian aid takes months to reach people. 15 million people need aid in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia; pray for better aid agency networking. Europe has experienced devastating floods. Pray for the 80,000+ who were evacuated and are still receiving relief efforts. In Australia temperatures of 47.3 degrees necessitate a total fire ban. See and also