Lost passports and identity crime
The Passport Office and Action Fraud are raising awareness of the need to report missing passports to prevent documents from being used to commit identity crime and facilitate illegal travel across borders. Almost 50 million people hold a UK passport and 400,000 are lost or stolen annually. Yet despite the risks people wait on average 73 days before making a report. Passports have all the information that fraudsters need to steal an identity and set up accounts in that name. Immigration Minister, Caroline Nokes, said, ‘When you lose your bank card, the first thing you do is contact your bank and have it cancelled, yet people don’t treat lost or stolen passports with the same urgency’. By reporting missing passports, law enforcement agencies and immigration control officers can keep ahead of criminals attempting to get a UK passport illegally. This also ensures action can be taken against anyone identified as having obtained a passport by fraudulent means.
Scotland- drug deaths at record high
Drug deaths have reached their worst level in Scotland since records began, (934 in 2017). Statistics show Scotland's drug death-rate is roughly two and half times the UK rate and ‘massively worse’ than anywhere in Europe. The official ‘Drug-related deaths’ paper shows methadone, the heroin substitute, was present in nearly half of all deaths. Methadone is prescribed by the NHS to keep people off drugs! Annie Wells, the Scottish public health spokesperson, said, ‘ We need a radical and urgent drugs strategy, not one that waves the white flag in the face of drug-dealers and those who profit from this despicable industry, but one that gets tough on the issue. We need to help vulnerable people beat the habit once and for all, not park them on methadone just to watch them die from that very substance years later.’ Pray for God to inspire ministers to implement a successful, revitalised substance use strategy.
Gay conversion therapy' banned
‘Gay conversion therapies’ are to be banned as part of a government 75-point plan to improve the lives of gay and transgender people. A national survey of 108,000 LGBT people suggested that 2% have undergone the practice with another 5% having been offered it. A plan costing £4.5m, has been produced in response to the survey. A national LGBT health adviser will be recruited to tackle discrimination, improve the response to hate crime and improve diversity in education institutions. While the government did not offer a definition of conversion therapy, its report said it ranges from ‘pseudo’ psychological treatments to surgical interventions and 'corrective' rape. Faith organisations were the most likely to have carried out the therapy, according to the report. The NHS does not refer people for it and disagrees with the practice.
Turning from - and Turning To - 2 Chronicles 7:14
The Trumpet Call day was framed in worship to Jesus - The Lamb who has conquered - and included deep times of humbling, confession and repentance after RT Kendall spoke and again after Malcolm Duncan had spoken. The promise contained in 2 Chronicles 7:14 invites us to continue to come to our heavenly Father on an ongoing basis for ourselves, for the Church and for our nations, in humility and confession in order that we might see a continuation of the turning from our wicked ways. The WPC team have had many encouraging feedback comments. One Church leader said it had completely turned around his ministry, another said ‘awesome is an overused word but it truly was awesome’. The team has also been very encouraged by feedback on evangelistic events happening at the same time and the week after and by conversations about prayer and mission whilst recognising that there is a hard road ahead of us.
Lewis Hamilton, ‘God has his hand over me’
Lewis Hamilton believes he has the hand of God resting over him when he steps into his Formula One car. The Christian racing driver will set his sights on wrestling back the championship lead at the British Grand Prix. ‘Anything can happen any day, but I feel God has his hand over me,’ Hamilton, 33, said ahead of his home race. ‘Every morning I have breakfast and before I eat, I pray. Every time I eat, actually, I pray. So, whether it's a couple of seconds, a minute or whatever you are praying for, take that moment. He attends church with a couple of friends, ‘We leave Church most often feeling enlightened and empowered. Sometimes you leave, and you are like 'I didn't get that today', but most of the time you leave and you are like 'wow, I know where I am going'.
Mid-Week Stop Press - Chequers cabinet meeting
Last week Prayer Alert readers prayed for Cabinet members to get behind Theresa May as she prepares to negotiate with EU members next week, hoping to deliver the best possible clean Brexit for the UK.
At the time of writing, (2 July 2018) Theresa May’s cabinet is squabbling loudly and in public ahead of a ‘crunch’ meeting at Chequers on Friday - when the Prime Minister wants to unite her team to agree on the terms of a white paper that she will present to Brussels next week.
There are strong views being aired on both sides of the Brexit debate regarding the customs arrangement. Brexiteers do not want to compromise in any customs union plans, while former remainers do not want anything that will damage UK business.
Pray: for God to pour his oil of peace over cabinet members in the coming days and during Friday’s meeting.
Pray: Ask God to replace public political backbiting and media speculation with professional qualified comments. May He bring harmony into all of Friday’s debates.
Pray: for Friday’s meeting to determine a way forward according to God’s agenda for the future of the United Kingdom.
Pray: for God’s flawless direction to replace unedifying public debate.
Mozambique: New Islamic group kills villagers and displaces l,000’s
Attacks by a new Islamist militant group, Al-Sunna wa Jama’a, are being reported in Cabo Delgado province. Their first attacks targeted police stations. Since then more attacks and beheadings indicate a new jihadist movement in areas previously untroubled by Islamist extremism. Human Rights Watch reported 39 dead and 1,000+ displaced since May. On 5 June men attacked two villages with machetes and a small book in their hands reading loudly Arabic words from the book, before setting houses on fire. All the assailants had their faces covered and spoke Swahili. On 6 June, men with machetes and AK-47 assault rifles raided a neighbouring village, killing six and burning down 100+ homes. On 12 June, an elderly man was beheaded and another 100+ homes burned down when six men with machetes stormed Nathuko village. More. Also Missionary Heidi Baker appeals to Christians to pray for her work there
Burundi: 2/3 of family income is spent on food
Fifteen years of civil war, combined with extreme poverty, a fragile political process and recurrent climatic shocks, have impacted strongly on Burundi’s economy and nutrition. Only 28% of the population have a sufficient, nutritious diet all year round and 58% percent are chronically malnourished. Food security for the majority of Burundians has not improved in recent years, despite a gradual return to peace. With a population growth rate of nearly 3% per annum and agricultural production having declined by 24% since the civil war began, people are going hungry. Even during the harvest season, families spend up to two-thirds of their income on food. Burundi is one of the countries identified by both the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) as being among the most affected by soaring food prices. After so many years of conflict, the capacity of the government to respond to this new challenge is limited.
Iran: Street protests
On 24 June protesters forced two major shopping centres in Tehran to close after the Iranian rial dropped drastically, despite government attempts to control currency rates. On 25 June more protesters swarmed Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, forcing shopkeepers to close. The shutdown came in protest at the economic performance of the government. Protesters believe the administration does not want to hear the voice of the people. They have repeatedly warned the administration to shore up its economic team, but now protesters are saying, ‘we realise that this team must change. The administration must speak to the people honestly and answer questions about its economic performance.’ Rouhani's government has economy and unemployment challenges. Similar protests in early January saw 5,000 arrested and 25+ people killed when armed guards opened fire on protesters. There is widespread unease since America withdrew from Tehran's nuclear deal and intends restoring sanctions. Online videos show security forces firing tear gas at protesters outside a police station. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-26/thousands-protest-in-iran-over-failing-economy/9909184
Lebanon: Current situation for Christians
Lebanon is the only Arab state not officially Muslim and has the highest proportion of Christians of any Middle East country. Although politically segmented, the constitution attempts to distribute power equally. The president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim. Syrian refugees now comprise a quarter of Lebanon’s population. Some of Lebanon’s Christians can trace their origins as far back as the 5th century. For centuries, Christians have had a strong presence in the country, but a huge influx of Sunni Muslim refugees fleeing Syria is threatening the delicate political balance, bringing violence and complex political dynamics. Shia militant Islamist group Hezbollah, provides protection for Christian communities against Sunni jihadi groups. Lebanese Christians are a minority group divided between opponents and supporters of Hezbollah and are more vulnerable than at any time in recent history; living in conflict, enduring poverty and facing aggressive Muslim attitudes moulded by years of sectarian divide.