The shift in tone and mood was unmistakable as US president Joe Biden visited the Republic of Ireland, having spent a short time in Northern Ireland. Baseball cap on, and into a pub. ‘It feels like I'm coming home,’ he said in Dundalk, County Louth. The NI politics tightrope negotiated, it seems it is now time to unwind a little. His sister and son were in tow: it was not diplomacy but a return to family roots and a sense of belonging. 30 million Americans also have Irish ancestry, and Biden hopes for a political dividend the year before a presidential election. Meanwhile his visit to Northern Ireland, although talked about for months, only lasted 17 hours. There is no such thing as a low-key trip for an American president, but this came close. Quick, short, with Rishi Sunak's input minimal, not even appearing at Biden's only public appearance - raising some eyebrows in government.
Bill’s impact on the environment
13 Apr 2023
The House of Lords debated a bill on 11 April, and if wise amendments are not made before it receives royal assent it is regarded as the gravest threat to our wildlife in decades by a number of wildlife and conservation charities. A new bill, officially called the Retained EU Law Bill, threatens to wipe out thousands of crucial laws which protect wildlife by the end of the year. This will lead to even more pollution poisoning rivers, more wild places at risk of being damaged - and potentially destroyed - and more wildlife threatened with extinction. It is an attack on nature, and environmentalists are urging the Government to bin it before it’s too late. The Government wants to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2030. If this bill is passed without change, it will undermine any possibility of achieving that goal. A Rocha believes the bill should be abandoned in its current state.
Ukraine: beheading video
13 Apr 2023
Ukraine’s president Zelensky has urged world leaders to act after the emergence of footage showing Russian soldiers beheading a Ukrainian prisoner of war. A second video shows the beheaded corpses of two Ukrainian soldiers next to a destroyed military vehicle. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, it has committed widespread abuses. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin’s alleged war crimes. Ukraine’s foreign minister tweeted, ‘A horrific video of Russian troops decapitating a Ukrainian prisoner of war is circulating online. It’s absurd that Russia, which is worse than Isis, is presiding over the UNSC’ - referring to the UN Security Council, where Russia took up the rotating presidency this month. ‘The terror group Isis released a number of videos showing beheadings when it controlled swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. Russian terrorists must be kicked out of Ukraine and the UN and be held accountable for their crimes, and the International Criminal Court must ‘immediately investigate yet another atrocity of the Russian military.’
Norway expels 15 Russian diplomats
13 Apr 2023
Norway’s foreign ministry has said it has decided to expel fifteen Russian embassy officials in Oslo, claiming that they were intelligence officers operating under the cover of diplomatic positions. In a statement, the ministry said: ‘The government’s decision is in response to the changed security situation in Europe, which has led to an increased intelligence threat from Russia. The officers must leave Norway shortly.’. Norway’s foreign minister, Anniken Huitfeldt, said: ‘This is an important step in countering, and reducing the level of, Russian intelligence activity in Norway, and thus in safeguarding our national interests.’ Russia’s foreign ministry said it would respond to Norway’s expulsion of its diplomats, according to state media.
Israel: terrorist tensions
13 Apr 2023
Following two nights of violence between police and ‘agitators’ at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, 34 rockets were launched into Israel’s civilian population from southern Lebanon terrorists. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said 25 of the projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome defence system. See Israel’s military then carried out air strikes on Hamas targets in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Gaza retaliated with dozens more rockets. IDF warplanes struck Hamas’ infrastructures in Lebanon and Gaza, including an underground shaft to construct weapons, three weapons workshops and an underground terrorist tunnel. Another 44 rockets from Gaza towards southern Israel were intercepted. See On Good Friday, two British-Israeli sisters were killed and their mother later died after being shot in the West Bank. The next day, an Italian tourist was killed and seven others injured in a Tel Aviv car-ramming. Benjamin Netanyahu has called up army and police reservists.
USA: no abortions after six weeks
13 Apr 2023
The Senate in Florida has passed a bill to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The ‘Heartbeat Protection Act’ would prohibit physicians from knowingly performing or inducing a pregnancy termination after the gestational age of the foetus is over six weeks, as opposed to 15 weeks at present. Last year the state’s governor signed a law which bans abortion after 15 weeks, with no exception for rape or incest. It is being challenged in Florida’s supreme court. A decision is not expected until May. The Heartbeat Protection Act provides ‘an exception if the woman obtaining the abortion is a victim of rape, incest or human trafficking, subject to certain conditions’. Two Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against the legislation. The bill is expected to have the legislation signed, and Republicans are expected to pass their own version of the bill in the coming days.
China: Christian population growth
13 Apr 2023
8% of China’s population is Christian and Christianity is established in every province, but many do not have enough Bible knowledge. Rural areas still have a shortage of Bibles and Christian teaching. Pray for wise, godly leadership to be multiplied at every level in the Church and for Christians to be part of shaping China as the nation amasses wealth and political influence. The Church has many mature leaders, but needs more as the church grows. Pray for Christians to have integrity in a culture where corruption is a temptation. 200 years ago, Napoleon Bonaparte said, ’Let China Sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.’ This is being realised as China’s church is awakened by God’s Spirit. Pray for this to be a significant Christian movement with continuing growth. China is a significant global power, economically and militarily, pray for wise leaders to walk a path of peace.
Pray for Muslims’ salvation
13 Apr 2023
Most Muslims fall into one of two camps - Sunni or Shia. The term Sunni means laws and comes from the word ‘sunnah,’ which means ‘way of life’. This refers to the way of life of the Prophet Mohammad. 90% of Muslims around the world are Sunni. A movement of the Gospel among Sunni Muslims could impact nearly the entire Muslim world. Today, God is doing just that. He is drawing unprecedented numbers of Sunni Muslims to Himself in every region of the world. More Muslims have turned to follow Jesus in the past fifteen years than in the previous 1,400 years combined. But there are still 1.8 billion Muslims living without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Ramadan ends on April 21. During Ramadan, Muslims have been intentionally seeking God through prayer and fasting. Pray for an incredible number of Muslims to encounter their Saviour Jesus.