Police Service NI urges politicians to calm marching season tension
Politicians should do more to calm tensions during the marching season, the police have said. It cost almost £3m to police parades last summer and the bill could be even higher this year. There are fears dissident republicans may try to cause trouble in some areas, like the Ardoyne in north Belfast. Police sources told the BBC, politicians should work harder to encourage the resolution of contentious parades and reduce the likelihood of confrontation. While they are hoping for the best, they have to prepare for the worst, which means large numbers of officers and equipment have to be deployed. The PSNI said it has the resources needed, but also said politicians should do more to defuse tensions. Senior sources have told the BBC they would like politicians in potential trouble spots like north and west Belfast, Portadown and Rasharkin, to be more proactive.
Pray: for a peaceful and tolerant approach to the marching season encouraged by local politicians. (2Jn.6)
More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10211009.stm
Cumbria deaths will be 'incomprehensible' to community
For the people of west Cumbria, the events of this week will be almost impossible to comprehend. In this part of north west England, shootings are rare and major crime is almost unheard of. But in the past nine months, the communities here have endured a succession of severe incidents, natural and man-made. People are still homeless from last year's floods.The Keswick school bus crash 10 days ago in which three people died is still recent and raw. But the shootings will eclipse those, both in terms of violence and the shock that will reverberate throughout the remote area where these killings took place.
Pray: for all the people involved with this and other tragedies that God would minister to them in their need. (Rev.22:17)
Christians pray to heal Britain
Christians gathered in every borough of London on Pentecost Sunday to pray for God to heal Britain. The prayer gatherings were held as part of the Global Day of Prayer, which united an estimated 250 million Christians worldwide as the movement marked its tenth anniversary. Global Day of Prayer London facilitated prayer gatherings in churches and parks in all 33 London boroughs, testimony to the movement’s huge growth in the UK since it was launched in 2006. Convener of the Global Day of Prayer London, Jonathan Oloyede said: ‘We’re asking God to open up a new Britain, that it no longer is to be broken Britain, but for it to be healed,’ he said.
Praise: God for His call on intercessors to prayer for the healing of the nations. (Rev.22:1-2) More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians.pray.to.heal.britain/25969.htm
Christians pray to heal Britain
Christians gathered in every borough of London on Pentecost Sunday to pray for God to heal Britain. The prayer gatherings were held as part of the Global Day of Prayer, which united an estimated 250 million Christians worldwide as the movement marked its tenth anniversary. Global Day of Prayer London facilitated prayer gatherings in churches and parks in all 33 London boroughs, testimony to the movement’s huge growth in the UK since it was launched in 2006. Convener of the Global Day of Prayer London, Jonathan Oloyede said: ‘We’re asking God to open up a new Britain, that it no longer is to be broken Britain, but for it to be healed,’ he said.
Praise: God for His call on intercessors to prayer for the healing of the nations. (Rev.22:1-2) More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians.pray.to.heal.britain/25969.htm
Re Westminster 2010 Declaration of Christian Conscience
The election result of a coalition government has produced a better balance on Christian conscience issues. 63 MPs with poor voting records and only 10 with good voting records stepped down. Thirty two MP’s made the Westminster pledge to 'respect, uphold and protect the right of Christians to hold and express Christian beliefs and act according to Christian conscience'. Thirty eight were ‘supportive' of the pledge, twenty four new MPs are Christians including nine members of the Conservative Christian Fellowship and one from the Christian Socialist movement.
Praise: God for mercifully watching over nations - and ask him to carry us deeper into a Christian inheritance. (Ps.22:4)
More: http://www.westminster2010.org.uk/news/election-results-in-more-mps-supportive-of-christian-conscience---mond/
Re Westminster 2010 Declaration of Christian Conscience
The election result of a coalition government has produced a better balance on Christian conscience issues. 63 MPs with poor voting records and only 10 with good voting records stepped down. Thirty two MP’s made the Westminster pledge to 'respect, uphold and protect the right of Christians to hold and express Christian beliefs and act according to Christian conscience'. Thirty eight were ‘supportive' of the pledge, twenty four new MPs are Christians including nine members of the Conservative Christian Fellowship and one from the Christian Socialist movement.
Praise: God for mercifully watching over nations - and ask him to carry us deeper into a Christian inheritance. (Ps.22:4)
More: http://www.westminster2010.org.uk/news/election-results-in-more-mps-supportive-of-christian-conscience---mond/
Iran: Maryam and Marzieh acquitted, free and now safe
Two Christian prisoners of faith have been acquitted of all charges 14 months after their arrest - and are now safe in a country outside Iran. Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Esmaeilabad left Iran last Saturday - with a warning from the courts that they would be 'dealt with severely' if they were ever involved in Christian activities in Iran again. Maryam said: 'The prayers of people encouraged and sustained us throughout this ordeal.' They were arrested in March 2009 (Prayer Alert 1609) and charged with 'apostasy' and 'propagating Christianity'. They were held at Tehran's Evin prison where they endured repeated interrogations and solitary confinement. They were released on bail in November. (See Prayer Alert 4709) The Iranian authorities have also released on bail a couple from Isfahan, Hamid Shafiee and Reyhaneh Aghajary, following a large bail payment. They have been told to expect a future court summons.
Praise: God for the release of Maryam and Marzieh, bless them with a fruitful ministry and pray all charges against Hamid and Reyhaneh will now be dropped. (Ps.145:3-4)
More: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/posts/iran-maryam-and-marzieh-acquitted-free-and-now-safe-707.php
Iran: Maryam and Marzieh acquitted, free and now safe
Two Christian prisoners of faith have been acquitted of all charges 14 months after their arrest - and are now safe in a country outside Iran. Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Esmaeilabad left Iran last Saturday - with a warning from the courts that they would be 'dealt with severely' if they were ever involved in Christian activities in Iran again. Maryam said: 'The prayers of people encouraged and sustained us throughout this ordeal.' They were arrested in March 2009 (Prayer Alert 1609) and charged with 'apostasy' and 'propagating Christianity'. They were held at Tehran's Evin prison where they endured repeated interrogations and solitary confinement. They were released on bail in November. (See Prayer Alert 4709) The Iranian authorities have also released on bail a couple from Isfahan, Hamid Shafiee and Reyhaneh Aghajary, following a large bail payment. They have been told to expect a future court summons.
Praise: God for the release of Maryam and Marzieh, bless them with a fruitful ministry and pray all charges against Hamid and Reyhaneh will now be dropped. (Ps.145:3-4)
More: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/posts/iran-maryam-and-marzieh-acquitted-free-and-now-safe-707.php
Zimbabwe: 700,000 destitute evictees
Amnesty International and coalition of partners said the government of Zimbabwe must take action to protect hundreds of thousands of people living in substandard settlements five years after a programme of mass forced evictions and demolition of settlements across the country affecting more than 700,000 people - leaving them without a home or livelihood or both. Most were driven deeper into poverty by Zimbabwe’s economic crisis. An operation aimed to provide shelter for the victims and improve their living conditions was a failure and abandoned. The NGO has called on the Zimbabwean government to provide adequate alternative accommodation or compensation to those left homeless and jobless. Victims are surviving in plastic shacks without basic essential services and their needs are at risk of being forgotten because their voices are consistently ignored.
Pray: and cry out to God for His provision to be released for Zimbabwe’s forgotten victims of injustice. (Pr.2:21)
Gaza: Convoy of humanitarian aid
Eight cargo ships with more than 10,000MT of building materials, medical equipment, medicines, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines, unavailable in Gaza, CT scanners, X-ray and kidney dialysis machines will set sail for the Gaza Strip on 27 May in a symbolic attempt by activists to break the three-year Israeli blockade. Scores of smaller vessels carrying passengers from 140 nations are part of the ‘flotilla’ which will attempt to dock in Gaza City on 28 May. Passengers include 50 parliamentary members from EU and Arab nations, and Israeli Knesset member Hanin Zoabi. Israeli foreign affairs ministry spokesperson described the fleet as a ‘publicity stunt’ adding ‘International aid organizations and the private sector of Gaza ensure that all the necessary food, medicine and clothing are provided to the Strip via Israel.’
Pray: for God to spread his protection over the needy and have mercy on those suffering injustice. (Ps.9:8-9)
More: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89255