Belgium: Liege reeling after killing spree
A gunman opened fire on passers-by and threw grenades in a central square of the Belgian city of Liege, fatally wounding at least four people and injuring scores more before apparently killing himself. Separately, on Wednesday police found a woman's body in a warehouse used by the gunman, who has been named as Nordine Amrani. Late on Tuesday a Liege hospital announced that a 17-month-old girl had become the fourth victim of the shooting spree, after two teenage boys and a 75-year-old woman were earlier confirmed killed. Officials said at least 120 others were also wounded in the attack. Daniele Reynders, the public prosecutor for Liege, told reporters ‘Amrani committed suicide with a bullet to the head. He left no message to explain his act’. Police had recently raided his Liege home seeking cannabis plants, but had found arms instead. In 2008, he was sentenced to almost five years in prison for illegal possession of arms and growing cannabis.
Pray: for all those caught up in this atrocity that God will bring them physical, spiritual healing and peace. (Col.1:2)
More: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2011/12/20111213125725322987.html
Belgium: Liege reeling after killing spree
A gunman opened fire on passers-by and threw grenades in a central square of the Belgian city of Liege, fatally wounding at least four people and injuring scores more before apparently killing himself. Separately, on Wednesday police found a woman's body in a warehouse used by the gunman, who has been named as Nordine Amrani. Late on Tuesday a Liege hospital announced that a 17-month-old girl had become the fourth victim of the shooting spree, after two teenage boys and a 75-year-old woman were earlier confirmed killed. Officials said at least 120 others were also wounded in the attack. Daniele Reynders, the public prosecutor for Liege, told reporters ‘Amrani committed suicide with a bullet to the head. He left no message to explain his act’. Police had recently raided his Liege home seeking cannabis plants, but had found arms instead. In 2008, he was sentenced to almost five years in prison for illegal possession of arms and growing cannabis.
Pray: for all those caught up in this atrocity that God will bring them physical, spiritual healing and peace. (Col.1:2)
More: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2011/12/20111213125725322987.html
Turkey: Al Qaeda accused of planning to bomb churches
A large-scale Al Qaeda plot to bomb ‘all the churches in Ankara,’ as well as the Turkish Parliament and U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital, was made public today (Dec.9). According to Compass Direct News (CDN), the 50-page indictment, following the arrest of suspects last July, outlined the militants’ revised ‘jihad’ strategy to begin focusing their attacks against Turkey before waging war against the United States and other countries. Police seized 700 kilos (1,500 pounds) of explosives, along with assault rifles, ammunition, bomb-making instructions and detailed maps of Ankara. Among the CDs, detailed maps, sketches and building diagrams, police also discovered lists of the names and home addresses of Christian clergy and other church workers residing in Ankara. The news took Christian leaders in Ankara by total surprise, according to one Turkish Christian leader in Ankara. ‘No one has had any news about this until now,’ he said.
Pray: for the work of the authorities as they combat the Al Qaeda menace and protect those under threat. (Ps.32:7)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/turkey/article_124391.html
Turkey: Al Qaeda accused of planning to bomb churches
A large-scale Al Qaeda plot to bomb ‘all the churches in Ankara,’ as well as the Turkish Parliament and U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital, was made public today (Dec.9). According to Compass Direct News (CDN), the 50-page indictment, following the arrest of suspects last July, outlined the militants’ revised ‘jihad’ strategy to begin focusing their attacks against Turkey before waging war against the United States and other countries. Police seized 700 kilos (1,500 pounds) of explosives, along with assault rifles, ammunition, bomb-making instructions and detailed maps of Ankara. Among the CDs, detailed maps, sketches and building diagrams, police also discovered lists of the names and home addresses of Christian clergy and other church workers residing in Ankara. The news took Christian leaders in Ankara by total surprise, according to one Turkish Christian leader in Ankara. ‘No one has had any news about this until now,’ he said.
Pray: for the work of the authorities as they combat the Al Qaeda menace and protect those under threat. (Ps.32:7)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/turkey/article_124391.html
Lavish presents ruining Christmas
Parents should spend less on presents because commercialisation is ruining Christmas, according to David Cameron’s top adviser on childhood, who urged families not to give in to ‘pester power’ and resist the temptation to get into debt by buying lavish gifts. Mr Bailey, who is the chief executive of Mothers’ Union, a Christian charity, warned that commercial pressures threatened to undermine the message of Christmas. ‘Parents have high levels of anxiety about presents,’ he said. ‘They feel as though they have to purchase expensive gifts because that's what all the other children have.’ He said that children should not be treated as ‘mini-consumers’ and said they would benefit in the long run from having fewer possessions. ‘This is a stressful time of the year. There's pressure to buy expensive things. Children admit they pester their parents but it's terribly sad that we end up leaving parents feeling utterly guilty after Christmas, having desperately tried to make ends meet.’
Pray: for all those for whom Christmas merely presents a financial worry rather than a simple celebration of our Lord’s birth. (Pr.14:15)
BPAS to post morning-after pills out for free at Christmas
The morning-after pill will be posted out to women for free throughout December under a ‘vulgar’ new scheme which has been slammed by critics. BPAS, (British Pregnancy Advisory Service), is encouraging women to stock up ahead of the Christmas party season. A poster advertising the scheme shows the word ‘sex’ in Christmas-tree lights, and bears the slogan: ‘Getting ‘turned on’ this Christmas?’ And a dedicated website for the controversial service is entitled santacomes.org. Josephine Quintavalle, of the ProLife Alliance, has branded the campaign ‘incredibly vulgar’. Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, said: The pill was supposed to be a prescription-only drug under the control of doctors yet it is now being marketed as a ‘just-in-case’ drug and supplied free of charge. BPAS’s telephone service will inevitably lead to underage girls lying about their age in order to access it.’ A spokesman for BPAS has admitted that some children ‘will not be completely honest about their age’.
Pray: for proper and effective control over the issuing of such drugs. (Pr.4:11)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/bpas-to-post-morning-after-pills-out-for-free-at-christmas/
Government figures show that homelessness is up by 13%
The number of households declared homeless so far this year is up by 13 per cent from the same period last year, according to Government figures. According to Homeless Link, the umbrella group for over 500 charities, 35,680 households have been accepted as homeless by local authorities since the start of 2011 and the numbers of people placed in bread and breakfast accommodation has risen by 30 per cent to 9,240 compared with the same period last year. Jacqui McCluskey, of Homeless Link, said: ‘As a result of the recession, cuts and the high cost of living, the number of homeless people continues to rise. Especially alarming is the jump in number of people becoming homeless because they have had to leave their privately rented homes. We are concerned that this trend will accelerate as the government's changes to housing benefit bite. Becoming homeless shouldn't be inevitable. Urgent action is needed to keep more people in their homes.’
Pray: for all those who are homeless or likely to become so and that safeguards will be put in place by the Government to protect them. (Ps.70:5)
Operation Capitals of Europe and Gatekeepers of Europe in Athens, Greece, will hold a joint event, 20-26 March 2012.
George & Evi Markakis
Shalom Center Athens
Shalom Apostolic Network international
Shalom Center House of Prayer for all Nations
3rd flr, 8, Akominatou str. Omonia Athens, Greece
France: Alpine glaciers in retreat
French Alps glaciers have lost 1/4 of their area in the past 40 years according to the largest annual gathering of Earth scientists, (American Geophysical Union). It mirrors findings of retreat occurring in other sectors of the Alps across the borders of several nations. The French Alps glaciers inventory was produced through the University of Savoie. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16025568. Meanwhile in a South African convention on climate change running from 28th November to 9th December Christian youth discuss the message that God's creation needs better care as young people from church and faith-based organisations on six continents take ‘Youth For Eco-Justice’ training. Roger Schmidt, Secretary for Youth said, ‘Creative young people are capable of breaking the deadlock in the world in terms of climate change with a new understanding of the connection of justice and ecology.’
Pray: for more to catch the vision of eco-justice and for governments to put global concerns ahead of national industrial development.(Ps.24:1-2)
More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/15872
Burma: Christians face deadly attacks
On November 30th as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Burma to support Burma's apparent reforms to discuss minority rights, government troops killed civilians and burned houses 450 miles away in Christian majority state Kachin. Soldiers fired four rounds of mortar shells at civilians killing a woman and injuring six other villagers in Waingmaw Township, a battalion burned down ten homes in Nam Wai village and five in Hpa Ke village. The killing and arson followed two explosions that killed a student and injured another the previous night in Myitkyina. Local residents suspected government agents planted the bombs. The twin blasts rocked the state capital days after an explosion killed seven children and three internally displaced Kachin people and injured 16 children at an orphanage. Two sons and a grandson of a Christian couple who run the orphanage in their home were among those killed, but police arrested the family, alleging they had detonated it.
Pray: for the Burmese authorities to honour their agreement to implement minority rights reforms. (Am.5:24)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/burma/article_124091.html