Egypt: Christians targeted
This report follows last week’s Prayer-Alert Egypt update when you were asked to pray into the situations where Imams across Egypt were calling for Christians to be attacked - particularly Christian shops churches and Christian homes - the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom reported on Friday that over 100 Christian churches, homes, properties, businesses and individuals had been attacked in Egypt from 14th August to 22nd August 2013. His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of The Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom informed the Christian community in the United Kingdom of the nature of attacks currently facing Christians in Egypt and asked for us to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Click here to view the full list of recent attacks, http://copticcentre.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html
Pray: for all the victims of violence on the streets of Egypt over the past weeks. Pray for God to protect Christian families and communities, comfort all those who mourn, or havve lost loved ones, been injured or feel powerless. (Ps.32:6-7)
More: http://www.copticcentre.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/christian-churches-homes-properties.html
Japan: Radioactive leak 'serious'
On Wednesday Japan's nuclear regulator upgraded the rating of a leak of radiation-contaminated water from a tank at its tsunami-wrecked nuclear plant to a ‘serious incident’ on an international scale and castigated the plant operator for failing to catch the problem earlier. The 300-ton (300,000-litre, 80,000-gallon) leak probably began a month and a half before it was discovered - exposure levels among patrolling staff started to increase in early July. The regulator said there is a much larger on-going problem of massive amounts of contaminated ground water reaching the sea that cannot be rated under the IAEA's International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale because it is unknown exactly how much ground water is escaping, how contaminated it is and what effect it is having on the sea and marine products.
Pray: for honest and honourable appraisals of this latest challenge to the containing contaminated of waste from land and sea. Pray for wise and effective measures to be implemented. (Pr.4:13-14)
More: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/japanese-regulator-raises-alert-nuclear-leaks-20089403
South Africa: Family Policy Institute calls for clampdown
The Family Policy Institute (FPI) stated, ‘Research shows the wide availability of pornography in society is destructive and harmful especially to women and children. This is evidenced by the fact that South Africa is currently regarded as the rape capital of the world. More than 64 000 women are raped annually in SA. In addition, reports indicate that more than 25,000 children are sexually abused every year in SA.’ The FPI called on the Government to take urgent action to stop the free flow and distribution of pornography following the arrest this week of a school principal, teachers, a doctor, an attorney and a businessman for the manufacture and dissemination of child pornography. The FPI statement continues, ‘Children as young as 10 are downloading sexually explicit images to their cell phones. Some are also producing pornographic videos of themselves and sharing it with friends.’
Pray: for an end to the Government’s liberal attitude to the unrestricted availability of pornography. (Lk.18:16 & Ps.12:5)
More: http://gatewaynews.co.za/family-policy-institute-calls-for-adult-porn-clampdown/
Half of teenagers sleep deprived, say experts
A combination of natural hormone changes and greater use of screen-based technology means many teenagers are not getting enough sleep. Research has suggested teenagers need nine hours' sleep to function properly. "Sleep is fundamentally important but despite this it's been largely ignored as part of our biology," said Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at Oxford University. "Within the context of teenagers, here we have a classic example where sleep could enhance enormously the quality of life and, indeed, the educational performance of our young people. Yet they're given no instruction about the importance of sleep and sleep is a victim to the many other demands that are being made of them. The great problem with teenagers is that you're not only biologically programmed to go to bed late and get up late, but there's also many attractions like gaming and social media and many teenagers are doing this into the early hours of the morning and delaying sleep even further."
Pray: for a greater appreciation by teenagers of the need for quality sleep. Pray also for better information to be given to them about sleep. ( Pr.3:24)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-23811690
