A selection of the week's happenings to aid your prayers.

Society & Politics

• Brexit Withdrawal Agreement becomes law: The bill has received royal assent and been rubber-stamped by EU leaders, with the EU Parliament expected to vote it through on Wednesday. Read more here.
  
• Wales to make SRE compulsory? Parents of children in Welsh schools will no longer have the right of withdrawal from curricular lessons on sexuality and religion, if proposed legislation is passed. The announcement from the Welsh Minister for Education overrides the results of two consultations. Read more here and here.
  
• Evidence of early foetal pain prompts calls for review: Pro-life MPs and peers are calling for a review of the current abortion time limits after new scientific research has suggested that babies in the womb can feel pain as early as 13 weeks, well below the legal upper limit for abortion. Read more here.
  
• UK-Israel relationship strengthening: ‘Soaring’ bilateral trade and deepening ties across various sectors are all part of a strengthening ‘strategic’ relationship between the two countries, according to a new report. Read more here. Also this week, Prince Charles has made his first official visit to Israel, as part of Holocaust memorial events. Read more here.
  
• Isle of Man rejects assisted suicide: In a debate earlier this week, Isle of Man politicians decided against preparing legislation to liberalise the rules surrounding assisted suicide. Read more here.

World Scene

• Christian pastor executed in Nigeria: Pastor Lawan Andimi, whose video plea for help was released earlier this month, has reportedly been murdered by his captors, Boko Haram. Read more here.
  
• Chinese coronavirus kills 25, mutates: A new virus which has already taken more than two dozen Chinese lives and infected thousands is causing global concern. The UK is putting measures in place to prevent its spread on British soil. Read more here. China has locked down six cities in a bid to contain the outbreak.
  
• Trump the first president to attend March for Life: The President is attending and will address the 2020 March in Washington, today (24 January), making him the first President to attend the event. Read more here. Early pro-life events this year in the US have prompted record-breaking turnouts. Read more here.

Israel & Middle East

• World leaders meet in Israel for World Holocaust Forum: 47 world leaders including kings, presidents and high-ranking dignitaries have met in Israel this week for the fifth annual World Holocaust Forum, in the largest diplomatic event in Israel’s history. Read more here. The Palestinian media has responded with calls for bloodshed.
  
• Turkey seeks to extend into North Africa: President Erdogan is sending thousands of Turkish-trained Syrian mercenaries to Libya to support the government in its civil war, in a move being seen as another step towards re-establishing the Ottoman Empire. Read more here.

Events

• Children of the Holocaust Exhibition (N. Wales): 26-29 January, Deeside. An exhibition focusing on the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. The young victims’ stories will be told by children, with Stephanie McMahon Kaye (a retired Holocaust educator from Yad Vashem, Jerusalem) as guest speaker. Father’s House Sabbath Congregation, Shotton. For more information, call 01244 823378.
• Our Kids Are Being Taught What?! Part 2 (London): 22 February. The second in a series of conferences on sex, gender, relationships and young people, with a particular focus on how parents can respond to popular messages being levelled at children and teens. St Luke’s Church, Wimbledon Park, 10:30am-5:30pm. Find out more and book tickets here.

Recommended Sources

At Prophecy Today UK we are aware that the world is moving very quickly and it is difficult to keep up with all the latest developments – especially when the material circulated by our mainstream media is increasingly far from reality and definitely not devoted to a biblical perspective!Though we are not a news service, we want to help keep you informed by passing on updates and reports as we are led. This will be a selective, not an exhaustive, round-up, which we hope will be helpful for your prayers. Click here to browse our News archive.We recommend the following news services for regular updates from a Christian perspective: