• Attempt to decriminalise abortion launched: The abortion lobby is seeking to hijack the upcoming Domestic Abuse Bill with an amendment which, if passed, would represent the most extreme change to the UK’s abortion laws since 1967. Read more here. Also this week, the Court of Appeal has granted a judicial review of DIY abortions, permitting a public hearing to re-assess the Government’s lockdown policy. Read more here. Meanwhile, Guernsey politicians have voted to permit abortion up to birth for disabled babies. Read more here.
  
• 6,666 abortions in Ireland last year: Abortions were legalised in Ireland in 2018 and abortion providers began to operate in January 2019. The 2019 figure represents a 133% increase on the number of abortions previously provided to Irish women travelling overseas. Read more here.
  
• Rise in children sending explicit texts: Girls as young as six and boys as young as nine are sending sexually explicit text messages, with the number of such messages being sent by children increasing by 183% during lockdown. Read more here.

World Scene

• Trump to save statues: Trump has signed an executive order protecting American monuments, statues and memorials from vandalism, after the Black Lives Matter protests have toppled various statues around the country. Read more here. Also this week, Seattle authorities have ordered the clearing of the so-called CHOP area of the city, colonised temporarily by BLM protestors. Read more here.
  
• US cuts tech sales to Hong Kong: The Trump administration is now considering Hong Kong too risky a recipient for exports of sensitive technology because of China’s hold over the city. Read more here. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has issued a list of 20 major companies owned or backed by the Chinese military.
  
• Putin could rule until 2036: Constitutional changes have been made in Russia through a controversial referendum, allowing President Putin to continue in power, potentially for another 36 years. Read more here.
  
• Argentina, Brazil prepare for locusts: While super-size locust swarms ravage Africa and the Middle East, parts of South America are now declaring states of emergency in the face of an impending plague. Read more here.

Israel & Middle East

• Netanyahu delays application of sovereignty: The original date for applying Israeli sovereignty to parts of the so-called West Bank has now passed. Read more here. Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas are reportedly uniting in opposition to the plans. Boris Johnson has called for the move to not go ahead, saying that the UK will not recognise it, but hundreds of other parliamentarians from 20 countries have signed a letter of support. Read more here.
  
• Shelanu TV licence suspended: The new Messianic TV channel in Israel, funded by God TV, has had its license revoked after complaints of proselytising. Read more here.
  
• Covid-19 cases soar in Israel: A spike in serious cases is leading the Israeli Government to impose new restrictions on large gatherings. Read more 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: