Global: social media, the new megaphone for violent perpetrators
Tashfeen Malik, the woman involved in California’s mass shooting, is the latest in a growing number of extremists using social media to publicise their crimes. Facebook said she used an alias to praise IS online shortly before, or during, the attack. Malik's posting echoes similar bids for attention by violent perpetrators; for example, a disgruntled Virginia TV broadcaster recorded himself shooting two co-workers and then posted the video online, and a Florida man killed his wife and shared a photo of her body on social media. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other social media companies do their best to block or remove posts that glorify violence, but experts say it's an uphill battle. The advent of new services enabling people to stream live video from events makes the task more challenging. Online services use automated software to help detect posts depicting or encouraging violence; however, all the policies in the world won't help unless companies devote staff and resources to enforcing them.
Australia: trafficking women for sex
In a country that promotes gender equality, it’s a sad fact that women are being trafficked to Australia and sold for sex. The problem is bigger than most people realise. The UN and the USA have identified Australia as a destination country for trafficked persons. Research shows that there is a clear link between legalising prostitution and human trafficking. Women are trafficked into Australia and into brothels. Prostitution is a trap for the exploitation of women. The Australian Christian Lobby believes that the solution would be for public policy to tackle the demand for prostitution and criminalise the purchase of sex. This would lead to a drop in the number of prostitutes, and fewer people being trafficked into the country.
Lebanon: Islamist militant activity
Lebanon is bordered by Syria and Israel, and is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean basin and the Arabian heartland. It had a rich identity of peaceful religious and ethnic diversity. Recently the army carried out a series of raids after two IS suicide bombs killed 44 people in crowded commercial and residential areas of Beirut. Then, on Saturday a suspected IS terrorist killed himself, his wife and mother when he blew himself up during an army raid on his home near Tripoli. At least ten other people were wounded in the blast, including four security personnel. Security forces carried out further raids in the same town after the incident, and arrested several Lebanese and Syrian nationals. Last week a Lebanese court charged 26 people with belonging to IS. 23 of them were directly linked to a Beirut bombing in November which targeted a Shi'ite Muslim suburb.
Argentina: Mauricio Macri sworn in
Military dictatorship and the failed Falklands / Malvinas war, followed by economic disaster, have led Argentina into spiritual hunger and receptivity to the gospel of Christ. Operation World states that evangelical numbers, under one million in 1980, reached 3.7 million by 2010. But spiritual openness is also seeing many drawn into Umbanda occultism from Brazil as well as some churches with questionable teachings. As Mauricio Macri takes over as president of Argentina, pray that he will be able to harness its vast natural resources to revive an economy that has for decades fallen short of its potential. Pray also for investments to stream into the country, bringing with it Christians to reach out to the highly-educated workforce. See also https://missions-history.wikispaces.com/Argentina
