Tunisia: bombs target security forces
Two explosions rocked Tunis on 27 June, targeting security positions. One blast struck a security vehicle in a busy area of the capital, while the second targeted a police building. A number of police personnel and three civilians were killed. Tunisia has been battling militant groups operating in remote areas near the border with Algeria since an uprising overthrew autocratic leader Zine Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. Since the revolution, dozens of the security forces and 59 foreign tourists have been killed. After an IS-claimed suicide bombing killed twelve presidential guards in 2015, Tunisia has been under a state of emergency. Tunisians made up a large component of the foreign fighters in IS, while the porous border with neighbouring Libya has also aided militants. Spiritually Tunisians are being exposed to the truth of the gospel as they interact with believers on social media sites and search Christian websites.
USA: child brides
In the US you can marry at 12 but can't drink beer until 21. Keri met Paul, 24, at a party on her 15th birthday. They slept together just once - and Keri became pregnant. Paul asked her to marry him so that he didn’t go to jail for statutory rape. Her father's consent was needed; he gave it. Keri couldn’t finish school, and later described her marriage as horrible, with Paul treating her ‘like a maid’. Making even small legal changes on this issue is a slow, hard-won process. On 29 January, the senate in South Carolina passed a bill to end child marriage. 17 American states still have no legal minimum age for marriage if a child is pregnant and has consent from a judge or family member. So 12-year-olds continue to be legally wed to men much older than they are - if they’re pregnant.
Lebanon: families who lost everything
Four brothers and their families in a wealthy Syrian suburb lost homes, cars, and belongings through shelling. They moved to the relative safety of a new city, sharing just one apartment (16 children, parents, and grandparents). The inflated rent has to be paid on a daily basis. Their vulnerability and poverty were difficult to adjust to. Family members suffered stress-related ailments, including ulcers. A pastor coordinating a Lebanese relief project visited them and asked what they needed. They said they wanted to be treated like humans not animals. One said his brain had stopped and he couldn’t think ahead: ‘How can I rebuild my life, when I now have no home and no money?' The pastor said there is hope, because Jesus gives us hope. He prayed with the sick family members. Since that visit, the family has received some food assistance through the church, and a few of them are attending Bible study sessions.
Japan ‘waters down’ climate change commitment
As host of the G20 leaders’ summit, Japan has drafted a weak statement on climate action, in a bid to keep the US onside. This follows a G20 executive decision last week in which all countries but the US reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Paris agreement. Japan is trying to build consensus with the USA, as they are negotiating a trade deal. But other G20 members, including the EU, are expected to push for more ambitious language at the expense of US endorsement. Japanese campaigners are organising protests to coincide with the G20's opening on 28 June. One of them accused President Shinzo Abe of being ‘full of hot air’ when it comes to his pledges on climate action. Also, on 26 June 12,000 people gathered in London to pressurise politicians to tackle global climate change more urgently. See
