Turkey: Erdogan and USA clash on Kurds
President Erdogan has snubbed US national security advisor John Bolton, who was visiting the region to discuss the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and future US involvement there. Bolton asked for assurances that Turkey would not harm Kurdish fighters in Syria in future. He held discussions with Turkish officials, but President Erdogan refused to meet him and described his comments as ‘a serious mistake’, adding: ‘We cannot make any concessions. Those involved in a Syrian terror corridor will receive the necessary punishment.’ A commentator said, ‘Everyone is jockeying for position in Syria because the war is winding down. There is concern over the US leaving Turkey in charge.’
USA: Christians in politics - church controversies - cover-ups
Since Donald Trump became president, people are talking of renewed Christian political advocacy. With Democrats retaking Congress, and headline-grabbing activism around the migrant ‘caravans’ on the Mexican border, religious liberals could sway policy debates in 2019. Meanwhile the United Methodist Church’s bishops will hold a special conference in February to resolve a year-long debate about its current stance on homosexuality. It currently bans ordaining non-celibate homosexuals or blessing same-sex marriages. Many within and outside the denomination expect the conference to lead to a schism. A 1,300-page report has detailed how 301 Catholic priests abused 1,000+ children over several decades while the hierarchy shielded perpetrators from accountability. On 2 January, bishops began a prayer retreat over this problem, with a summit of Catholic leaders scheduled for February.
USA: the wall - the shutdown – the people
Donald Trump is prepared to prolong the current government shutdown because the ‘humanitarian and national security crisis on the southern border’ necessitates funding a wall. This plan is popular with his fanbase, but most Americans oppose it by a 10-to-20 point margin. Trump has Republican support, but Democrats feel they have public support; so the standoff about the shutdown continues. Also, before signing an anti-human trafficking measure on 9 January, Trump said, ‘Israel put up a wall to protect them, and they don’t have a problem any more’. He seems to equate Hezbollah terrorists, Hamas, IS, and the Palestinian ‘second intifada’ attacks with a few thousand migrant families at the Mexican border. See
New Year’s Day sunrise relay
In late December 2015 God gave the vision of a prayer relay on New Year's Day to an Australian intercessor. She saw people holding Olympic relay flames at seven high points around the Illawarra. The vision then zoomed out and she saw flames spread across Australia, and then around the world. She knew this was a prayer relay, and shared the vision with Warwick Marsh from National Day of Prayer (Australia). With only twelve days until 1 January 2016 they shared the vision; many believers joined them to pray across Australia and around the world. On New Year's Day 2017, believers prayed in over 23 nations. 2018’s relay continued to grow with believers praying in at least 50 nations, including 172 locations in Australia. On 1 January 2019 the prayer declaration across Australia and the nations was ‘Wherever you are at sunrise on New Year’s Day, pray for souls to be saved’. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAq7YT6eXoE
