The unemployment rate across the eurozone hit a new all-time high of 11.8% in November, official figures have shown. This is a slight rise on 11.7% for the 17-nation region in October. The rate for the European Union as a whole in November was unchanged at 10.7%. Spain, which is mired in deep recession, again recorded the highest unemployment rate, coming in at 26.6%. More than 26 million people are now unemployed across the EU. For the Eurozone, the number of people without work reached 18.8 million said Eurostat, the official European statistics agency. Greece had the second-highest unemployment rate in November, at 20%. The youth unemployment rate was 24.4% in the Eurozone, and 23.7% in the wider European Union. Youth unemployment - among people under 25 - was highest in Greece (57.6%), followed by Spain (56.5%). Overall unemployment was lowest in Austria (4.5%), Luxembourg (5.1%) and Germany (5.4%).

Pray: for the ability of the authorities to increase the workplace levels across the Eurozone. (Ps.90:17)

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20943292

Unemployment in the eurozone reached its highest level in almost 15 years in February, with more than 17 million people out of work, and economists saying they expected job office queues to grow even longer later this year. Joblessness in the 17-nation currency zone rose to 10.8% - in line with a Reuters poll of economists - and 0.1 points worse than in January, Eurostat said on Monday. ‘We expect it to go higher, to reach 11% by the end of the year,’ said Raphael Brun-Aguerre, an economist at JP Morgan in London. ‘You have public sector job cuts, income going down, and weak consumption. The economic growth outlook is negative and is going to worsen unemployment.’ February's level - last hit in June 1997 - marked the 10th straight monthly rise and contrasts sharply with the United States where the economy has been adding jobs since late last year.

Pray: that the unemployment figures would begin to reduce. Pray that governments would be able to get to grips with the economic situation.

More: http://www.euractiv.com/socialeurope/eurozone-unemployment-reaches-near-15-year-high-news-511926

Unemployment in the eurozone hit a record high in October, with more than 170,000 extra jobs lost and youth joblessness at almost 24 per cent, as the economy slumped into recession. Overall, the eurozone had a jobless rate of 11.7 per cent in October, up from 11.6 per cent in September, with the numbers out of work rising to 18.7 million from 18.49 million, the Eurostat data agency said. Year-on-year figures from the agency showed a particularly bleak picture for under 25-year-olds, with almost one in four out of work both in the 17-nation eurozone, and 27-nation European Union - against one in five a year earlier. Compared with October 2011, an extra 279,000 young people were out of work in the EU, and 350,000 in the eurozone in October this year. The youth unemployment rate rose to 23.9 per cent in the eurozone and to 23.4 percent in the EU compared with 21.2 per cent and 21.9 per cent respectively a year earlier, Eurostat said.

Pray: that the authorities across the eurozone will be able to find a solution to the unemployment problem.

More: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/11/20121130121846588948.html

Workers across the European Union have staged a series of protests and strike against rising unemployment and austerity measures. Organisers of the strike urged national leaders to abandon austerity and address growing social anxiety. Strikes were in Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy, with other protests planned in Belgium, Germany, France and some eastern EU states. Airlines across Europe have been cancelling and rescheduling flights. Spain and Portugal have been particularly hit, and airlines are recommending passengers to check the schedules before travelling to airports. The European Trade Union Confederation urged workers to walk out on Wednesday. The Confederation's Judith Kirton-Darling told the BBC that austerity was not working. ‘It's increasing inequalities, it's increasing the social instability in society and it's not resolving the economic crisis,’ she said. Some 40 groups from 23 countries were involved in Wednesday's demonstrations.

Pray: for the governments of the nations as they seek ways of mitigating the effects of the austerity measures and pray for all those who are suffering because of these problems. (Col.4:1)

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20320993

The European commission estimates that 700,000 people die and millions of EU citizens suffer as a result of smoking related diseases every year. Tobacco consumption is by far the largest avoidable health risk and the biggest cause of premature death in the EU. Linda McAvan parliament’s rapporteur on the tobacco products directive, said, ‘The biggest worry for me is that more young people smoke than adults in the EU.’ The British MEP, who is a member of parliament’s environment, public health and food safety committee, said that 28 per cent of European citizens smoke. According to the European commission, the figure for 15 to 24-year-olds is slightly higher, at 29 per cent. ‘We have to do something to tackle the recruitment of children and young people into smoking, and that’s what this new law from Europe’s about,’ McAvan said.

Pray: that the battle against cancer and smoking by the young will be taken seriously. (Ps.144:1)

More: http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/european-week-against-cancer-kayleigh-lewis/#.Ubc4NdhkkYU

Intercessors from many European nations will meet again in Dublin, May 11th-18th, to pray for Europe and especially for Ireland. In the planning good contacts were made with the Evangelical Alliance and the Lydia prayer movement. A parliamentarian from Northern Ireland, who is a believer, will also visit. Major issues in Ireland at this time are the campaign against the legitimisation of abortion and the economic recovery.

Pray: for God’s mercy for Ireland and its needs, fulfilment of many prophecies for a revival in Europe. (Hab.2:3)

Same-sex marriages are not a human right, European judges have ruled. Their decision shreds the claim by ministers that gay marriage is a universal human right and that same-sex couples have a right to marry because their mutual commitment is just as strong as that of husbands and wives. The ruling was made by judges of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg following a case involving a lesbian couple in a civil partnership who complained the French courts would not allow them to adopt a child as a couple. The ruling also says that if gay couples are allowed to marry, any church that offers weddings will be guilty of discrimination if it declines to marry same-sex couples. The ruling comes just days after the Government published a consultation paper which promised marriage to same-sex couples and made clear that Britain is only catching up with other countries.

Pray: thanking God for this ruling from the EU and pray that the UK Government would listen. (Ps.119:126)

More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2117920/Gay-marriage-human-right-European-ruling-torpedoes-Coalition-stance.html#ixzz1plF0vvBU

Al-Qaeda is plotting attacks on Europe’s high-speed rail network, a German newspaper reported, citing intelligence sources. The extremist group could plant explosives on trains and tunnels or sabotage tracks and electrical cabling, said Bild, Europe’s most widely read daily. While Germany said its threat level had not changed and Austria said no additional security measures had been taken, a Czech rail official said authorities there had implemented new, unspecified security measures. Bild said the information came from the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States, which had listened in to a conference call involving top al-Qaeda operatives. The attacks on Europe’s rail network were a ‘central topic’ of this call, Bild said. German authorities had responded to the threat with discreet measures such as deploying plain-clothed police officers at key stations and on main routes.

Pray: against terrorist attacks and pray that those involved in such acts will be captured. (Is.8:15)

More: http://freepressjournal.in/european-rail-network-now-on-qaeda-hit-list/

An initiative to propose to the European Parliament a ban on the funding of embryo-destructive policies has gained one million signatures, ensuring the proposal will be received at the legislature, reports Catholic News Agency. The initiative, ‘One of Us,’ seeks to protect the ‘dignity, the right to life and the integrity of every  human being’ for all human persons at all stages of development, according to the organizers' website. The proposal is a European citizens’ initiative, which is a means for EU citizens to introduce proposed legislation to the EU Parliament. In announcing this legislative proposal process, the European Commission has stated that in order to be introduced to the parliament, citizens’ initiatives must receive more than one million signatures from EU citizens, and a minimum number of signatures from at least seven of the 27 countries in the EU within a year of their introduction.

Pray:    that the success of this initiative will just be a beginning leading to right to life legislation.

More:    http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue21089.html