Syria: ‘No military solution' to conflict, say church leaders
Church leaders from Syria, Russia, the United States and Europe have said that a political solution is the only way to secure peace in Syria. They are urging ‘public outcry’ against the ongoing civil war that has killed at least 100,000 people and forced two million to flee from their homes. The comments follow a meeting at the Ecumenical Institute in Geneva, Switzerland with Kofi Annan, the former United Nations general secretary, and Lakhdar Brahimi, UN-Arab League joint representative for Syria. The meeting was organised by the World Council of Churches to discuss the role of churches in moving Syria towards a peace agreement. Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, WCC general secretary, said peace efforts ‘must not fail now when thousands of people have already died’. He said the international community and all parties to the conflict in Syria had to take responsibility to make peace talks successful and that churches must support the process.
Pray: that the current moves to bring peace to this horrific conflict will be successful. (Ps.37:37)
Egypt: Army storms Islamist-held town
Troops last week stormed a central Egyptian town held for over a month by hardline supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi who had launched a campaign against Christian residents, officials said. Soldiers and police entered the town of Delga in the central Minya province just after dawn, searching homes and arresting several Islamists, a security official said. All 32 entrances to the village were shut and a daytime curfew imposed as authorities recaptured the town of 120,000 people, held for 31 days by Morsi loyalists, according to the official MENA news agency. Officials said Islamists controlling the town were behind several attacks on churches around the Minya province. The raid on the town comes amid a massive crackdown on Islamists following the military's ouster of president Morsi on July 3, which plunged the country deeper into turmoil. In mid-August police and soldiers broke up two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo in an operation that killed hundreds.
Pray: for the ongoing situation in Egypt and that the authorities will find ways of bringing a meaningful peace. (Ps.122:7)
Pakistan earthquake: Hundreds dead in Balochistan
A powerful earthquake has killed at least 250 people in Pakistan's remote south-west province of Balochistan. The 7.7-magnitude quake struck on Tuesday afternoon at a depth of 20km (13 miles) north-east of Awaran. Many houses were flattened and thousands of people have spent the night in the open. After the quake, a small island appeared off the coast near the port of Gwadar. The new island is reported to be about 200m (656ft) long, 100m (328ft) wide and 20m (65m) high. The region is prone to earthquakes. The latest quake was so powerful it was felt as far away as Karachi, Hyderabad, and India's capital, Delhi. Entire villages are reported to have been flattened in the impoverished and sparsely-populated district of Awaran. Balochistan government spokesman Jan Buledi said most of the fatalities were in Awaran town and the surrounding villages, and he warned that the death toll could rise. At least 340 people have been injured.
Pray: for all those who have been affected by this earthquake and that relief will reach them quickly.
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