Asia
Syria: entire families killed in sectarian violence
The UN human rights office reports that at least 111 civilians, including entire families, were killed in recent violence in Syria’s coastal region, though the true toll is probably much higher. Predominantly Alawite…
Bangladesh: priorities for interim leader
Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, admits he was ‘dazzled’ when unexpectedly asked to take charge after Sheikh Hasina was ousted last year. Yunus, who returned to lead the country following a…
Pakistan: suicide bombers target military base
At least twelve people were killed and thirty wounded in a deadly militant attack on a military base in Bannu, northwestern Pakistan. Two suicide bombers detonated explosive-laden vehicles near the base’s wall, allowing…
Japan: worst wildfire in fifty years
Japan is battling its worst wildfire in fifty years, with over four thousand residents evacuated and one confirmed dead. The blaze, which started near the northern town of Ofunato, has consumed around 2,600…
Indonesia: severe flooding in and around Jakarta
Severe flooding in Jakarta and surrounding areas has displaced thousands and caused significant property damage. Torrential rains since 3 March have raised water levels by up to three metres, submerging over a thousand…
India: call for mob violence against ‘cow slayers’
Christians in India are requesting urgent prayers after the spread of viral videos inciting mob violence against them on 1 March. During a massive Hindu pilgrimage, Aadesh Soni accused Christians in Chhattisgarh state…
Encounter with Jesus after accident transformed man's life
Samuel Brownback, co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit, shared the testimony of a man in Nepal who encountered Jesus after a tragic accident. The man, a Hindu at the time, survived a…
Gaza: hostages’ bodies handed over
On 26 February, the bodies of four Israeli hostages were handed over by Hamas, without ceremony, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. This marks the final exchange under the first phase of the Gaza…
Myanmar: a desperate way of battling poverty
Struggling with debt and rising costs after the 2021 coup in Myanmar, farm worker Zeya decided to sell his kidney, believing it was his only way out of poverty. He found a broker…
North Korea: she defected, encountered Jesus, then went back
Joo Min (not her real name) once risked her life leaving North Korea to escape starvation and oppression. But then she encountered Christ in a secret safe house run by Open Doors. Raised…
