Asia
Persian Gulf: Another oil tanker seized
Iran's state TV said on 18 July that the Revolutionary Guard had seized a foreign oil tanker with 12 crew members accused of smuggling one million litres of fuel in the Lark Island…
Syria: Bombs outside church
IS claimed responsibility for detonating a car bomb in front of a church in the city of Qamishli, which is held by the Kurdish YPG militia, injuring at least eight people. Earlier that…
Mongolia: corruption and Christianity
In March Parliament made it possible for judges, prosecutors and others to be fired by the National Security Council. Since then the head of the Supreme Court, the director and deputy director of…
Hong Kong: migrants join protests
Demonstrations in Hong Kong have drawn in the youth, parents, first-time protesters and the church, while migrant workers have quietly and consistently participated since the beginning. Migrants distrust the Chinese justice system. In…
China: religious minorities suppressed
Eager to suppress religions, authorities in Xingyang city shattered numerous Christian and folk religion places of worship and there is also a systematic plan to eliminate the faith and customs of Hui Muslims…
Turkey / Cyprus: crisis over oil-drilling ships
Another war between the Greek Cypriots and Turkey is looking likely amid rising tensions over drilling rights in the Eastern Mediterranean that is drawing in regional stakeholders Egypt, Israel and Greece. Turkey’s Foreign…
Iran: crisis over oil tankers
Five armed Iranian boats tried to seize a British oil tanker in the Persian Gulf on 10 July. The British Heritage tanker was in international waters when it was approached by Iranian Revolutionary…
Iran: Rouhani threatens to break nuclear deal
President Hassan Rouhani has said that on 7 July his country would exceed the 3.67% uranium enrichment limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal by ‘as much as necessary, as much as we…
Hong Kong: Christians and demonstrations
Last week we praised God for the peaceful anti-extradition bill rallies in city streets. This week violent demonstrators stormed the legislative building in protest against the extradition bill. Many Christians feared for their…
Pakistan: killings halt vaccine drive
A government campaign to vaccinate 40 million children under the age of five against polio had to be suspended following serious attacks on workers and police in just one week. A policeman protecting…