Asia
Iran / USA: sanctions and sabotage
On 10 May US merchant vessels were warned of potential threats to commercial shipping and oil production infrastructure in the seas near Iran. On 13 May two Saudi oil tankers were attacked as…
Jeremy Hunt and Christian persecution
Pervasive persecution of Christians, sometimes amounting to genocide, is ongoing in the Middle East, according to a report commissioned by the British foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt. ‘The report finds an ‘inconvenient truth’; 80%…
Israel: tensions in Tel Aviv
Many participating groups in 2019’s Eurovision Song Contest are already in Tel Aviv, with more arriving daily. The finale will be on 18 May, in the same week as Palestinians commemorate Nakba. This…
India: pastor acquitted - violence increases
Blind pastor Balu Saste's case took three years to be settled in court; his acquittal is being hailed as a triumph by Christian persecution watch groups. The pastor, his wife, and eleven church…
Syria: fighting IS, finding Jesus
When Kobani was under siege by IS most of the city was destroyed and thousands fled. But IS’s violence caused a re-examination of Islam by the Kurds. When Christian Kurds are asked, ‘What…
Iran: devastating floods
Since March, Iran has been ravaged by record rainfall and unprecedented flash flooding. At least 26 of 31 provinces have been impacted by deadly floods. One city received 70% of its annual rainfall…
China: paying people who report ‘illegal’ churches
China has upped its persecution of Christians, with Communist party officials in Guangzhou offering a reward of up to 10,000 Chinese Yuan (approximately £1,162) to those who can provide information about underground churches,…
India: unreached people
Evangelicals believe the ‘evangel’ or Good News brings salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Nearly 10% of the world’s population are now evangelical believers. About 33% of the world’s population identify themselves as…
China: closing Christian churches in Easter crackdown
UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he is 'appalled' at the ongoing persecution of Christians. One of the countries clamping down is China. Churches continue to be closed, and Christians have been…
Iran: New Chief Of Revolutionary Guards appointed
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has appointed a new chief commander of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), just days after the United States designated the paramilitary force as a foreign…
