Asia
Three elections on 24 February 2019
On this day a national referendum to ratify Cuba's new constitution will take place; the government says that gay marriage protections will be removed from the draft, but this is still being argued…
Turkey: Erdogan and USA clash on Kurds
President Erdogan has snubbed US national security advisor John Bolton, who was visiting the region to discuss the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and future US involvement there. Bolton asked for assurances…
Israel: early elections could lead to violence
On 26 December the Knesset disbanded and called elections for 9 April. The same day, Mahmoud Abbas disbanded the Palestinian legislature, with a view to 2019 elections. Many say it is hard to…
Vietnam: laws against Christians
In Vietnam, Christian persecution comes from local and national governments plus tribal culture. Communist laws disadvantage the Christian minority and their implementation at the grassroots level leads to persecution from local officials. Roman…
North Korea: Kim Jong Un’s message
In a New Year speech, Kim Jong Un has said that he is prepared to meet Donald Trump at any time, while warning he would pursue an alternative course if Washington kept up…
Yemen: pray for the first truce in years
A fragile calm took hold in Hodeidah on 18 December, after sporadic gunfire between Houthi fighters and forces loyal to the government. Two days later it was being hailed by many as a…
Indonesia: United Prayer Rising 2019
A World Generation Gathering is about to see the Holy Spirit poured out in Jakarta between 23 and 26 January 2019. A similar event in South Korea in 2016 saw a wonderful move…
Geopolitics of 5G
Although Donald Trump and President Xi recently announced a trade agreement between the US and China, some believe 5G mobile networks might yet spark a further ‘trade war’. These mobile data networks will…
China: church leaders and churchgoers detained
In Beijing, police have detained dozens of churchgoers and leaders of Early Rain Church in Chengdu, one of China's most prominent Protestant ‘house’ churches, in the latest government action against unregistered religious groups.…
Pakistan expels Christian charities
After a two-year battle to re-register their work, World Vision has been expelled from Pakistan, along with Catholic Relief Services and 16 other organisations, for ‘deliberately spreading disinformation’ and ‘non-compliance’. World Vision has…
