Asia
Myanmar: religious persecution
Myanmar has 100+ ethnic groups, and over 2,200 Buddhist temples. It is rich in natural resources such as gems, oil, and natural gas. The military holds great influence in the government, forcibly repressing…
Philippines and Thailand: Bible translations
Praise God for the initiative of the Asi people in forming the ‘Asi Bible Association,’ to oversee New Testament distribution. Pray for good decisions and the finances needed to distribute the Scriptures in…
Korea: a ‘kairos’ time
On 15 August North and South Korea celebrated their liberation from Japanese occupation in 1948, South Korea celebrated its 70th anniversary as a state founded purposefully as a Christian state, and North Korea…
Iran: campaigns for Christians
Amnesty International has called for the release of four Iranians sentenced to a combined total of 45 years in prison. Its report calls for urgent action from the Iranian government to quash the…
Myanmar: human rights crisis
Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett described to the UN security council meeting in New York 'gut-wrenching' accounts from Myanmar of Rohingya people being tortured, raped and killed in front of their relatives. 'How can…
Saudi Arabia: repression
Five Saudi activists face possible execution for ‘participating in protests’, ‘chanting slogans hostile to the regime’, and ‘filming protests and publishing on social media’. The five, including women’s rights campaigner Israa al-Ghomgham, have…
India: waters recede but thousands still trapped
Monsoon flood waters have receded in Kerala after the worst monsoon rains in a century, allowing authorities to retrieve the bodies of victims and enabling residents to start assessing the damage to their…
Facebook removes Russian and Iranian accounts
Facebook has identified and banned groups and pages engaged in misleading political behaviour and removed 652 pages, groups, and accounts linked to Russia and Iran, for ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’ that included the sharing…
Turkey: Erdogan refuses to release pastor, lira plunges
The Turkish currency is in freefall after President Trump escalated a feud with Ankara by doubling tariffs on metals imports. The lira has long been falling due to worries about President Erdogan's influence…
Yemen: mass funeral for boys
On 12 August, a Saudi-led airstrike on Yemen killed 51 people (including 40 children) and wounded 79. The next day hundreds of mourners gathered for a mass funeral for the schoolboys. By the…
