Asia
Iraq: a) Mosul divided
Bad blood and a thirst for revenge divide people in Mosul, the former IS capital. Many local residents welcomed the jihadists who promised protection from corruption, jobs and security. The promises proved false,…
Iraq: b) Iran’s influence
Iraq’s parliament will select the president on 25 September, then elect a prime minister, and that will eventually lead a new government. On 15 September Mohammed al-Halbousi was elected as speaker. He had…
China: relentless destruction of crosses
Authorities continue to tear down and demolish crosses in Zhengzhou, Nanyang, and Yuzhou. The Chinese Gospel Fellowship in Nanyang sang hymns to encourage each other in their empty church after the cross was…
Iran: people told to economise
President Hassan Rouhani's chief of staff has called upon people, in the current economic situation, to avoid buying more goods than they require. He urged merchants and shopkeepers to respect fairness in pricing…
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…
