(Open Doors USA) — Continue to pray for churches in Indonesia’s Aceh Singkil regency, especially as they are facing yet another potential setback in the local election. Last October, nine churches in Aceh Singkil regency were torn down following religious violence on October 13 that left a church burned, one person dead and an estimated […]
Greece (Mission Network News) — The European Union is looking to play ‘hot potato’ with the refugee crisis. Under the Dublin Regulation, the EU is considering sending refugees currently in other European countries back to Greece, their original point of entry, before they can apply for a new host country. However, leaders in Greece say […]
Russia (Mission Network News) — It’s been nearly two months since Russia’s Anti-Terrorism law took effect on July 20, 2016. Since then, various reports against Russian Christians have surfaced. Yet, there’s hope. The Slavic Gospel Association has heard many disturbing instances of Christians in Russia persecuted for sharing the Gospel. In fact, SGA has watched […]
XINYUAN COUNTY, Xinjiang (China Aid) — Two organizers of a Christian summer camp were detained in China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, for 10 and 15 days, respectively, on Aug. 4 on the charge of indoctrinating minors with superstitious beliefs. Zhou Yanhua and Gao Ming, both members of Yining County Church, were preparing to drive […]
JUBA, South Sudan (Morning Star News) – Authorities in southeastern Sudan arrested the headmaster of a Christian school last week and took over its property, sources said. Armed police and officials from the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Sept. 5 arrested Samuel Suliman and 12 teachers at the school in Madani, capital of Al […]
(Christian Institute) — A doctor in Norway has lost her job after taking a stand for the sanctity of life. Dr. Katarzyna Jachimowicz refused to comply with demands that she administer abortifacient devices when told to choose between following her conscience or keeping her job. A petition in support of Dr. Jachimowicz has been signed […]
A public notice posted at the Central Hospital in Zhejiang’s Wenzhou, a city that has been dubbed “China’s Jerusalem” because of its high concentration of christians, made patients and their visitors unequivocally aware of the new rules this week. “Religious activities are banned in this hospital,” the notice said. The Wenzhou Central Hospital was originally […]
(Evangelical Focus) — There are 50 million “uprooted” children in the world. This is the main idea a new study by UNICEF has made public this week: “Uprooted: The Growing Crisis for Refugee and Migrant Children.” These are some of the main findings: – 31 million children live outside their country of birth, including 11 […]
(World Watch Monitor) — After an appeal, Algerian Christian Slimane Bouhafs has had his five-year jail sentence for committing blasphemy against Islam and its prophet on social media reduced to three years. A fine of 100,000 dinars (US$900) was also dropped. Bouhafs, 49, had appealed against the five-year sentence, which was the maximum possible punishment […]
(World Watch Monitor) — Finally, their journey is over. Three years since fleeing Uzbekistan—following four years in a labor camp, house arrest and death threats—Pastor Dmitry Shestakov has arrived in the United States, where he and his family have been granted asylum. It’s been almost 10 years since Shestakov was first detained, after a raid […]