While speaking at a North Korea Freedom Week forum on Capitol Hill, the first North Korean defector to be ordained as a Methodist minister asserted that Korean Christians not only want to topple the regime of dictator Kim Jong-un but want the unification of North and South Korea to occur through the Gospel. Kang Chul-ho, who established the first North Korean defector church congregation in South Korea (and is also the vice president of the North Korean Christian Association) spoke at a forum entitled ‘Ending the Kim Regime's Reign of Terror in North Korea: What Must Be Done,’ and explained that the socialist regime fears the power of the North Korean defectors more than it actually fears the military strength of South Korea. Kang says that Kim Jong-un fears those who risk death in search of freedom and dignity because he knows they will eventually come back to liberate their homeland.
Christianity has influenced Aboriginal spirituality in many ways and many Aboriginal people are Christians. Prior to invasion Aboriginal people owned all of Australia but courts today successfully turned down their land claims. This week there's been an outcry across Australia over the conservative government’s plan to cut services to more than 150 remote indigenous communities in Western Australia. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government could not ‘endlessly subsidise lifestyle choices.’ Between 500 - 1000 attended a Perth rally and thousands more protested in Sydney, Canberra, Darwin, Adelaide, Alice Springs, and 1,000 in four New Zealand cities against funding withdrawal from remote communities. Kimberley Land Council says the proposal contravenes the UN declaration on the rights of the indigenous person. For material on Aboriginal culture go to http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/#axzz3ZLxtuWNR
Nigeria's President-elect Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday, ‘The fraud called Boko Haram can be defeated by denying it a recruitment base. No religion allows for the killing of children in school dormitory, in markets and places of worship. They have nothing to do with religion. They are terrorists and we are going to deal with them as they deal with terrorists anywhere.’ Buhari said Boko Haram will be denied a recruitment base. He lamented the destruction of schools in northern Nigeria, an action he said could deny thousands of youngsters access to education and a better future unless something is done urgently to end the crisis. Meanwhile on Wednesday the Nigeria army rescued nearly 300 females from Boko Haram. An army spokesman says the hostages freed during military offensive are not schoolgirls abducted from Chibok last year. For the full story go to:-
Doniyor Akhmedov - a Baptist - was one of three Protestants in Uzbekistan known to have been imprisoned for between seven and fifteen days in March and April. He was held after offering a religious leaflet to a passer-by on the street. For the last part of his imprisonment, Akhmedov was held in a small cell with more than ten people and barely space to sleep on the floor. After he was freed he was fined more than three years' official minimum wage. The Deputy Chief of Police, refused to discuss Akhmedov's case. Protestants and Jehovah's Witnesses are frequently fined and occasionally given short-term prison sentences, but Muslims who exercise their right to freedom of religion or belief often face much harsher penalties, including long prison terms.
USA: Baltimore – Freddie Gray riots
30 Apr 2015
Riots left charred cars and buildings, hospitalised police officers and looted and damaged business in Baltimore. A community centre and flats owned by the Southern Baptist Church were burnt down before firefighters could contain the flames. ‘We’re going to rebuild. We’re going to come back strong from this,’ the church’s pastor Donte Hickman told local media outlets. The Southern Baptist Church fire was one of many the Fire Department battled with riots erupted throughout the city following the funeral of Freddie Gray, a young black man who died of injuries sustained after his arrest for ‘catching the eye' of a lieutenant and running away. Six officers were suspended and a criminal inquiry into Gray’s death is under way but all schools were closed on Tuesday, after a day and night that saw hundreds of arrests, 144 vehicle, and 19 structure fires. See also and
Campaigning on a platform of peace in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, Mustafa Akinci is the new President, raising hopes of a breakthrough in stalled reunification talks on ethnically divided Cyprus. It is hoped Mr Akinci will end four decades of division on the island. Dr James Ker-Lindsay, an expert on Cyprus at the London School of Economics, said ‘Akinci, more than any other candidate, can reach out to the Greek Cypriots and make the compromises needed to get talks moving forward.’ UN-brokered negotiations, are expected to resume next month. The new leader has signalled he is open to measures that could help bridge fences in tandem with peace talks. (In 1974 Turkey seized more than a third of the island. In 1991 Turkish Cypriots proclaimed independence and have suffered increasing global isolation). In sharp contrast to the affluent Greek south, the Turkish north has slipped increasingly into poverty, hit by international sanctions and recognised only by Turkey.
Chile: Calbuco volcano erupts twice
30 Apr 2015
The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile erupted twice last week, swewing out 2,400 million cubic feet of ash and forcing the evacuation of 6,000+ people. People are now trying to save their possessions and livestock as roofs of homes and businesses collapsed under the weight of 20” of ash and residents feared for their sheep and cows that are unable to graze. Soldiers have been deployed to help with the clean-up. The authorities have warned of the possibility of further eruptions. They also said that should it rain the ash could mix with debris to create dangerous mudflows and turn ash on the roads and roofs into hard crusts. By Monday residents who had been evacuated were allowed back briefly to salvage some possessions and farmers tried desperately to find places for grazing. Recently Chile has had its fair share of disasters with flooding in the usually arid north and wildfires
Qatar: Nepalese desperate to get home to Nepal
30 Apr 2015
Hundreds of thousands of Nepali migrants working in Gulf States must be allowed to return home after the earthquake devastated their nation, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) said on Tuesday. ITUC has written to the Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates governments, asking them to suspend a sponsorship system which prevents the free movement of workers. (The system is criticised by human rights groups who compare it to modern day slavery) The United Nations estimates up to 8 million people have been affected by the quake. Hundreds of thousands of Nepali migrants are desperate for news of their loved ones, and want to return to Nepal and do what they can to meet their family’s needs, or in many cases bury their loved ones. They are helpless because they must honour a two or three year contract not to leave the country, not even being given compassionate leave at this time.