Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been elected as Sri Lanka’s new president, marking a shift in leadership following the country’s worst financial crisis in decades. Dissanayake, 55, from the Marxist-leaning JVP party, won 42.3% of the vote, defeating the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa. Wickremesinghe, whose austerity measures were key to economic recovery, finished third with 17%, while Premadasa secured 32.8%. Dissanayake campaigned as a candidate for change, promising anti-corruption measures, lower taxes, and pro-poor policies. He also pledged to dissolve parliament within 45 days and address the $25 billion debt in consultation with the IMF. His victory comes as Sri Lanka’s economy shows signs of recovery, with inflation dropping and growth expected for the first time in three years. However, the continued high cost of living remains a pressing issue for voters, many of whom hope Dissanayake will bring relief.

The UN General Assembly has adopted a ‘Pact for the Future’, a 42-page blueprint aimed at uniting the world’s 193 nations to tackle pressing global challenges like climate change, artificial intelligence, escalating conflicts, inequality, and poverty. The pact was introduced at a two-day summit convened by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said his purpose was to ‘bring multilateralism back from the brink’. The pact outlines 56 actions; one would be to reform the Security Council so that Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America are more fairly represented. It also includes ‘the first agreed multilateral support for nuclear disarmament in more than a decade’, and commits the UN to initiate a global dialogue on AI governance. Other key issues include responses to pandemics, empowering youth, and advancing gender equality. Guterres called on world leaders to turn promises into real actions which make a difference to the lives of the world’s more than eight billion people.

Pastor Damon Atkins was arrested earlier this year while reading Bible verses aloud on a sidewalk outside a Pride event in Reading, Pennsylvania. A police officer confronted him, accusing him of trying to provoke the crowd. Despite Atkins asserting his First Amendment rights, he was quickly handcuffed and removed from the scene. The charges against him were later dropped, and he received a full acquittal in court along with compensation. His legal defence was taken up by attorneys who argued that his arrest was a clear violation of his constitutional right to free speech and religious expression. 'Police have been put on notice that, if someone is speaking peaceably, you need to acknowledge those rights,' the attorney said. Atkins remains resolute in his mission to share God’s truth, viewing this experience as part of the growing hostility toward biblical values in society. His story has become a rallying point for Christians concerned about freedom of religion and speech in America.

The Global Day of Prayer for America is scheduled for 22 September, with the goal of sparking a nationwide revival. Participants are invited to join an online prayer meeting from 7:00 to 10:00 am (EST), featuring leaders from around the globe. This event focuses on uniting believers to seek a Christ-awakening, where the Holy Spirit ignites a passion for Jesus and spiritual transformation sweeps across the country. Dr Jason Hubbard emphasises the urgent need for revival in American churches, communities, and families, highlighting the spiritual stagnation and division currently present. The call is for extraordinary prayer and intercession, recognising that true revival brings societal transformation and comprehensive change. The event underscores that revival is not merely a series of meetings but a deep, God-driven movement marked by humility, repentance, and a hunger for God's presence. It is a call for America to be saturated with the power and glory of God, bringing revival from coast to coast.