Three world leaders outlined their opinions on Iran. The US secretary of state threatened to impose ‘the strongest sanctions in history’ if Iran doesn’t meet a list of demands, including abandoning involvement in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Afghanistan. President Putin said Iran and Hezbollah should leave Syria when the civil war ends; and Israel’s Netanyahu lauded Donald Trump for putting pressure on Iran to stop its intervention in Syria and end its uranium enrichment. An Iranian spokesman told Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV, ‘No one will extract us from Syria. We will remain and keep supporting Syria so long as it needs our help. No one can force Iran to do anything’. Meanwhile please continue to pray for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a Christian, serving a five-year sentence allegedly for spying and now having new charges made against her. See

Hamas said fifty of the people killed by Israeli forces on Gaza’s border recently were its fighters and named them online, including photographs and details of their ranks within the group. Yet the IDF’s response to the clashes was condemned worldwide. See If this was the first time the media caused Israel’s self-defence actions to kill civilians, they could be excused, but this is something that Hamas repeatedly does. Fathi Hamad of the Palestinian Legislative Council said, ‘For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry in which women stand out, and all the people who live in this land. Older people excel in this, as do mujahedeen and children. This is why we have made human shields for women, children, the elderly and mujahedeen, to challenge the Zionist bombing machine. It's like telling the Zionist enemy, “We want death as much as you do life”.’

Kidnappers have started contacting families for ransom after scores of people were kidnapped in northern Nigeria, in an outbreak of crime unconnected to Boko Haram. Criminal gangs raid villages and steal cattle in bloody attacks. Earlier this month, 71 died after a bloody clash between armed bandits and militiamen. The kidnappers took advantage of a security lull on the road as a result of local elections taking place. Kidnappings for ransom often happen. A Syrian construction worker was kidnapped in Sokoto. Police dispatched to rescue him were ambushed by the kidnappers, and three were killed in the fight. Nigeria is battling an array of security threats across the country, from Boko Haram jihadists, oil militants, nomadic Fulani tribesmen, and criminal gangs kidnapping for profit. Churches are desecrated, Christians slaughtered, and women, girls and young men are kidnapped or forced into suicide missions.

In a worsening economic crisis Venezuelans re-elected president Maduro, causing an international backlash to the ‘landslide vote’ marred by opposition boycotts and vote-rigging claims. Fourteen countries, including Argentina, Brazil and Canada have recalled their ambassadors from Caracas in protest. Leaked data from two Caracas hospitals show major shortages of food and essential supplies causing more underweight babies being born and an increase of babies and new mothers dying. Venezuela is the most corrupt country in Latin America. A recent investigation by Transparency International showed that the government had signed contracts worth at least US$30 billion with Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction giant at the heart of an enormous bribery scandal in Latin America and elsewhere. Donald Trump called for new elections to ‘end the repression’ of Venezuelans. See