Nigeria: evangelical pastor hacked to death
08 Jul 2016
A pastor has been hacked to death by armed Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria's central state of Nasarawa, according to World Watch Monitor (WWM). Rev Joseph Kurah, with the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Obi town, was reportedly killed on 30 June after going to his farm at around 7pm to cut down trees for roofing wood. There had been a dispute with a local Muslim earlier over ownership of the land, according to members of the church. Many local Christians suspect that the Muslim hired the Fulani herdsmen to carry out the murder. A man who identified himself as Kurah's nephew posted graphic photos on Twitter, saying, 'They attacked him on his farm, cut off his arms and legs; then they chopped his head with a machete. All I want is justice to be done. Nasarawa State and the federal government must find the killers of my uncle.' Kurah has left behind a wife and seven children.
Massive floods in China, typhoon expected
08 Jul 2016
Already nearly 200 people have died and and at least 1.4 million have been displaced, while at least 56,000 houses have collapsed, due to unprecedentedly widespread floods across 26 provinces in central and southern China. Transport links and water and power supplies have been severely disrupted, and rescue efforts have been stepped up. The Chinese prime minister has called upon local authorities to be prepared for further rain in the wake of a typhoon which is due to hit the country tomorrow. The typhoon, with winds reaching up to 150 mph, has already battered the Philippines and Taiwan, but is losing strength gradually.
US sanctions Kim Jong-un
08 Jul 2016
The US has sanctioned North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the first time, accusing him of human rights abuses. A statement from the US Treasury named him as directly responsible for violations in his country. Ten other top North Korean officials have also been blacklisted. There has been no response yet from the North Korean government. The measures freeze any property the individuals have in the US and prevent US citizens doing business with them. North Korea is already under an extensive sanctions regime for its nuclear activities, but analysts see the latest move as an escalation of US efforts to isolate the nation. 'Under Kim Jong-un, North Korea continues to inflict intolerable cruelty and hardship on millions of its own people, including extrajudicial killings, forced labour, and torture,' the Treasury statement said. The sanctions were announced to coincide with a State Department report documenting abuses in North Korea. It estimates that between 80,000 and 120,000 prisoners are being held in North Korean prison camps where torture, sexual assault and executions are routine.
Iraq’s bombing toll rises to 250
08 Jul 2016
The death toll from Sunday's suicide bombing in Baghdad has risen to 250, the Iraqi government says, making it the deadliest such attack since the 2003 US-led invasion. A lorry packed with explosives was detonated while families were shopping for the holiday marking the end of Ramadan. So-called Islamic State (IS) has said it carried out the suicide attack. Iraq remains under an official state of mourning following the bombing. The destruction of the area was all but complete. Bewildered local residents have held candlelight vigils and prayed for peace. Scores of people were injured, but most have been released from hospital, according to the health ministry. Reports said a lorry packed with explosives had been left near the Hadi Centre, popular with shoppers. The powerful blast engulfed the area in flames. Such was the chaos it took days for the scale of the attack to become clear.
Zimbabwe in economic collapse
08 Jul 2016
The streets of Zimbabwe's main cities were deserted during a nationwide strike to protest at the lack of jobs and unpaid wages. The protests were organised through the messaging site WhatsApp but it is not clear which group is behind it. The BBC's Brian Hungwe in Harare says it was one of the biggest protests in many years. Protesters also set up burning barricades in Harare. Some of the messages calling for a stay away also called on President Mugabe, who has governed the country since independence in 1980, to step down. On Twitter, activists used the hashtag #ShutDownZimbabwe2016 to mobilise support. Many civil servants have not been paid in more than a month: they went on strike on Tuesday. On Monday, taxi drivers complaining about police extortion clashed with the security forces in parts of Harare. The economy has also been hit by currency shortages and a severe drought.
Dhaka café attack ends with 28 dead
08 Jul 2016
Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina announced two days of national mourning after an attack on a café in Dhaka left 28 people dead - twenty hostages, six militants and two police officers. In a televised address to the nation she called for unity against criminal elements following the attack in the diplomatic quarter of Bangladesh’s capital. Also, thirteen people were rescued after more than a hundred commandos stormed a bakery early on Saturday after a twelve-hour siege. 'I request everyone to unite against these handful of criminals,' said Hasina. She earlier said one of the gunmen had been captured alive in the dawn raid. A senior minister said the jihadists were members of a homegrown Bangladeshi militant outfit, the Jamaeytul Mujahdeen Bangladesh. 'They have no connections with IS', he stated.
The Time is Now
07 Jul 2016
The time is now – we are in a period of tremendous political, economic and social change in our nations. As Jehoshophat declares in 2 Chronicles 20 when Judah faced ruin and destruction –" O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you."
We believe we are in a new time of spiritual shaking and spiritual opportunity. We encourage every Christian to pray for new leadership and integrity in our politics, for protection on our economy and peace in our towns and cities. But we also pray for God to move in our nation and for His will to be done.
We are in a new time. A time of mercy, a time of shaking, a time for a deeper understanding of the gospel. We believe this is a historically significant watershed moment – for our nations and for Europe. It is therefore a time for more prayer. It is a time for packed out prayer meetings, for greater time for prayer in our small groups and bible studies and children's meetings and for stronger individual prayer. We will be providing prayer updates and focus to help increase the level of prayer.
It is time to pray. You will find our updated prayer for the nation based on the Lord's prayer. Use this and pass it on, it is a strong starting point for joint prayer for the nations. We would love to see churches use this in the coming weeks. Here are two more prayer points for you to think about.
Lord we pray for:
- A fresh revelation of Your sovereignty – we want a deeper understanding of Your hand on our nations. We want a deeper understanding of Your Lordship on our lives.
- Unity in the Church - we know there is fraction and confusion over the referendum, but we ask for unity of purpose and a deeper commitment to each other. Prepare us, Your Church, for the important tasks that lie ahead, heal our divisions and give us a shared passion for Your kingdom to come.
Jesus film in eight new languages
01 Jul 2016
The Jesus film, which is often used as an evangelistic tool and has drawn many to Christ around the world, has been translated into eight new languages, which means that 6.5 million more people can be reached with the Gospel in their own language. Jesus Film Project spokesman Joe Class said that people from all eight language groups have been given a screening of the film in their respective language. ‘It was utterly amazing to go to this location and have community members from eight different language groups gathered together. All of us thanked God for what He's done - to Him be the glory. Our hope and our prayer is that there will be transformation and that churches will be started as a result of this’, said Class.