Asia
Iraq: will Christians be welcomed back?
The Government has allocated $100 billion for post-IS reconstruction in Iraq following the recapture of Mosul and other devastated towns in the Nineveh plains. The worst-destroyed areas are in the historic heartland of…
Qatar: spiritual poverty
Qatar is accused by her Gulf neighbours of destabilising the region, and some nations have cut diplomatic ties (see Prayer Alert article ). The ramifications of escalating tensions are yet to be fully…
India: high stakes in 17 July election
India's politics are complicated by caste, racial and religious prejudices, and cultural identity. The constitution outlawed the caste system, but it is very much alive. It also guarantees religious freedom, but increasing persecution…
Iran: demolition and new life
Historical Christian legacies are unprotected and are being demolished almost daily, due to IS's aim of removing all signs of Christianity and Christian history. Apart from Syria and Iraq, there is no other…
North Korean missiles, Trump, and the G20
Donald Trump ordered a ballistic missile drill with South Korea on 5 July, firing missiles north in response to North Korea's launching a test ballistic missile, which could reach Alaska, the previous day.…
Iraq: 100,000 trapped in Raqqa
Thousands of people continue to flee the fighting in Raqqa between Syrian forces and IS which is intensifying. According to humanitarian agencies on the ground, 108,000 people have been displaced from Raqqa province…
Syria: a move towards future stability
A civil council, which is expected to rule Raqqa once IS is dislodged from the Syrian city, pardoned 83 of the jihadist group's low-ranking militants recently as a goodwill gesture designed to promote…
North Korea: arrested after meeting family
A North Korean man has been arrested on 'spying' charges after meeting Christian relatives in China. Kim Seung-mo, 61, was arrested early in June after visiting family in China's Jilin province, which borders…
Philippines: Christians as human shields
Rebel fighters in the Philippines are reportedly using dozens of Christians - including a priest - as human shields, amid an ongoing battle to retake Marawi City. The IS-linked Maute group is believed…
North Korea: release of foreign prisoners demanded
South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in, said on 20 June that North Korea should repatriate South Koreans and Americans detained in the reclusive country. American student Otto Warmbier, arrested for theft of a political…
