Worldwide
South Africa: deaths of nearly 100 mentally-ill
03 Feb 2017
Malegapuru Makgopa, South Africa’s health ombudsman, has said that 94 mentally-ill patients died of starvation, dehydration and diarrhoea at care centres last year. The deaths followed a ‘reckless’ attempt by the government to save money by…
Colombia: rebels help to eradicate coca
03 Feb 2017
Colombia has announced a crop substitution programme to eradicate the raw material for cocaine. The Farc rebel group relied on cocaine production to fund its insurgency and controlled much of the industry, but a joint programme…
Sudan: three men found guilty
03 Feb 2017
(Updating last week’s Prayer Alert article) On Sunday Judge Osama Ahmed Abdulla found Czech national Petr Jašek guilty of espionage. He was sentenced to life imprisonment plus a further three and a half years and a…
Sudan: judgment delayed again for Christians
27 Jan 2017
Rev’d Kuwa Shamal, Rev’d Hassan Abduraheem, Mr Petr Jašek, and Mr Abdulmonem Abdumawla were arrested in December 2015 and held in prison on charges of national security crimes. They were charged with helping fund medical treatment…
Maldives: picture of a church causes offence
27 Jan 2017
Social studies textbooks for grades 1-4 were recalled after an outcry from concerned parents over a page illustrating two Christian churches. The books had been introduced by the new management at Gateway International School, without official…
USA: Trump’s inauguration
27 Jan 2017
The inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America took place in Washington, watched by tens of millions around the world. His speech was full of rhetoric and confirmed many of his…