Asia
Japan: notable increase in attacks by bears
In Japan, a huge surge in bear attacks has been linked to climate change. Already in 2023 there have been 212 attacks, compared to 158 in 2022; six people have died. Rising temperatures…
Gaza conflict: UN vote for an immediate ceasefire
On 12 December, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. With 153 votes in favour, 10 against (including the United States and Israel),…
Gaza: latest developments
On 6 December Israeli troops fought fierce battles with Hamas in an expanding offensive into southern Gaza, forcing tens of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians to cram into a city close to the…
India: workers finally rescued from tunnel
We asked for your prayers last week; it took another five days, 17 in all, before 41 construction workers were rescued from from a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand state. The tunnel, part of…
Gaza: ceasefire extended
On 30 November Israel and Hamas struck a last-minute agreement to extend their ceasefire for a seventh day. Both sides agreed to extend the truce, with Hamas releasing more hostages and Israel receiving…
Tajikistan: challenges facing the Church
Tajikistan is a beautiful mountainous country; the Tajik language is related to Iranian. After gaining independence in the early 1990s, the country endured a tribal-based civil war that resulted in significant loss of…
Israel / Gaza: hostage deal, four-day pause
Israel and Hamas have struck a deal to exchange fifty hostages in Gaza for a four-day ceasefire. This agreement also includes the release of 150 Palestinian women and teenagers held in Israeli prisons…
India: rescue operation for trapped tunnel workers close to success
A rescue operation to free 41 Indian tunnel workers, trapped for twelve days in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkhand state, has reached its final stage. Rescuers are just metres away from the workers,…
Muslims in Gaza come to Christ after seeing Jesus in dreams
In Gaza, a significant number of Muslim men have recently converted to Christianity after reportedly seeing visions of Jesus in their dreams, an event described as miraculous by underground Christian communities in the…
USA / China: Biden optimistic after four-hour meeting with Xi
On 15 November, after concluding a four-hour meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Joe Biden expressed optimism about improving US-China relations. Key agreements were reached on reducing fentanyl production and restoring military communication.…
