Asia
China: couple lose appeal against prison sentence
A court in China has upheld the sentences against booksellers Chang Yuchun, 53, and his wife, Li Chenhui, 44, for 'inciting subversion of state power'. They each face a seven-year jail term and…
Lebanon: elderly in hardship and helpless
11% of Lebanon’s population is over the retirement age (65), and 80% of retired people have no health care coverage. Previously Habeeb and Elham had a good life; they could eat meat, afford…
Indonesia: pray for the unreached
Some villagers thought it was just flooding, but it was searing, volcanic mud. We recently prayed for Indonesians on Java where Mount Semeru catastrophically erupted, killing dozens, burying whole communities, and making thousands…
Chinese government found guilty in Uyghur tribunal
On 13 December, after two years of hearings, the Uyghur tribunal found the Chinese government guilty of crimes against humanity, systematic torture, and genocide against Uyghurs and other minorities in the Xinjiang region.…
Indonesia: volcano eruption on Mount Semeru
The tallest mountain on Java erupted on 4 December, shooting columns of ash into the sky, blanketing surrounding villages. Pray for the rescue workers who are still digging through thick layers of hot…
Afghanistan: vulnerable Christian minorities
As the Taliban quickly took over Afghanistan during the late summer of 2021, the world witnessed chaos, panic, and extreme violence. The Afghan Church was in the middle of the storm, facing ever-increasing…
China: WTA suspends tournaments in China
Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has not been seen in public for over a month after accusing former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault resulting in the Women's Tennis Association suspending all tournaments…
India: spike in attacks on Christians and churches
India has the second-largest Christian population in Asia, but a recent report states that over 300 attacks on Christians took place in the first nine months of 2021. 169 of them were in…
China: digital dictatorship
In 2013, China's President Xi Jinping said that ‘whoever controls data has the upper hand’, and ever since he has been on a technological quest to build what some call a blueprint for…
Iran: nuclear deal talks
On 29 November, senior diplomats from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia met Iranian officials in Vienna to discuss bringing Tehran back into compliance with the 2015 deal known as the Joint Comprehensive…
