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Today’s News Headlines:

ANTI-CONVERSION LAWS LEAD TO INCREASED PERSECUTION IN INDIA CHURCHES’ HELP NEEDED TO DEFEAT CORRUPTION IN LATIN AMERICA ISLAMIC CLERIC QUESTIONED ABOUT POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IN BALI BOMBING RELIEF EFFORTS IN CZECH REPUBLIC HELP OPEN PEOPLE’S HEARTS TO GOSPEL CONTEMPORARY TAMIL BIBLE TRANSLATION TO BE DEDICATED IN SRI LANKA ERUPTION OF VOLCANO IN ECUADOR CAME ‘ALMOST WITHOUT WARNING’

Today’s News Stories:

ANTI-CONVERSION LAWS LEAD TO INCREASED PERSECUTION IN INDIA Acts of violence against Christians in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have increased in light of recent legislation forbidding religious conversions. The legislation is similar to that which was earlier passed by the state government in the northern state of Orissa. “At the moment there is a lot going on between Hindus and Muslims in this area,” said a source in India who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons. “There are protest rallies by Hindus. Churches are being burned, including the church of our pastor. Other Christian buildings and schools are closed. The Hindus are very radical and won’t tolerate Christians in their area. They want to convert everyone. When a Hindu converts to Christianity, he is cast out by the whole community (family, friends and neighbors). Please remember the situation here in your prayers.” This week four Christian families were beaten in the streets and the young girls raped when they refused to take part in a Hindu festival in the state of Orissa. When the police were informed, they did nothing. (Voice of the Martyrs)

* In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages: Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari. HCJB World Radio also broadcasts 11/2 hours of English programming daily to India via shortwave from South America. The ministry is investigating potential opportunities to help launch local Christian stations in key cities across India.

CHURCHES’ HELP NEEDED TO DEFEAT CORRUPTION IN LATIN AMERICA Latin American leaders and experts are agreeing publicly that to address many of their region’s problems, they need to consider ethical issues, reports Latin America Mission Ken MacHarg. Churches in Argentina are participating in government efforts to address corruption. Speaking at an Americas conference in Miami, leaders acknowledged that corruption is “costly and prevents Latin American nations from developing their full potential.” One Argentine official said that the church in his country has called for a new standard of behavior from both the government and businesses. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said that severe poverty leads to social unrest and political instability. He called on neighboring countries to help in his efforts to improve living conditions for the people. (Mission Network News)

ISLAMIC CLERIC QUESTIONED ABOUT POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IN BALI BOMBING The BBC reported that Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, a radical Islamic cleric, is being questioned by Indonesian authorities. They want to ask him about his alleged involvement in acts of terror across South East Asia, and his alleged leadership of a militant group, Jemaah Islamiah, which some believe was responsible for the deadly bombing in Bali. When Ba’asyir was taken away, his supporters clashed with the police, injuring at least four policemen and several supporters — none seriously. He was flown to Jakarta and was admitted to a police hospital where he is being treated for respiratory problems and heart and stomach complications. He denies all the allegations against him and says he would resist all efforts by police to detain him if he were released from the hospital. It is not known when he will face further questioning. (Voice of the Martyrs)

RELIEF EFFORTS IN CZECH REPUBLIC HELP OPEN PEOPLE’S HEARTS TO GOSPEL While late summer floods in the Czech Republic caused billions of dollars in damage, relief teams have found a renewed openness to the gospel, says Services International’s Carice Blazo “They feel a connection when people care for them, and vice versa,” he says. “They really cared for the U.S. last year after 9/11, so it opened up doors to talk. I think in times of crisis there are often softer hearts, and a lot of people willing to share and discuss things.” Blazo thinks the reputation of hardened hearts in the Czech Republic may be a bit harsh, adding that the gospel is penetrating. “I think they’ve had so many bad things happen to them throughout the years that they tend to be cynical. But I don’t think that they’re completely closed off.” (Mission Network News)

CONTEMPORARY TAMIL BIBLE TRANSLATION TO BE DEDICATED IN SRI LANKA The International Bible Society (IBS) will release a contemporary language version of the Tamil Bible at a dedication in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Nov. 6. More than 66 million people speak Tamil, most of them in India and Sri Lanka. The New Tamil Bible updates a translation that was completed by British missionaries in 1871. The director of IBS in Sri Lanka said he hopes the translation will help contribute to peace on the war-torn island. “My country has been ravaged by civil war between the Tamils and the Sinhalese for 20 years,” he said. “Only now have peace negotiations begun that could lead to permanent peace. We hope that a clear, accurate translation of God’s Word in contemporary Tamil will provide lasting inner peace to the Tamil people.” IBS released a contemporary translation of the Tamil New Testament in 1981. (International Bible Society)

ERUPTION OF VOLCANO IN ECUADOR CAME ‘ALMOST WITHOUT WARNING’ The Reventador volcano, 60 miles east of Quito, which came back to life on Sunday, Nov. 3, after 26 years of dormancy, erupted with almost no warning, said Hugo Y ©pez, director or the Geophysical Institute in Quito. Ecuadorian President Gustavo Noboa declared a state of emergency following a series of volcanic eruptions that sent up more than 1 million tons of gray ash that engulfed the city. Y ©pez said the volcano displayed a “rapid eruptive process” with the first signs of activity measured only five hours before the initial eruption. This was in contrast to two other active volcanoes in Ecuador — Tungurahua and Guagua Pichincha — that gave plenty of warning before they exploded in 1999. Y ©pez said the institute is looking at two possible scenarios with Reventador. The most likely is a prolonged, sustained cycle of volcanic activity that could last for months like it did after erupting in 1976. The less likely but more ominous possibility is that the activity could lead to even more “significant powerful eruptions,” Y ©pez said.

Hundreds of farmers living near the volcano’s base fled in fear as lush orchards and pastures for livestock turned into smoldering fields of ash. “It was like hell,” said Guadalupe Campoverde who lives in a small farming community outside of Quito. “The volcano growled and threw out fire.” El Comercio reported today that one person was killed in the eruption while 16 were injured and 10 are missing. The ash has also affected more than 250,000 head of cattle. In Quito the government closed schools, ordered workers to stay home and closed airspace indefinitely as the expanding plume of volcanic ash hung over the city. A small fraction of the capital’s 1.4 million residents ventured from their homes on Monday, wearing surgical masks and goggles to survey once-green palm trees and black asphalt streets now turned a uniform gray. The 11,683-foot-high volcano quickly calmed on Monday. (Hoy/El Comercio/Reuters)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * James A. Ferrier HCJB World Radio U.S. Ministries Communications Director E-mail: Phone: 1-719-590-9800 Fax: 1-719-590-9801 Web: http://www.hcjb.org http://www.beyondthecall.org * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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