Today’s Headlines:
NICARAGUA’S GOVERNMENT VOTES TO BAN ABORTIONS NATIONWIDE
WORLD VISION QUAKE RELIEF RECEIVES AWARD FROM PAKISTAN
OFFICIALS PRESSURE CONVERT TO FRAME PASTOR IN CENTRAL INDIA
100,000 EASY-TO-READ BIBLES HEADED THROUGH CUBA’S OPEN DOOR
Defending the Christian faith is the focus of a series of programs from HCJB World Radio-Australia this week, featuring guests from Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (http://www.rzim.org
Today’s Top Stories:
NICARAGUA’S GOVERNMENT VOTES TO BAN ABORTIONS NATIONWIDE
The national assembly of Nicaragua voted unanimously Thursday, Oct. 26, to approve a new law banning all abortions in the Central American country. Lawmakers voted 52-0 in favor of banning abortions, even in the case of life-threatening pregnancies and rape. A UPI story released in Washington, D.C., said the vote comes ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential elections in which former Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega is widely projected to win. Nicaragua joins El Salvador and Chile as the only countries in the Western Hemisphere to ban abortion without exception. Across Latin America, abortion is outlawed except in rare circumstances. It is readily available only in Cuba and in a few English-speaking Caribbean countries. Advocates of the ban hope to reduce the number of illegal abortions by handing jail terms of up to six years to offending women and doctors. Health officials estimate 32,000 illegal abortions are performed in Nicaragua every year, most of them unsafe. (Assist News Service)
WORLD VISION QUAKE RELIEF RECEIVES AWARD FROM PAKISTAN
The government of Pakistan recently honored World Vision with the “Star of Sacrifice” award for emergency disaster relief services. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf presented the award at Pakistan’s embassy in Washington, D.C. Following the earthquake in Pakistan on Oct. 8, 2005, emergency specialists with World Vision reached the affected zone within 48 hours. Since then, more than 284,000 people have benefited from World Vision’s relief supplies and food. Additional achievements that led to the award included World Vision’s medical team from South Korea which treated some 1,550 people during a nine-day mission directly after the quake. Dozens of people would have lost their lives or limbs if it hadn’t been for the quick response. World Vision’s ground-breaking aid distribution into the Black Mountain region began relief efforts to 100,000 people needing help in the isolated region which had little contact with the outside world for centuries beforehand. (World Vision)
All 35 Christians arrested Thursday, Oct. 26, during the police raid of a Bible training program have been released, including the Korean-American pastor who was leading the session. The morning raid took place in the mountain villa of Qilin, a suburb of Urumqi in China’s Xinjiang province. The group was released at 11 p.m. the same day after 12 hours of interrogation. Eyewitness reports say police behaved “rather gently,” not abusing the female Christians. However, at least one male from the group was beaten by the interrogators, and two Christians were fined the equivalent of US$6. The Korean-American pastor is under surveillance in an unknown hotel, and police confiscated his passport and are preventing him from communicating with local Christians. Several of the believers have been called back to the police station for additional interrogation, mostly focused on the Korean-American pastor. (China Aid Association)
OFFICIALS PRESSURE CONVERT TO FRAME PASTOR IN CENTRAL INDIA
Police in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state arrested a recent convert to Christianity on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 26, in an attempt to pressure him into giving evidence that he was forcibly converted. Ramesh Thakur, 37, was charged with “insulting religious beliefs” after he was detained a second time (the first being two days earlier). Jagdish Bhartil, pastor of Bethel Fellowship Church where Thakur has worshiped since he was converted six months ago, is already fighting the charges. Police have attempting to coerce evidence indicating that Thakur was forcibly converted to Christ or allured into converting. R.R. Malvi, who heads the Gate Police Station, said Thakur would continue to be detained while investigations of Bharti continue. Malvi admitted to another Bethel Fellowship church member that he is under “extreme political pressure” from the Hindu ruling party to charge Thakur. This same political party earlier offered Thakur 25,000 rupees (US$552) to implicate Bhartil in a charge of “allurement to convert.” (Compass Direct)
100,000 EASY-TO-READ BIBLES HEADED THROUGH CUBA’S OPEN DOOR
The World Bible Translation Center (WBTC) recently received official permission to get 100,000 easy-to-read Spanish Bibles into Cuba. The organization is working with the Cuban National Council of Churches to distribute the Bibles to member churches and into the hands of believers. Many Christians have trouble understanding the older versions which contain outdated words and language from more than 100 years ago. The uncertain political climate of Cuba is spurring the teams to work as quickly as possible because they don’t know how long this door will stay open. The WBTC can provide a Cuban Christian with a Bible for $4 each. (Mission Network News)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer. HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities on which it reports.
Discussion
No comments for “30 October 2006 Daily Update from HCJB World Radio”