Nigeria: Violence follows recent elections
Horrific violence has followed the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari in May, as Boko Haram militants attacked the city of Maiduguri, capital of Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno state and birthplace of the Islamist insurgency group Boko Haram. Gunfire and explosions reverberate through the city and scores have been left dead. ‘We don’t know what happens next,’ a church leader told Barnabas. ‘Pray for the believers in the city of Maiduguri. Pray for God’s special intervention.’ On 29 May, militants launched 50+ rockets into the town, killing scores of people. On Saturday, a suicide bomber killed several people as he detonated himself in a mosque. On Sunday, a bomb went off near the Gomboru market, killing scores more. On Tuesday 2 June, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Gomboru market, killing at 20+ people. In his inaugural speech President Buhari announced that the command centre for security forces would be moved from Abuja to Maiduguri.
Australia: Faith leaders write to PM on marriage
Australian Christian Lobby Managing Director Lyle Shelton has joined with 38 leaders of Christian and other religious groups in signing a letter to the Prime Minister urging him and the parliament to uphold the true meaning of marriage. Mr Shelton said that such a demonstration of support from Australia's faith communities for man-woman marriage and the rights of children it protects was a welcome development in what has been largely a one-sided debate. ‘It is so important our nation does not sleep-walk into a legislative change to the definition of marriage without considering the consequences,’ Mr Shelton said. The letter was signed by Catholic and Anglican archbishops and 36 heads of many other denominations.
USA: 'Lucky to be alive' - prisoners’ getaway in New York
A man and his friend saw 48-year-old Richard Matt and 34-year-old David Sweat in their backyard with what looked like a guitar case. The witnesses' identities are being withheld because of safety concerns. When the witnesses confronted the men they said they were lost and then ran away. The man added, ‘we’re lucky to be alive.’ The escaped convicts used power tools to cut through a steel wall in their adjoining cells and escape through a steam pipe. The search for the two men has been extended to Canada and Mexico as well as New York. Matt was serving a life sentence for killing and dismembering his former boss. Sweat was also serving life for torture and murder.
Pakistan: New Christians enrolled on a course on prayer
In an area where being a Christian is very dangerous, brave intercessors are running courses on how to pray and to hear from God with the vision of building a strong network of prayer groups in 24/7 prayer for Pakistan. The organiser said, ‘During this course we shared how God has worked in hopeless places around the world to bring change. We had periods of forgiveness and reconciliation between churches and denominations, with them coming forward and asking forgiveness. People told of how they had never done this in person before and the blessing it was to them. With demonic activity more evident against Christians, we taught ‘cleansing your house of evil’ - using Scripture to rebuke the evil one and send him out of your home. Many came back the next day telling of the peace they had for the first time in their homes.’
