world news
Russia to deport 2 American Mormons arrested at church under anti-evangelism law

Two Americans affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were arrested in Russia and will soon be deported back to the U.S., their lawyer says.
Russian attorney Sergey Gliznutsa told that Kole Brodowski and another unidentified volunteer were arrested while they were teaching English at a church in Russia.
He went on to explain that the deportation order was given earlier this week, but because of a national holiday, Brodowski and the other man will likely not be released and deported until sometime next week.
Russia has barred foreign missionaries from evangelizing in that country, but the LDS Church maintained that the two Americans fit the definition of “volunteer” and were not violating any laws.
Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for the LDS Church, said in a statement that he was concerned about the decision by authorities to detain and deport the two Americans.
“While we are grateful these young men are reportedly in good condition and are being treated well, we are troubled by the circumstances surrounding their detention,” said Hawkins.
“They have both spoken to their parents. We will continue to work with local authorities, and encourage the swift release of these volunteers.”
In 2016, Russia passed an “anti-missionary” law as part of a broader anti-terrorism law. The measure targets religious minorities to the benefit of the influential Russian Orthodox Church.
About a year after the law was enacted, the Norway-based group Forum 18 recorded 181 cases of Russian authorities using the law to crack down on non-Russian Orthodox religious groups.
The 181 prosecutions included more than 80 cases against individuals representing various Protestant churches, as well as 41 cases against Jehovah’s Witnesses, and several cases against Buddhists, Muslims, and a dozen Hare Krishna members.
The detaining of the Mormon volunteers comes a month after a Russian court sentenced Danish citizen Dennis Christensen, a Jehovah’s Witness, to six years in prison due to the religious sect being declared “extremist” under the nation’s criminal code.
Christensen was arrested in 2017 while giving a sermon.
“The case against Christensen and the raids against Jehovah’s Witness adherents violate the right to freedom of religion, denying them the right to worship, and cannot be justified as either a necessary or proportionate measure to protect public safety or public order,” stated Human Rights Watch.
“The conviction is a blatant violation of the rights to religious freedom and expression. Russian authorities should immediately move to set aside the conviction and free Christensen.”
world news
എല്ലാ രാജ്യാന്തര കേന്ദ്രങ്ങളിലേക്കും 30 ശതമാനം വരെ കിഴിവുമായി സൗദി എയര്ലൈന്സ്

ജിദ്ദ : സൗദി എയര്ലൈന്സ് എല്ലാ രാജ്യാന്തര കേന്ദ്രങ്ങളിലേക്കും 30 ശതമാനം വരെ കിഴിവോടെ ‘ഗ്രീന് ഫ്ലൈ ഡേ ഓഫര്’ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചു. ഈ ആനുകൂല്യം ഉപയോഗപ്പെടുത്തി ഡിസംബര് ഒന്നു മുതല് അടുത്ത വർഷം മാര്ച്ച് 10 വരെ യാത്രചെയ്യാം. സൗദി എയർലൈൻസ് കേരളത്തിലേക്ക് ഉൾപ്പെട ഇന്ത്യയിലെ വിവിധ കേന്ദ്രങ്ങളിലേക്ക് സർവീസ് നടത്തിവരുന്നു.
ഇതുസംബന്ധമായ നടപടിക്രമങ്ങള് പൂര്ത്തിയാക്കാനും പ്രയോജനം നേടാനും ബുധനാഴ്ച വരെ സമയം അനുവദിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. ബിസിനസ്, ഇക്കണോമി ക്ലാസ് വിഭാഗങ്ങള്ക്ക് ഈ ആനുകൂല്യം ബാധകമാണ്. റൗണ്ട് ട്രിപ്പുകള്ക്കും വണ്വേ ഫ്ലൈറ്റുകള്ക്കും കിഴിവ് ബാധകമാണ്. സൗദി എയര്ലൈനിന്റെ വെബ്സൈറ്റ്, സ്മാര്ട്ട്ഫോണ് ആപ്ലിക്കേഷനുകള്, സെയില്സ് ഓഫിസുകള് എന്നിവ വഴി യാത്രക്കാര്ക്ക് ടിക്കറ്റ് എളുപ്പത്തില് ബുക്ക് ചെയ്യാവുന്നതാണ്. ക്രിസ്മസ് ഉള്പ്പടെയുള്ള അവധിദിനങ്ങള് വരുന്നതിനാല് പ്രവാസികള്ക്ക് ഈ ആനുകൂല്യം ഏറെ പ്രയോജനപ്പെടുമെന്നാണ് കരുതുന്നത്.
Sources:globalindiannews
world news
Government Offices in Indonesia Can Now Be Used As Temporary Places of Worship

Indonesia — Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas recently issued a notification allowing different Ministry of Religion offices as temporary houses of worship for religious minorities.
“This circular from the Minister of Religion was issued as an effort by the government to guarantee religious communities to carry out worship according to their religion and beliefs in an orderly, comfortable, and safe manner,” said Head of the Center for Religious Harmony (PKUB) Secretariat General of the Ministry of Religion Wawan Djunaedi in a written statement on Thursday, Nov. 23.
Circular No. 11 was published on Oct. 16, 2023. This circular was addressed to all Heads of Provincial Ministry of Religion Regional Offices and Heads of Regency/City Ministry of Religion Offices in Indonesia.
According to Minister Wawan, religious communities still cannot conduct their worship in an orderly, comfortable, and safe manner. This occurs because there are often no safe places of worship available, and there is resistance from local communities to groups like Christians gathering in their neighborhoods. Therefore, the government has intervened to facilitate these religious freedoms.
The following are some provisions of the Circular Minister of Religion No. 11 of 2023:
First, use only a maximum of two hours for each worship activity.
Second, the applicant provides the necessary worship facilities themselves.
Third, the validity period is only three months and can only be extended once.
Many Christians in Indonesia experience difficulties in being able to meet to worship God and hold church gatherings. They often face intimidation, opposition, and other challenges as they try to meet for fellowship and worship.
With this policy change, non-Muslims facing problems in accessing places of worship can take advantage of these government facilities. ICC welcomes these changes. But these are still only temporary solutions, and the policy change is narrow and has restrictions. Longer-term and entrenched solutions are urgently needed to ensure Christians and other religious minorities in Indonesia can worship and practice their faiths freely.
Please pray that the government guarantees every religious believer’s right to worship more.
Sources:persecution
world news
Police stop young Nigerians from attending Church

Nigeria – Islamic police (Hisbah) responsible for enforcing Sharia law in northwest Nigeria recently harassed, and stopped five Christian girls from going to church in Kano State.
The Christian girls were walking to Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) when Hisbah Police stopped the girls and asked them to dress like Muslims. When the girls refused, one of the officers told them they would be punished if they went to the church. The girls were released after standing in the sun for three hours, and after the church service ended.
Mary, one of the five victims, told an ICC staffer that officers told them they were being punished because “Israel is killing our sisters in Gaza. If we like, we will kill you, too.” She implored Christians to play for believers in Kano State.
A recent report by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting cited harassment by the Hisbah police of Christians, mostly women.
Christian Leaders in Nigeria continue to remain silent to the persecution of Christians in Kano City since they are in the minority and don’t have a voice. Christian girls are often denied jobs unless they convert to Islam. Ongoing persecution in Sokoto, Kebbe, Zamfara, Zaria, and Katsina often go unreported.
Sources:persecution
-
us news5 months ago
നോർത്ത് അമേരിക്കൻ പെന്തക്കോസ്തൽ റൈറ്റേഴ്സ് ഫോറം : രാജൻ ആര്യപ്പള്ളി പ്രസിഡന്റ്; നിബു വെള്ളവന്താനം സെക്രട്ടറി
-
us news3 months ago
നോര്ത്ത് അമേരിക്കന് പെന്തക്കോസ്തല് റൈറ്റേഴ്സ് ഫോറം; അറ്റ്ലാന്റാ ചാപ്റ്ററിന് പുതിയ ഭാരവാഹികള്
-
us news6 months ago
‘The Biggest Water Baptism in History’: 4,166 Baptized at Historic Beach from Jesus Movement
-
world news6 months ago
Muslim Husband Found Out His Wife Became a Christian; He Beat Her, Starved Her and Left Her in a Wild Animal Park—But God…
-
National3 months ago
ബൈബിൾ വിതരണം ചെയ്യുന്നതും നല്ല മൂല്യങ്ങൾ പഠിപ്പിക്കുന്നതും മതപരിവർത്തനമല്ല: അലഹബാദ് ഹൈക്കോടതിയുടെ നിര്ണ്ണായക വിധി
-
world news7 months ago
ലേലത്തിൽ വെച്ചിരുന്ന ലോകത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും പഴക്കമുള്ള ഹീബ്രു ബൈബിളിന് റെക്കോര്ഡ് തുക: ലഭിച്ചത് 314 കോടിരൂപ
-
world news6 months ago
യുഎഇ യിൽ ക്രൈസ്തവ ആരാധനാലയങ്ങൾക്ക് ഇനി ലൈസൻസ് നിർബന്ധം
-
world news2 months ago
50 രാജ്യങ്ങളിലേക്ക് കുവൈത്ത് പൗരന്മാർക്ക് വിസയില്ലാതെ സഞ്ചരിക്കാം