Afghan President Flees Country, Taliban Entering Kabul; US Personnel Fleeing Embassy
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan Sunday as the Islamic militant Taliban group entered Kabul.
Vietnam
Thousands Of US, British Forces Rushing To Afghanistan
Britain and the United States have agreed to send thousands of troops to help evacuate their citizens as the Islamist militant Taliban group moves towards control over Afghanistan.
US officials condemn Vietnam raid on churches
Vietnam has come under fire from US government officials and international human rights advocates after Vietnamese authorities raided two churches and arrested over 20 Christians, almost all of whom belong to the persecuted Montagnard ethnic group, in May, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Another Church in Canada Set Ablaze
Police are investigating a suspected arson attack against the House of Prayer Alliance Church in south-east Calgary, Canada on Sunday evening, CBC News reports. A refugee from Vietnam, the church’s pastor Thai Nguyen said no one was in the building at the time of the attack, but that his congregation would still have to be “more careful” in the future.
Report: Vietnam Christians suffer imprisonment, land confiscation by government
The California-based rights group Vietnam Human Rights Network (VHRN) has published its 2020-2021 report, asserting that Vietnamese Christians are suffering persecution, including imprisonment and land confiscation at the hands of the country’s communist government, ICC reports.
Vietnam government authorities accuse Christians of spreading COVID-19
Recent accusations by Vietnamese government authorities that Christians are responsible for spreading COVID-19 in the country may have caused long-lasting damage to Vietnam’s Evangelical community, Morning Star News.
Virus variants in Asia threaten the whole world
According to genome databases, such as nextstrain.org, there are now more than 1,000 known variants of the SARS CoV-2 virus.
Vietnam finds new virus variant, hybrid of India, U.K. strains
Vietnam has discovered a new coronavirus variant that’s a hybrid of strains first found in India and the U.K., the Vietnamese health minister said Saturday.
Religious Freedom Report: 14 nations are “Countries of Particular Concern”
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published its 2021 Annual Report earlier this month, redesignating 10 nations as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and recommending to the State Department that India, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam now be given that designation as well.
Vietnam Urged To Free Jailed Pastor and Rights Activists
Christian rights activists and other advocates urged Vietnam Tuesday to release four prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, including pastors, amid concerns about their health.
Family, Friends ‘Celebrate Life’ Of Late Evangelist Luis Palau
An emotionally charged private memorial service was held Saturday, March 20, in honor of world-renowned evangelist Luis Palau. He passed away this month after losing his battle against lung cancer at age 86, leaving behind an evangelism legacy that impacted millions’ lives.
Evangelist Luis Palau Dies At 86
Luis Palau, the international evangelist who preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to more than 1 billion people through media and evangelistic events, has died, his family confirmed. The 86-year-old preacher, a close friend of the late evangelist Billy Graham, passed away after a decision to stop all treatment for his incurable lung cancer.
’End Near’ For Frail Evangelist Luis Palau, Family Says
“The end seems near” for international evangelist Luis Palau after a decision to stop all treatment for his incurable lung cancer and start hospice care, his family said Friday.
UK set to formally apply for trans-Pacific trade bloc membership
Britain will next week formally apply to join a trans-Pacific trading bloc of 11 countries, with negotiations set to start later this year, the government has said.
Super Typhoon Goni Pounds Philippines, One Million Evacuated
Super Typhoon Goni pounded the eastern Philippines with ferocious winds early Sunday forcing the evacuation of a million people.
North Korea Rejects Meeting US Amid Nuclear Standoff
North Korea has warned Washington that it has “no intention” of meeting with the United States to discuss issues such as stalled nuclear diplomacy.
U.S. Top Virus Fighter Fauci Warns Of New Infections Wave
America’s top health official in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic dampened hopes of a full reopening of the U.S. economy as he expects many more cases of the virus disease COVID-19.
India Condemns U.S. Religious Rights Report
A U.S. government advisory panel wants India on a religious freedom blacklist over a “drastic” downturn under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering an angry reaction from New Delhi. In addition to India, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also recommends the inclusion of four more – Nigeria, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.
American companies moving away from China as main supplier
A new report shows the “dramatic reversal” of a five-year trend as US companies commanded a considerably larger share of manufacturing in 2019 than the 14 Asian exporters that were tracked for the study. According to the seventh annual Reshoring Index report by global manufacturing consulting firm Kearney, Chinese exporters suffered the greatest losses.
Montagnard Christian released after sixteen years of severe beatings in Vietnam
A Montagnard Christian in Vietnam was released from prison in February following sixteen years of torture by the Vietnamese government for protesting its treatment of ethnic and religious minorities.