Katey Hearth, Mission Network News

Tensions heighten in the Ukraine war as Russian ally Belarus says its warplanes can now carry nukes.

On Friday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko spoke against a general threat from Western forces:

“Everything was ready (referring to modifications made to Belarusian warplanes to carry nuclear weapons). It’s not a good idea to escalate things with Belarus because that would be an escalation with the Union State (of Russia and Belarus) which has nuclear weapons. If they start to create problems … the response will be immediate.”

It has been one year since the Taliban gained control in Afghanistan and while many Christians have already fled, some are staying to continue spreading the gospel. 

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban claimed control of Afghanistan’s capital amid the United States’ chaotic troop withdrawal. The advance came as no surprise to those watching, as major cities fell to Taliban rule throughout the summer.

Uganda’s pandemic lockdowns led to discipleship opportunities – in 2020 and today.

When society locked down two years ago, Set Free Ministries equipped teachers to visit students at home. Set Free’s Dave McIntyre says, “They started many local Bible studies in the villages.”

The man accused of killing former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly blamed the politician for a cult's influence on his family.

The man is undergoing extensive mental health tests before prosecution can proceed.

Regarding motive, the suspect told investigators his mother joined a cult called the Unification Church and bankrupted the family by giving to this cult. “He (the killer) thought Abe played a key role in allowing this cult to spread within Japan,” Takeshi Takazawa of Asian Access says.

If you live in North America or Europe, you’ve probably always had a Bible within reach, whether you wanted to read it or not.

“English speakers have had it for hundreds of years; it’s not something we’ve struggled [to access],” unfoldingWord CEO David Reeves says.

On a global scale, many believers don’t have this luxury. According to Wycliffe Global Alliance, 1.5 billion people have only a partial Bible. Of them, 220 million people in 3,883 language groups have nothing.

WARNING: Details in this article may be too graphic for some readers.

The northern half of Africa’s most populous country is at the mercy of religious extremists.

China’s “zero-COVID” policy is taking a heavy toll on civilians and the economy. Mental health challenges abound, and China’s unemployment rate just hit the highest point since February 2020.

“Our people in China are incredibly frustrated with this process. They wish it would be over,” Kurt Rovenstine of Bibles for China says.

New outbreaks raised concerns about a new round of coronavirus restrictions. Hundreds of students in Beijing held a rare protest as officials tried to seal them in their dorms.

As Russia’s war continues around them, the TransWorld Radio Ukraine team is speaking the hope of Christ to their country through radio programs and social media. See the latest Ukraine updates from TWR here.

“Our Ukrainian team [has] seen an incredible increase in followers during the past few months,” Frank Stephenson of TWR Europe says.

“I think it was around 10,000 followers in February, and now it’s over 50,000.”

The TWR Ukraine team sent the following update about a testimony they received from a listener:

If all refugees and displaced people formed their own country, it would be the world’s 17th-largest nation.

“Every three seconds, someone is newly displaced in the world because of war, violence, and persecution,” World Mission’s Greg Kelley says.

Millions of women and children fleeing conflict make ideal targets for traffickers. Aid groups in Europe say pimps try to lure and deceive women fleeing the Ukraine crisis.

Afghanistan is entering a critical period. At least four countries — including China and Russia — have established diplomatic ties with the Taliban, even though all refuse to “officially” recognize the 8-month-old government.

According to one security expert, “this is a slow back-door way for nations who don’t care about human rights or seek to exploit Afghan resources to confer more power on the Taliban.”