After Aung San Suu Kyi’s election win, Myanmar’s displaced Kachin are hopeful they can go home for Christmas

After Aung San Suu Kyi’s election win, Myanmar’s displaced Kachin are hopeful they can go home for Christmas
As democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi prepares to assume power in Myanmar, two Baptist leaders among the country’s ethnic Kachin refugees are cautiously expecting more freedom to live their Christian faith, perhaps as soon as this Christmas. More than 100,000 ethnic Kachin, displaced due to civil war that broke . . . Read More

Iceland makes blasphemy legal

Iceland’s parliament has abolished its blasphemy laws, despite opposition from some of the country’s churches, reports the BBC. A bill was put forward in response to the attack against the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, by Iceland’s minority Pirate Party, which campaigns for internet and data freedom. The Pirate movement . . . Read More

Christians remain cautious about Modi

Christians remain cautious about Modi
To mark the first anniversary of his government, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 26 declared the world is “optimistic about India and is enthusiastic about exploring the opportunities India has to offer.” To which one leader of India’s churches replied: “We have nothing to celebrate. Rather, we have . . . Read More

Hope – and anxiety – after Buhari’s win

Hope – and anxiety – after Buhari’s win
Former Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress candidate for president, at Chatham House in London in February 2015.Flickr / Chatham House / Creative Commons   Nigeria’s Christians, especially those in the troubled northeast, had a good reason to be worried that Muhammadu Buhari would be elected president. The former . . . Read More

Nigeria’s Christians flee ahead of election

An exodus of Christians from the mainly Muslim city of Kano, the commercial centre of northern Nigeria, is taking place because of fears of violence ahead of this weekend’s elections. Thousands are cramming onto coaches and heading to the east or south-west of the country. ‘Kano is closing for business . . . Read More

Nigerians, fearing election violence, forfeit vote to move to other end of country

Nigerians, fearing election violence, forfeit vote to move to other end of country
Ahead of Nigeria’s general elections on 28 March, hundreds of people, fearful of election violence, have fled back to their place of origin, World Watch Monitor has been told. The election was originally scheduled for 14 February, before being postponed to the March date for security reasons. Take for example . . . Read More