Worldwide
South Africa: worst drought on record
29 Jan 2016
The parched landscape of Free State in South Africa has whirlwinds tossing huge spirals of dust into the sky. Usually January brings tremendous thunderstorms, with up to 90mm of rain falling on this traditional farming heartland…
Syria: peace talks or military solution?
29 Jan 2016
The UN special envoy on Syria, Staffan de Mistura, hopes to start peace talks in Geneva today between the government and opposition groups. The sides will not talk directly to each other to begin with, but…
North Korea
29 Jan 2016
For fourteen years North Korea has been the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian. Believers face arrest, torture, imprisonment and death for daring to think there is a higher authority than Kim…
Iran's president asks the Pope to pray for him
29 Jan 2016
Pope Francis met the Iranian president on Tuesday, joining in discussions touching on the nuclear accord and Iran's role in the region. Before these discussions, the two men met privately for forty minutes. The Vatican described…
South Sudan: urgent support needed
29 Jan 2016
An alert from the Integrated Food Classification (IPC) states that in some areas of South Sudan the situation has reached ‘catastrophic’ and ‘emergency’ levels. Over a third of the population are experiencing severe levels of hunger,…
USA and Uganda Primates in Canterbury
22 Jan 2016
The Most Revd Dr Foley Beach, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, was a full, voting participant in the Primates’ gathering, but did not feel it appropriate to vote as he’s not part of…