*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

More than 100,000 people displaced by fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are facing starvation in light of failed peace accords, says Sam Vinton of Grace Ministries. He says the crisis has reached the point where the U.N. is getting involved with relief. "This is a necessity, especially in towns or cities, because people there depend on food being brought to them," he said. "Like in Kindu, there was a blockade by the Mayi-Mayis around the city so we had two large shipments of food flown in from Goma to help the Christians in Bible school and theological school students." Vinton adds that the fighting has "handicapping the spread of the gospel or even the pastors visiting parishioners, going from village to village, because they're afraid of meeting up with soldiers or bandits along the way." Meanwhile, recent violence in Nyankunde has forced Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) to temporarily close its base there. MAF spokesman John Lewis says tribal warfare has taken its toll on the ministry. "Our main base there was totally destroyed and looted," he said. "A large hospital with 120 beds was also destroyed, and even the roofing has been taken off the hospital. Nobody is living there anymore. I talked to the pilot yesterday. He keeps flying over the town, and all he sees is trash and the results of the looting. We haven't been able to go back there for the last two or three months." (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio works with local partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo to broadcast the gospel on FM stations in Boma, Bukavu and Kinshasa. Programs go out in English, French, Kikongo Fioti, Lingala, Luba and Swahili. Weekly programs in the Songe and Kikongo San Salvador languages also air from local FM stations in the country. In addition, HCJB World Radio airs Kikongo Fioti programs to the country via shortwave from Ecuador.

ARMED INSURGENTS ASSASSINATE ANOTHER PASTOR IN COLOMBIA

Unidentified gunmen in Colombia assassinated Rev. José Juan Lozada Corteza, pastor of the Evangelical Christian Church of San Antonio, Colombia, on Jan. 27. The Evangelical Council of Colombia reported that uniformed men stopped the public bus in which Lozada was traveling and singled out the clergyman from the rest of the passengers. Forcing him out of the vehicle, assailants shot Lozada in the head in full view of bystanders. The gunmen, members of an illegal armed group fighting the country's protracted civil war, reportedly also killed a member of Lozada's church who was traveling with him. In another incident, evangelical leaders urged Rev. Esnilder Popó, pastor of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Santander, Cauca, to leave the community after an attempt on his life during Sunday worship services last November. More than 60,000 persons have died of the fighting in Colombia since 1985 with civilians comprising 80 percent of the victims. At least 72 Protestant pastors and 33 Catholic priests have been killed. (Compass)

* Together with local partners, HCJB World Radio broadcasts the gospel on FM stations in four Colombian cities. The ministry also continues to air Spanish programs across the country and all of Latin America via shortwave from Quito.

MILITANT GROUP IN INDIA CLEARED IN STAINES MURDER TRIAL

Four years after the brutal murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, the trial of 18 defendants took a bizarre turn when a Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) officer testifying for the prosecution declared that none of the suspects are members of the militant Hindu group Bajrang Dal. Earlier, CBI reports on the case named six assailants, including prime suspect Dara Singh, as members of the Bajrang Dal. Numerous eyewitnesses also said they heard group members chant Bajrang Dal slogans as they attacked the missionary and his sons. Staines and his two young sons, Philip and Timothy, died on the night of Jan. 22, 1999, when the angry mob doused their jeep with gasoline and set it afire. The Bajrang Dal is actively engaged in training "warriors of the Hindutva revolution" and openly equips volunteers with weapons and firearms. Christian spokesmen in India believe the radical group benefits from its close association with national leaders of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. (Compass)

EVANGELICAL LEADERS ADDRESS AIDS CRISIS WITH U.S., AFRICAN POLITICIANS

U.S. evangelical leaders and top American and African politicians met at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Feb. 5, to foster relations as leaders on the two continents make plans to further address the AIDS crisis in Africa. The meeting, hosted by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Sen. Rick Santorum, came just a week after President George W. Bush proposed $15 billion in funding to assist in battling the disease in Africa. Religious leaders said the meeting of about 30 people affirmed their role in assisting in the global cause. "Frist views the evangelical community as an important actor on the scene," said Rev. Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). After the meeting, NAE President Leith Anderson said that evangelicals have not addressed AIDS "soon enough or adequately." Steve Haas, a vice president from World Vision, said the African leaders who detailed the plight of those affected by AIDS also affirmed the necessity for religious assistance. "It was important for them to state the importance of the need for the church to weigh in the way in . . . through its moral messages, through arms of compassion," he said. (Religion Today)

THOUSANDS OF HUNGARIAN CHRISTIANS GATHER TO PRAY FOR PEACE

Thousands of Christians gathered in Budapest to pray for world peace Sunday, Feb. 9, amid concern in Hungary about a possible invasion of Iraq. The prayers came as opinion polls showed that more than 80 percent of Hungarians opposes a war with that country. Also, two out of three Hungarians are reportedly against the training of up to 3,000 Iraqi exiles at a U.S. military base in Taszar, 120 miles southwest of Budapest. Lutheran Bishop Bela Harmati expressed his doubts about the possibility of a short war during the ecumenical prayer service in the St. Stephen Basilica, Budapest's main Catholic church. "War could be avoided if we trusted the power of God who is the greatest power of any powers," he added. Among those attending the service was also ex-Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose center-right Fidesz Party has criticized the socialist-liberal government for supporting the U.S. views on Iraq. Last week Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy was one of eight European leaders who signed a declaration supporting the U.S. policy towards the country of Saddam Hussein. Medgyessy, a former communist, said that Hungary as a new NATO member has no other option that to support America. (Assist News Service)

LEADERSHIP TRAINING MINISTRY AIMS TO DOUBLE OUTREACH IN 5 YEARS

OC International, an organization that focuses on church leadership training, has set some ambitious goals. "We're launching into a five-year strategic plan that would see us, Lord willing, doubling in size between now and 2007," says new President Greg Gripentog, "Right now we have about 325 personnel. That would mean being increasing to more than 600 personnel in the next five years. Right now we have resident ministry in 20 countries, so it would also be a significant expansion in terms of the number of countries we have ministry." Gripentog says this growth will have a significant impact on training worldwide. "Lord willing, five years from now we'll be impacting more than 100,000 church leaders every year through direct ministries. Then we impact literally hundreds of the thousands of other leaders through indirect ministries such as radio, websites and various publications -- pastors' magazines, journals and things like that." (Mission Network News)

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