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

Catholics in the small Colombian town of Delores (125 miles south of Bogota) were marching through the town in a Good Friday procession when about 15 suspected guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) opened fire on the crowd. One soldier and two civilians, including a 14-year-old boy were killed. Two others, including another young child, were wounded in the attack. Prior to Holy Week, the country's armed forces had promised Colombians they would "guarantee security" during the holiday with armed convoys escorting motorists along strategic highways. Marxist guerrilla organizations apparently saw the government assurances as a "challenge" as they seek to undermine the authority of the police and government of President Alvaro Uribe. Uribe was elected on the basis that he promised to take a harder line on rebel groups in Colombia. (Voice of the Martyrs)

* 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.

COURT ORDERS CLOSURE OF BIBLE COLLEGE IN RUSSIA'S FAR EAST

The Primorsky Krai Regional Court in Russia's Far East ruled on March 21 to close down the Faith in Action Bible College in Vladivostok. Nina Saiko, the public prosecutor's representative in the case, defended the court-ordered closure, arguing that the college was conducting "educational activity" without a license in violation of the education law. However, the college's lawyer, Aleksei Kolupayev, countered that the school was providing only "simple study for religious believers, a right guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Russian Constitution." Prior to its closure, 11 senior and 19 junior students were resident at the college. While some study is continuing in the form of seminars at an adjacent church, these students are no longer able to stay at on-site residential premises. Christians accuse Russia's secret police of harassing the college and "looking for excuses" to close it down. An appeal to Russia's Supreme Court in Moscow was lodged by the Moscow-based Slavic Center for Law and Justice on March 31, but no date for a hearing has been announced. (Forum 18 News Service)

RADICAL MUSLIM LEADER IN INDONESIA CHARGED WITH BOMBINGS IN 2000

Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir of the Jemaah Islamiyah Islamic extremist group in Indonesia was formally charged with treason in a Jakarta court April 14. Among other things, he is accused of helping plan the Christmas Eve bombings in 2000 that damaged more than a dozen churches across Indonesia, leaving 19 Christians dead and about 120 injured. Bashir is also accused of involvement in a foiled attempt to bomb foreign embassies in Singapore and attempting to topple the Indonesian government. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or the death sentence. Others charged include the group's alleged operations chief and two other members who are awaiting trial for their involvement in last October's Bali bombing. A court official said the trial could take place in Jakarta "within weeks." The radical group is struggling for an Islamic state in Southeast Asia that encompasses Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and southern parts of the Philippines and Thailand. The group is linked to Laskar Jihad and other extremist Islamic organizations in the region. (Barnabas Fund/Voice of the Martyrs)

FAMINE IN NORTH KOREA EVEN WORSE THAN AID WORKERS FEARED

Two Christian aid workers say that the famine in North Korea is even worse than originally feared. It is so severe that many families are committing mass suicide rather than die slowly of starvation. The workers have been in and out of North Korea since 1996 and know the situation well. They said that many families are killing themselves by taking rat poison rather than die slowly from starvation. "There had been incidents of this before, but mass suicide has become more frequent and widespread now," they reported. In the past, North Koreans have looked forward to some kind of food distribution honoring the birthday of North Korean President Kim Il-Sung on April 15. This year there was nothing. Even members of the army seem desperate as they break into any house they think might hold food or anything valuable and take what they want. The aid workers said the situation is "much worse" than the 1996-1998 famine which was thought to be "very severe" at the time. (Missions Insider)

AFRICAN MISSIONARY ROBBED, ANOTHER KILLED IN SEPARATE ATTACKS

An African ministry that has national operations in several countries reports that two of its missionaries were attacked recently. Armed robbers attacked a ministry leader in Nigeria on Saturday, March 22, stealing a large amount of money he had withdrawn from the bank to pay expenses for a conference on indigenous missions that was to begin the next day. They also stole his laptop computer and the mission van. The van was found later by police and returned to the ministry. In a separate incident, a missionary in Central African Republic died after being attacked by machete-wielding rebels in March. He was to have been married this month. The ministry was started by a group of students in Nigeria in 1982 and has spread to other African countries with missionaries serving in Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Togo and Gambia. Sister missionary organizations are also operating in Central African Republic and Namibia. (Missions Insider)

'SIGN FAITH STATEMENT OR RESIGN,' SOUTHERN BAPTIST MISSIONARIES TOLD

The Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board (IMB) has given more than two dozen missionaries an ultimatum -- sign the denomination's faith statement or resign. IMB President Jerry Rankin sent a letter April 11 to 31 missionaries, seeking a decision by May 5, the denomination announced. Since his original request more than a year ago for affirmation of the 2000 version of the statement of faith, 98.7 percent of the board's 5,500 workers overseas signed it. Other letters to six missionaries did not include the choice of affirming the statement but asked them to resign. Rankin said those six missionaries "have clearly and publicly stated positions contrary to the [statement of faith] that are beyond acceptable parameters. They have adamantly refused to be accountable to the IMB and Southern Baptist churches as requested. We deeply regret losing any missionary, but we are accountable to the churches in this matter." (Religion Today)

CHINESE TOURISTS HELP DISTRIBUTE SCRIPTURES TO CHINA

The World Bible Translation Center (WBTC) is using Chinese tourists to get Bibles into China. It's actually a partnership effort called the Southern Cross Project involving several organizations WBTC's Roger Massey says 500,000 Scripture portions (Luke and Acts) are being printed along study helps for distribution in China. "These are handed out in several different countries in Southeast Asia to Chinese tourists who are traveling outside of China . . . so they can take them back into China." Massey doesn't think the SARS outbreak will affect this distribution, but he's asking people to pray that it doesn't and that God would protect the couriers. "These materials are printed underground," he says. "It's the kind of material that's banned in that part of the world." (Mission Network News)

CHRISTIANS URGED TO FILL 3,000 ENGLISH TEACHING POSITIONS IN TAIWAN

Taiwan's Education Department has opened up 3,000 teaching positions for Americans to teach in their public schools in an effort to improve Taiwanese students' English. "This is a special time in history, and the Christians and churches in America need to work together to take these teaching jobs as soon as possible," says Francis Wang, missions coordinator of the Taiwan Church Network. "These are the mission positions paid by the Taiwan government and schools, and it will have a long-term effect for future generations and evangelism in Taiwan and China." Wang says there is an immediate need for a team of 50 Christian teachers to start in mid-June. Applicants must be native English speakers and have a college degree of any major. "What an excellent opportunity to reach out to thousands of elementary and high school students!" For details visit www.ITPSusa.org or contact Wang at francis@ITPSusa.org. (Taiwan Church Network)

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