The national assembly of Nicaragua voted unanimously Thursday, Oct. 26, to approve a new law banning all abortions in the Central American country. Lawmakers voted 52-0 in favor of banning abortions, even in the case of life-threatening pregnancies and rape. A UPI story released in Washington, D.C., said the vote comes ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential elections in which former Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega is widely projected to win. Nicaragua joins El Salvador and Chile as the only countries in the Western Hemisphere to ban abortion without exception. Across Latin America, abortion is outlawed except in rare circumstances. It is readily available only in Cuba and in a few English-speaking Caribbean countries. Advocates of the ban hope to reduce the number of illegal abortions by handing jail terms of up to six years to offending women and doctors. Health officials estimate 32,000 illegal abortions are performed in Nicaragua every year, most of them unsafe. (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio works with partner ministries in two cities of Nicaragua. Radio Capilla Sin Paredes (Radio Chapel Without Walls) in Managua receives programming from ALAS, the ministry’s Latin American satellite radio network 89 outlets in 17 countries. Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., also have provided technical help to a station in La Trinidad.

WORLD VISION QUAKE RELIEF RECEIVES AWARD FROM PAKISTAN

The government of Pakistan recently honored World Vision with the “Star of Sacrifice” award for emergency disaster relief services. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf presented the award at Pakistan’s embassy in Washington, D.C. Following the earthquake in Pakistan on Oct. 8, 2005, emergency specialists with World Vision reached the affected zone within 48 hours. Since then, more than 284,000 people have benefited from World Vision’s relief supplies and food. Additional achievements that led to the award included World Vision’s medical team from South Korea which treated some 1,550 people during a nine-day mission directly after the quake. Dozens of people would have lost their lives or limbs if it hadn’t been for the quick response. World Vision’s ground-breaking aid distribution into the Black Mountain region began relief efforts to 100,000 people needing help in the isolated region which had little contact with the outside world for centuries beforehand. (World Vision)

UPDATE: 35 ARRESTED CHRISTIANS RELEASED AFTER INTERROGATION

All 35 Christians arrested Thursday, Oct. 26, during the police raid of a Bible training program have been released, including the Korean-American pastor who was leading the session. The morning raid took place in the mountain villa of Qilin, a suburb of Urumqi in China’s Xinjiang province. The group was released at 11 p.m. the same day after 12 hours of interrogation. Eyewitness reports say police behaved “rather gently,” not abusing the female Christians. However, at least one male from the group was beaten by the interrogators, and two Christians were fined the equivalent of US$6. The Korean-American pastor is under surveillance in an unknown hotel, and police confiscated his passport and are preventing him from communicating with local Christians. Several of the believers have been called back to the police station for additional interrogation, mostly focused on the Korean-American pastor. (China Aid Association)

OFFICIALS PRESSURE CONVERT TO FRAME PASTOR IN CENTRAL INDIA

Police in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state arrested a recent convert to Christianity on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 26, in an attempt to pressure him into giving evidence that he was forcibly converted. Ramesh Thakur, 37, was charged with “insulting religious beliefs” after he was detained a second time (the first being two days earlier). Jagdish Bhartil, pastor of Bethel Fellowship Church where Thakur has worshiped since he was converted six months ago, is already fighting the charges. Police have attempting to coerce evidence indicating that Thakur was forcibly converted to Christ or allured into converting. R.R. Malvi, who heads the Gate Police Station, said Thakur would continue to be detained while investigations of Bharti continue. Malvi admitted to another Bethel Fellowship church member that he is under “extreme political pressure” from the Hindu ruling party to charge Thakur. This same political party earlier offered Thakur 25,000 rupees (US$552) to implicate Bhartil in a charge of “allurement to convert.” (Compass Direct)

100,000 EASY-TO-READ BIBLES HEADED THROUGH CUBA’S OPEN DOOR

The World Bible Translation Center (WBTC) recently received official permission to get 100,000 easy-to-read Spanish Bibles into Cuba. The organization is working with the Cuban National Council of Churches to distribute the Bibles to member churches and into the hands of believers. Many Christians have trouble understanding the older versions which contain outdated words and language from more than 100 years ago. The uncertain political climate of Cuba is spurring the teams to work as quickly as possible because they don’t know how long this door will stay open. The WBTC can provide a Cuban Christian with a Bible for $4 each. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio continues to air Spanish programs to Cuba via shortwave from South America. Hundreds of listeners have enrolled in the ministry’s Bible Institute of the Air, a Spanish correspondence program incorporating radio broadcasts. In addition, numerous pastors’ workshops held in conjunction with Leadership Resources International have been held in Cuba since the mid-1990s.

© Copyright 2006 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA

EDITOR’S NOTE: Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer. HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities on which it reports.

Fighting between Sri Lankan government forces and militant Tamil separatists increased dramatically this month. For the first time in several years assaults occurred well outside the capital city of Colombo. Attacks in popular tourist destinations have all but shut down the tourist industry which was already impacted by last year’s tsunami. A Southern Baptist aid worker who asked not to be identified has been working near a recently attacked region. He is hoping that when Sri Lankans experience such close calls it might stir some of them to reassess their spiritual lives. “This may create an opportunity for people to understand that life can be short, and they need to be sure about what comes next. It may open up opportunities to share the gospel as an avenue for peace or as an avenue of security,” he said. “I fully expect those opportunities to come.” A conflict between separatist rebels and government forces first broke out in 1972. More than 60,000 have died since the start of the conflict -- about 2,300 already this year. (Baptist Press)

2 CONVERTS IN INDIA BEATEN FOR REFUSING TO RETURN TO HINDUISM

Two converts to Christianity in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state have been beaten for their refusal to return to Hinduism. Santu Prasad Barmaia and Kunjan Prasad Barmaia, both farmers and members of a Gospel for Asia church in the village of Paralia, were attacked by a group of 12 villagers on Oct. 19. The attack took place in the morning when the two were on their way to their fields. Both men suffered internal injuries. Police have not arrested the culprits in spite of the fact that the victims named them in a complaint filed at the Amarkantak police station. The two men have been under pressure for the past year since they converted to Christianity. Villagers have refused to allow the two men, the only Christians in the village, to take water from the hamlet’s common well to pressure them to return to Hinduism. In spite of their limited resources, the Christians dug their own well. Vandalism at a Hindu temple was blamed on the two men. When a police investigation revealed they were not responsible, villagers still continued to treat them poorly. (Compass Direct)

IRAQI TEEN BEHEADED FOR CARRYING CHRISTIAN IDENTIFICATION CARD

Assyrian Christian Ayad Tariq, 14, from Baqouba, Iraq, was reportedly beheaded while at work on Saturday, Oct. 21. The boy was working his 12-hour shift maintaining an electric generator when a group of Muslim insurgents in disguises walked in shortly after 6 a.m. Another employee who hid when the men approached reported the Muslims asked for the boy’s identification card. After reading the boy’s religion listed as “Christian,” one man asked Tariq if he was really a “Christian sinner.” Tariq replied, “Yes, I am a Christian, but I am not a sinner.” The Muslims called Tariq a “dirty Christian sinner” and held the boy’s arms and legs as they beheaded him to chants of “Allahu akbar!” (God is great). Terror expert Glen Jevney said thousands of Iraqi Christians are living in fear because of their identification that states their faith. Jevney called the practice “horrendous.” (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio reaches across North Africa, the Middle East and Europe with Christian Arabic programming aired via shortwave, satellite and local stations. The mission’s Arabic satellite network airs programs direct-to-home 24 hours a day. This region has the world’s highest concentration of personal satellite dishes.

BAPTIST COUPLE STARTS MINISTRY TO APPALACHIAN TRAIL HIKERS

The mission field for Craig and Suzy Miles is located among the pines and hardwoods of the famous Appalachian Trail. For the past three years the couple has operated a mission organization called Appalachian Trail Servants dedicated to sharing Christ with hikers along the 2,175-mile trail that runs from Springer Mountain, Ga., to Mount Katahdin in central Maine, passing through 14 states along the way. More than 4 million people hike some part of the trail each year. The ministry began when Craig stopped by his Baptist church one morning and prayed a simple prayer. “Lord, how can you use our time and talents for your glory?” Soon afterward Miles said, “It just clicked in my head that we needed to start a ministry on the Appalachian Trail. Suzy and I were seeing hundreds of hikers pass over the roads and trails and through the woods of north Georgia, but we knew their spiritual needs were not being met.” (Religion Today)

AUTHORS ENDORSE VIDEO GAME BASED ON ‘LEFT BEHIND’ SERIES

Authors of the best-selling books in the “Left Behind” series, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, are endorsing a new video game based on the series. The game, called “LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces,” contains both entertainment and inspirational elements. The strategy game is set in an apocalyptic rendition of New York City and allows players to command the Tribulation Forces as they try to save people from the forces of the Antichrist. “When we saw the finished product we were blown away,” said the two authors. “They [Left Behind Games Inc.] are using cutting-edge technology to reach a whole new generation that desperately needs the truth about Jesus and His plans for the future. The quality of work is far superior than we had ever dreamed. It is superb! We’re glad to have our names as a part of it. Through this game, a seeker has the opportunity to receive Christ. Can you imagine the outreach possibilities?” (Christian Newswire)

© Copyright 2006 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA