WORLD UPDATE WEBCAST
May 2008

Presented by journalist Andrew Boyd

RI's May webcast includes a special report from Vietnam, filmed on location.

Andrew Boyd finds that some of the harshest persecution is reserved for the ethnic Hmong people, who sided with the United States in the Vietnam War. The authorities regard evangelical Christianity as an American import intended to undermine the communist revolution.

The webcast also features:

China: signs of a crackdown against Christians in the run-up to the Olympic Games

Pakistan: Concerns for Christians deepen, as last year is declared the worst ever for human rights abuses

The next webcast will be available at the beginning of June.

The webcast is in Windows Media Video format (wmv), and plays using Windows Media Player by clicking on the links below. It is also available as a podcast (see below).

If you wish to download the file to your own computer, right click to 'save target as' or 'save link as'.

Download World Update Webcast - May 2008 (72 mb)

You can subscribe to RI's monthly World Update Webcast as a podcast. Just drag or copy this link, or the podcast button opposite, into your iTunes application (or another podcast aggregator, like Juice or Doppler. Your podcast software will then automatically download the webcast to your computer each month.

PREVIOUS WEBCASTS:

APRIL 2008

RI's April webcast inludes a special report from Laos, filmed on location.

Andrew Boyd meets Pastor Khamxay, who refused to renounce his faith, despite severe beatings.

'They asked me to sign a piece of paper that said that I would not be a Christian because Christians are not good or not right for the Lao people. I didn't sign it because of my faith,' he says.

The webcast also features:

How a Release partner in Pakistan narrowly escaped death when his car was attacked as he tried to rescue a Christian teenager from extremists

Pastor Zaur Balayev is released from jail in Azerbaijan

Download World Update Webcast - April 2008 (39 mb)

Download World Update Webcast - April 2008 (higher res 74 mb)

MARCH 2008

RI's March webcast is a special report from Vietnam, filmed on location. It features interviews with two wives whose husbands have been tortured and jailed for calling for freedom of worship and the return of land seized by the authorities. An ex-prisoner paints a picture of brutality and overcoming faith behind bars.

Download World Update Webcast - March 2008 (40mb)

JANUARY 2008

RI's January webcast features a Global Overview of the persecuted church for 2008, featuring North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China and India. The Global Overview 2008 is also available in Witness magazine for January 2008. In addition this webcast features:

Uzbekistan: Pastor Salavat Serikbayev is jailed for holding Bible studies.

Download World Update Webcast - January  2008 (39 mb)

 DECEMBER 2007

RI's December webcast features a special report on our late President Rev Dr Rob Frost, a passionate campaigner on behalf of the persecuted church. This includes an extract from our latest video Pray for China, which Rob completed shortly before his death.

Indonesia: A court has ruled that it is blasphemous to pray that Muslim leaders would become Christians. Forty-one Christian leaders have been sentenced to five years.

Pakistan: Death threats by militants force a Christian school to close.

North Korea: A group of nine young Christians have disappeared in the capital Pyongyang.

Download World Update Webcast - December 2007 (38mb)

NOVEMBER 2007

RI's November webcast features a special report from Nigeria as Christians in Maiduguri prepare for the possibility of further attacks against them. 

Eritrean gospel singer Helen Berhane is granted asylum in Denmark. 

Chinese house church activist Hua Huiqi has been brutally attacked by security guards. Plus news from Pakistan.

Download World Update Webcast - November 2007 (38mb)

OCTOBER 2007

RI's webcast for October 2007 features a special report from Pakistan about the plight of Christians who are in hiding from militants who are determined to kill them.

Ranjah Masih:  'I cannot go out of this room because my life is in danger.’

Rashid (16): ‘They can shoot me or burn me, they can kill me if they know that I am hiding here.’

Plus news from Indonesia, China and Eritrea.

Download World Update Webcast - October 2007 (37mb)

SEPTEMBER 2007

RI's September webcast features special reports from Nigeria and China 

Nigeria: The Bishop of Jos, Rt Rev Dr Benjamin Kwashi, narrowly escapes death after the second violent attack on his family in 18 months

China: A Human Rights lawyer describes some of the pressures facing Christians in China today

Download World Update Webcast - September 2007 (57mb)

AUGUST 2007

RI's August video webcast features special reports from Burma and Ethiopia. 

Burma: Pastor Stephen was forced to pull down his own Christian orphanage by the Burmese authorities

Ethiopia: Muslim-backround believers describe the pressures they face

Download World Update Webcast - August 2007 (57mb)

JULY 2007

RI's July 2007 webcast features special reports from Indonesia and North Korea. 

Indonesia: Three Indonesian Sunday school teachers have been released from jail after serving nearly two years for allowing Muslim children to attend their Sunday School - even though their parents had given their permission.

North Korea: A new report accuses North Korea of committing genocide against Christians. Two North Korean defectors, including a former prison guard, have been telling of the brutal treatment meted out to Christians and political prisoners.

Download World Update Webcast - July 2007 (36mb)

JUNE 2007

RI's June webcast features special reports from Burma, Ethiopia and India.

Burma: 'They tried to stop me to publish any Christian book. In the letter they say several times that if you publish more, we'll sentence you for 12 years.' Burmese Christian publisher 

Ethiopia: 41-year-old Evangelist 'Balay' knows the dangers of being actively involved in spreading the gospel.

India: Hindu extremists are stepping up their campaign of violence against Christians. Militants have been calling in TV crews to film them attacking missionaries and pastors.

Download World Update Webcast - June 2007 (22mb)

Download World Update Webcast - June 2007 (High res 53mb)

MAY 2007

Download World Update Webcast - May 2007 (18mb)

RI's May webcast features special reports from Turkey, Iraq and Nigeria.

Turkey: Church leaders claim growing nationalism and religious intolerance fuels the torture and murders of three workers at a Christian publishing house.

Iraq: Christians have been fleeing their homes after Sunni militia threatened to kill them unless they converted to Islam within 24 hours.

Nigeria: Christians warn that persecution could increase after a landslide election victory for a Muslim president.

Download World Update Webcast - April 2007

Features special reports from Nigeria and Ethiopia, as well as news from Indonesia, India, and China.

NIGERIA: Pastor Ibrahim Balami recalls when his church was attacked in Maiduguri

ETHIOPIA: A brother and sister talk about being disowned by their family when they chose to follow Christ

CHINA: 75-year-old mother Shuang Shuying is jailed for two years. Join the campaign to get her released.

Download World Update Webcast - March 2007

RI's March 2007 webcast  features special reports from Ethiopia and Burma, as well as news from India, Mexico and Turkey.

ETHIOPIA: Christians speak out about attacks by Muslim militants

BURMA: Church leaders talk about the pressures facing the Burmese church - including forced conversion to Buddhism.

BURMA SPECIAL REPORT (February 2007)

RI's February webcast features a special report about Burma's underground believers.

PASTOR BARNABUS: 'If you are a Christian then you have the "C-virus"... which means you are automatically considered a second-class citizen'

PAUL, EVANGELIST: 'They handcuffed me and hoisted me above the ground by my handcuffs until my feet no longer touched the ground and there they told me to preach'

PASTOR JOSHUA: 'If nothing happens to us we are surprised. We are waiting for persecution; we are waiting for problems from the authorities. And God has been so good to us and we are not afraid of persecution and difficulties.'

PASTOR ABRAHAM: 'Because of persecution we get more unity, moreover the house churches are increasing more and more.'

Download World Update Webcast - February 2007 (17mb)

Download World Update Webcast - January 2007

News from the persecuted church around the world:

INDONESIA: Parents forgive the murderers of their children

CHINA: Secret executions anger relatives

AUSTRALIA: Christian pastors accused of vilifying Islam win appeal

PAKISTAN: 13-year-old Christian housemaid raped

World Update Webcast - December 2006

News from the persecuted church around the world:

PAKISTAN: Bodies of missionary couple found

PAKISTAN: Ranjha Masih acquitted of blasphemy - after eight and a half years in jail

VIETNAM: Secret training manual confirms religious repression

World Update Webcast - November 2006

Features special reports about the wave of riots against Christians in Nigeria; and how Christians are coming under fire in Iraq. The webcast also includes news about the persecuted church from around the world:

INDONESIA: Christians & Muslims unite against extremists

CHINA: Trial of church leaders postponed

PAKISTAN: Teachers beat Christian teenager for wearing cross

Includes prayer points.

World Update Webcast - October 2006

INDONESIA: Three Christians executed by firing squad

VIOLENT BACKLASH after Pope's comments about Islam

CHINA: Church bulldozed by authorities, leaders charged

IRAN: Muslim-background believer released on bail

ERITREA: Almost 2,000 evangelicals imprisoned for their faith

World Update Webcast - August/September 2006

Features special reports from NIGERIA and ERITREA, plus news reports about the persecuted church from around the world: CHINA: Pastor Zhang Rongliang sentenced to 7 1/2 years INDONESIA: church attacked for second time PAKISTAN: Christian couple lose home and son during dispute.

Features video news reports from NIGERIA and ERITREA, plus news from PAKISTAN, INDONESIA and INDIA.

Our first webcast features special video news reports from ERITREA and VIETNAM, plus news from CHINA, INDIA and PAKISTAN.