In July an International Justice Mission (IJM) investigator and human rights lawyer, Willie Kimani, and two friends, Joseph Muiruri and Josephat Mwenda, were abducted and murdered; this sparked a global outcry for #JusticeinKenya and an end to police abuse of power. Five alleged perpetrators are in custody, and the first phase of the trial should begin this week after many delays. Over the next few weeks IJM invites us to join them in keeping its Kenya team and families of the victims uplifted in prayer. IJM will post updates online to help us with informed intercession during of the trial. To access updates, click the ‘More’ button. Meanwhile please pray that the court will proceed despite the continued absence of defence counsel, that the judge will not allow another adjournment, and for the witnesses and families of victims to have patience and perseverance through this difficult period.

The death of Mouhcine Fikri, a Moroccan fish vendor who was crushed alive in a garbage compactor while trying to prevent the destruction of a swordfish that had been taken from him, has sparked outrage and demonstrations after a video of the incident was widely circulated. An eyewitness said a policeman told the driver of the truck to crush Fikri in the compactor. Authorities called Fikri’s death an involuntary homicide. Fikri’s father urged protesters not to use his son’s case to cause sedition. Elsewhere, Saeed Zao, a Christian, survived an assassination attempt on 4 November. He is well-known because of his promotion of the rights of Christians, and has featured in many media interviews about comparative religion and religious freedom. He reported the incident to the police, but they have refused to register a report, calling him a ‘trouble-maker’. See also

Indonesian police have questioned Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki Purnama, better known as Ahok, over allegations that he insulted Islam, which led to a mass protest. This became violent and caused a number of police injuries and the death of an elderly man. Ahok now stands accused of insulting the Qu’ran while campaigning in governorship elections in September. At that time political attacks on him cited a Qu’ranic verse, which supposedly bars Muslims from choosing non-Muslim leaders. On Friday, protesters hurled missiles at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. Mr Purnama is the first non-Muslim Jakarta governor for 50 years and the first Chinese Indonesian to hold the post, making him a double minority in Muslim-majority Indonesia. He is widely popular in Jakarta for his fight against government corruption and his ability to raise the standard of living.

Two Sudanese pastors highlighting the persecution of Christians in their country for the purpose of safeguarding their fellow Christians are in custody. They face seven charges including waging war against the state and espionage, which carry the death penalty. Rev Hassan Abduraheem and Rev Kuwa Shamal are on trial with two others, Petr Jašek and Abdulmonem Abdumawla. The hearing, which was due to start in September, has repeatedly been rescheduled. Mervyn Thomas of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is concerned about the continuing delays in the trial, stating, ‘Fair trial principles stipulate that criminal proceedings should occur within a reasonable time. In this case, the constant postponements, due to the absence of the judge or prosecutor or failure to transport the men to court, are prolonging proceedings unnecessarily, which is unacceptable, given the length of time these men have already spent in custody.’ CSW is calling for the unconditional and immediate release of ‘these unjustly detained men.’ See update at:

An evangelical Christian pastor has been elected as mayor of Rio de Janeiro, a city that is known for its liberal, left-leaning culture. Marcelo Crivella won the election with 59% of the vote. Crivella has a long history of living out his faith. He was a missionary in Africa, and is currently a gospel singer and a bishop in the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. Rio is so well-known for its liberal culture and policies that one political commentator expressed disbelief, saying, ‘How is it possible that in Rio de Janeiro, a city of joy and openness about sexuality, there will be a very conservative mayor who discriminates and opposes Afro-Brazilian religions?’ Despite Rio’s liberal policies, Brazil has the largest population of Roman Catholics in the world, 22% identify as evangelical Christians, and the Rio evangelical churches are growing rapidly.

North Korean Christians don't pray for their freedom, but for western Christians who are more interested in accumulating earthly wealth and possessions than storing up treasures in heaven. They pray for more of Christ and to mirror more of Christ in their life. The head of Seoul-based Voice of the Martyrs Korea reported one defector saying, ‘You pray for us? We pray for you. You have so much, you put your faith in your money and your freedom. In North Korea we have neither money nor freedom, but we have Christ and we've found He's sufficient.’ They see that in many ways we lack happiness, because money and freedom can't bring that. Despite restrictions, the Gospel continues to impact the country. Since 1995, 480 foreign organisations have worked there - seventy of them Christian, including Samaritan's Purse and World Vision.

Two-thirds of convicted terrorists released from jail in the last fifteen years refused to engage with prison de-radicalisation programmes that address extremist behaviour. They have served their sentences and are back on Britain's streets, many still holding the same extremist beliefs that got them jailed in the first place. MI5's director general said that police and intelligence services have foiled twelve terror plots since June 2013. The release of 418 terror prisoners, many from the al-Qaeda generation of offenders, is posing a huge challenge for police and the security services, already stretched to the limit with the threat from IS-related terrorism. Lord David Blunkett said that if it isn't possible to reassess them, we should monitor them outside prison. If they reconnect with organised terrorist groups, intervention must take place very quickly rather than allowing them to commit another act.

Gently she writes with crooked handwriting in her notebook next to me. More lines than curves in her script, but it’s not a foreign language or anything. Lying open beside her scribbled prayers and notes is a Bible. The text printed there, though much cleaner, is completely unreadable to me. She likes reading God’s Word in her heart-language, Welsh. Sitting among Greater Europe Mission’s new candidates, I met Catrin and her American husband Corey. They both have a thoughtful mildness that gave way to urgent passion when asked about their plans on the field. As a team they have a burning desire to see the Church reborn in Wales and a vision that transcends nationality, placing people at the focus of this movement. Catrin shared how Wales, living in the shadow of revival 100 years ago, has lost its first love. ‘Church shows what God is like,’ Catrin says, ‘It’s the way God disciples: you learn to show grace to people who aren’t like you, learn from people fifty years older than you, serve people you don’t like, bear with one another. The church is a taste of what God’s Kingdom will be like.’

The Archbishop of Canterbury gave the opening keynote address on Wednesday at the Council of the Wise, a two-day dialogue in Abu Dhabi on integration, religious freedom and flourishing societies. It was organised by the Muslim Council of Elders and Christian leaders from the Anglican Communion. In his opening statement he said, ‘It is fitting that we meet in a country which has taken practical steps to enable religious minorities to meet, teach, worship and express themselves. It shows a confidence in granting freedom, and a self-confidence which is fitting and proper. This freedom cannot be taken for granted in a world currently beset by a crisis of confidence in the rights it pledged itself to uphold in the aftermath of the Second World War.’ See also article 3 in this week’s World section, about limits on people’s freedom.

The Evening Standard’s campaign to tackle food waste and hunger has won the backing of Sainsbury’s and the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan. The supermarket chain made an undisclosed donation to the charity ‘The Felix Project.’ It also agreed to create more food donation partnerships between Felix and its stores and depots. Mr Khan became the project’s most famous volunteer after being picked up from City Hall in a Felix van and donning a hi-vis jacket to help deliver fresh surplus fruit and vegetables to residents of St Mungo’s charity in Southwark. He said, ‘With the best will in the world you are going to have surplus food, and this campaign ingeniously turns the problem of food waste into a social solution to help address food poverty.’ Sainsbury’s chief executive said arrangements are in hand for Felix to collect fruit and vegetables from fifteen Sainsbury’s stores as well as an online distribution centre, with the prospect of more partnerships to come.