General Min Aung Hlaing, who led Myanmar’s coup, declared himself prime minister and said military rule and a state of emergency will continue until 2023; then the country will hold elections. This contradicts his earlier claims that political freedoms would soon be restored. People protested in Mandalay and the police shot them with no warning. Since February, security forces have killed 1,000 people and arrested 5,000. Covid-19 is rampant. Cemeteries are full and the government is not helping by blocking oxygen shipments. On 8 August fresh protests broke out against military rule, to coincide with the anniversary of 1988 pro-democracy protests. Civilians, including healthcare workers, quit working to protest the military’s overthrow of an elected government. Christians have been giving out food and water to the needy - widows who cannot get out for any kind of food. They mention they’re doing this because they’re followers of Christ. Unfortunately, that is interpreted as insurrection.

India has ramped up its coronavirus vaccine production and approved Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine for emergency use amid warnings of a third wave. The vaccine, with 85% efficacy, will be introduced through a supply agreement with homegrown vaccine maker Biological E. It is still unclear when the vaccine will be available. Daily case counts have fallen from 400,000, but they still average up to 40,000, and experts have warned that a third wave of infections is inevitable. Johnson & Johnson's jab is the second foreign vaccine to be granted emergency use authorisation under a new policy not requiring manufacturers to conduct local clinical trials if the vaccine is approved by WHO. In June the Moderna vaccine was given Indian approval, but the company is locked in a legal tussle, and no one has yet been given Immunisation.

The smoke plume of California’s Dixie Fire (the largest in US history) is so thick, only the red light of the sun can pierce the smoke particles, in a scene that looks like Mars. Over a hundred other large fires are raging elsewhere in the USA. Greece has been fighting the worst blazes in Europe amid blistering temperatures, leaving dozens in hospital. Their firefighting resources are strained, exhausted, and needing help; twenty countries including the UK recently sent reinforcements. Turkey’s blazes have swept through pine forests for two weeks. Fires rage in southern Italy, with Sicily and Sardinia among the regions hardest hit and hundreds evacuated. British Columbia has seen 5,800 sq km of forest burned since spring; 279 wildfires are currently raging. Smoke from Russia’s wildfires has reached the North Pole for the first time; smoke is drifting two thousand miles from Eastern Russia. See

International Justice Mission (IJM) works globally to release captives and those suffering injustice. Their recent successes include the conviction of violent South Asian traffickers who cut off the right hands of anyone trying to escape from their brick kiln. In Bolivia justice was done for three survivors of sexual violence. In Kenya a police officer was convicted of murder after he shot an innocent man and arrested others for the crime on false charges. IJM workers in El Salvador work closely with public justice system officials, supporting responses to crimes committed against women and children. On 3 August IJM's Anu Canjanathoppil spoke at New Wine United, sharing her remarkable experiences as she works to end slavery. She has led teams globally to bring 10,000+ people out of forced labour. For more information see

In 2018 the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) bombed Golden Lampstand Church, completely destroying the building. Later workers transported the broken bricks from the scene. Now the government has initiated another round of arrests of church leaders, escalating its persecution against Christians who decide to ‘hold fast’ to the faith and refuse to compromise the gospel of Jesus Christ - despite facing another round of persecution. On 7 August police arrested nine leaders from the church, including Pastor Wang Xiaoguang, formerly imprisoned for three years, and his wife, Preacher Yang Rongli, previously imprisoned for seven years. Officials also summoned Chinese leaders from other churches for questioning. CCP authorities continue to persecute this house church with an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 members.

Paul joined the Freemasons to help his tree surgery business and as part of his search for healing after deaths in his family. Becoming a Freemason did in fact help his tree business; it grew by one-third. He wasn’t interested in the secret ceremonies, rituals, symbols, and oral pledges. In fact, he later found the same words were used by witches and warlocks. Paul’s wife had a double personality, causing him intolerable pain. In domestic agony he remembered God from his childhood and prayed: ‘I don’t know if You’re there. I’m such a sinner. I haven’t spoken to You for years. But I need help. I’m desperate.’ Two days later, after taking down a tree for a lady, she came up to him and said, ‘The Lord has been speaking to me. You’ve been praying. I’d like to help you.’ He now is Pastor Paul and leads men out of Freemasonry. To read his testimony click the ‘More’ button.

Team GB swimmer Daniel Jervis has thanked God and his family church for their support during his Olympic participation. ‘I want to thank my village of Resolven and I want to thank my church, Sardis Baptist Church, Ammanford church in Ammanford, who have really been supportive of me, and everyone back home who has been praying for me. ‘I am proud of many things in my life, but the thing I'm most proud of is that I'm a Christian. Obviously, God was with me tonight, and I'm just really grateful to be representing Him,’ he told the media just after he finished his last race of the games.

Women with babies and very young children alongside significant numbers of teenage and young adult men were among 56 migrants held in a cramped room with thin mattresses covering the floor at a unit in Dover. Members of the home affairs committee have expressed their shock and serious concern after observing this during a visit. It was wholly inappropriate and a clear Covid risk, with some migrants held longer than legal limits. The Home Office said services were pressurised by ‘unacceptable numbers of people’ crossing the Channel by traffickers. Almost 600 migrants crossed last weekend. Yvette Cooper wrote to Priti Patel saying that the holding room facility where migrants first arrive was clearly unfit for purpose. Meanwhile a 14-year-old is among 26 migrants under the age of 16 accommodated in a requisitioned hotel.

A recent report revealed Bradford social workers turned a blind eye when a 15-year-old grooming victim took part in an Islamic marriage to one of her abusers. One of her social workers even attended the ‘wedding ceremony’. Despite the teenager not being a Muslim, professionals who were meant to protect her allowed the family of her 'husband' to foster her after she became pregnant. The council even paid them for fostering her. The terrified girl was trapped in 'domestic slavery', too scared to leave the controlling relationship, fearing she would be the victim of an honour killing. The report, which makes difficult and distressing reading, found that children suffered abuse no child should have to experience, and some youngsters in Bradford still remain unprotected. The report’s authors said, 'We believe that practice across all agencies is improving, but there is still much more to do.'

David Peace has motor neurone disease, a terminal illness which gradually affects the brain and nerves. He says he intends to travel to a Swiss clinic to end his life before his condition prevents him from making the journey. David, who lives in central London, is one of several people behind renewed calls to update England and Wales assisted dying laws to allow terminally ill people with six months to live the right to end their life. The second reading in the House of Lords of the assisted dying bill will be this autumn. The first reading paved the way for a debate on prospective legislation – the first since 2014 when Lord Falconer tabled a bill. 2021’s Dignity in Dying’s chair is Baroness Meacher, and her bill would legalise assisted dying as a choice for terminally ill, mentally competent adults in their final six months of life. See also