Republican presidential candidate John Kasich has called for the formation of a new government agency to promote Judeo-Christian values and defeat radical Islam. Kasich said, ‘We need to beam messages around the world about what it means to have a Western ethic, to be a part of a Judeo-Christian society - it means freedom, opportunity and respect for women.’ He compared the idea of the new agency to when America used to beam messages to the former Soviet Union. The new agency would promote Judeo-Christian values to China, Russia, and the Middle East. When questioned about the implications this agency would have on Americans who do not ascribe to the Christian faith, Kasich responded that this agency would also benefit them because supporting Judeo-Christian values ‘involves building up tolerance’. He also implored the West to begin again to embrace our Jewish-Christian ethic rather than running from it.

On Thursday anti-globalisation protesters were calling for APEC (American-Pacific Economic Cooperation) to be dismantled. They are accusing the trade bloc of taking advantage of poorer countries. The protests are taking place on the streets of Manila, where leaders are attending the APEC regional trade summit. Hundreds of people from indigenous, student and labour groups clashed with police, who deployed water cannon. Some protesters managed to break through police barriers. A protest leader, Renato Reyes, said, ‘APEC and globalisation have only benefited the rich countries while further impoverishing developing countries like the Philippines.’ At the time of writing, tens of thousands of soldiers and policemen are in place in the sprawling city to guard against disruptions and attacks while demonstrators carrying big placards under the hot sun are chanting slogans such as ‘down with APEC, down with America’.

Not long after IS terrorists hit Paris, Boko Haram terrorists hit Nigeria. An explosion hit a fruit and vegetable stand in the city of Yola in northeastern Nigeria. Thirty-two people lost their lives and eighty were wounded, according to reports from the Red Cross and the National Emergency Management Agency. The attack bore all the hallmarks of Boko Haram, who have killed thousands in Nigeria and surrounding countries in its quest to enforce Sharia law. Just as President Obama had commented that IS had been ‘contained’ days before the Paris attacks, a few days before the Nigerian attacks President Muhammadu Buhari visited Yola and stated that Boko Haram was losing strength and would soon be defeated. Both attacks serve as a reminder that terrorism remains a real threat that must be addressed. According to Christian Today, Boko Haram began its military campaign in 2009 and has recently joined IS as its African arm.

A Christian brother in Pakistan writes, ‘If you are asking for prayer requests from Christians in Pakistan, one of the first things mentioned is the repeal of the blasphemy law. The easiest way of persecuting Christians is to simply accuse them of saying something against the prophet Muhammad, which results in the death penalty with no possible pardon or waiver. Please pray for the safety of people in Pakistan. As tragic as the Paris incident was, is it only when terror happens in western nations that it makes headline news? Who heard of what happened in Lebanon at the same time? or in Pakistan where three busloads of people were blown up and there were several other attacks throughout the country? Most Pakistanis, particularly Christians, live with daily fear of going out of their homes on the street. Please pray for your Christian brethren in Pakistan. Thank you.’