Iran forces 'seize US cargo ship

Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said an Iranian "force" seized a US cargo ship after opening fire on it in the Gulf on Tuesday and directed it to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

A Pentagon spokesman said Iranian forces had boarded a Marshall Island-flagged vessel, the MV Maersk Tigris, in the Gulf. He said the boarding occurred after Iranian patrol boats fired shots across the vessel's bow and ordered it deeper into Iranian waters.

The ship had no US citizens aboard, the spokesman said, contradicting Al-Arabiya's report which said there were 34 US sailors on board. He said it was travelling through the Strait of Hormuz when the incident occurred.

There was no immediate word from Iranian officials.

Iran has in the past sometimes threatened to block the strait to advance its opposition to sanctions imposed over its nuclear programme.
The channel is a narrow strip of water separating Oman and Iran. It connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
At its narrowest point, the strait is 33 km (21 miles) across and consists of 2-mile wide navigable channels for inbound and outbound shipping and a 2-mile-wide buffer zone

The horrors of the sea

Juan Medina has been following migrants trying to reach Europe for two decades - the Reuters photographer won a World Press award for this image taken in 2004. As the number of deaths at sea rises, he talks about his images.

Warning: Readers may find some of the images disturbing

I started taking photos of migrants because I was living in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands working as a photographer for the local paper, and they were coming over from all over sub-Saharan Africa.
What happened on that day in 2004 was no different to what had been happening for years, and would keep happening.
The journey across the sea to Europe is taken by a lot of people in search of a better life. At any moment boats can capsize, they can run out of gas, the motor can break down - and they're vulnerable to the cold weatherThat day, the migrants were on a small boat, a patera, full of people. They had been on board for many hours.
As they reached the Canary Islands, there was a Civil Guard patrol waiting to detain them. The migrants started to board the larger vessel but when they all moved to one side, their boat capsized.
Twenty-nine of them were rescued. Nine died. The people on board were all men. Many came from Mali, some from Ivory Coast and some from Ghana.
The survivors went through the usual process on their arrival - migrants are held in a detention centre for foreigners for 40 days, then they are either put on a flight to their countries of origin, or they are flown to mainland Spain.
I know what happened to two of the men on that boat - Isa and Ibrahim. I met them the day they were rescued. They are the men I photographed being pulled out of the sea.
They were sent to Spain - Isa was taken to Valencia and Ibrahim to Murcia.
They made it very clear what was going on back home in Mali. They come from large families. In Isa's case for example, they depend on crops and the harvest year by year. Work is scarce. They didn't have any opportunities. They were really living in a situation of extreme need.
Despite the risks they decided to make the journey. For them it was the only way out. They thought it would be worth it to try to help their families. Perhaps they didn't know exactly what was going to happen to them minute by minute, but they knew it was dangerous.
I went to their homes in Mali to meet their families and was greeted with open arms, with a lot of love - in the exact opposite way to how the Spanish greet migrants here. Their families told me their story so that I could understand why their sons were willing to risk their lives.
The main thing that struck me is the terrible living conditions they left behind. They risked dying at sea but they faced even greater pressures trying to survive at home. They did it because they had no other way out. It's not because they were adventure seekers.
It made their families incredibly sad - first, the pain because their children left, and second, knowing that their children could also die.

Migrants at their hiding place in the mountains near the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa

A clandestine campsite in northern Morocco near another Spanish enclave, Melilla

Mohamed from Togo treats wounds suffered while trying to swim from Morocco to Spain

Some people who survive the journey join our society, in as much as our society allows them to - often in an unstable precarious way, without papers, without rights.
As journalists we have the opportunity to see what's happening first hand, but we should all be involved in this situation, because this is happening on our own doorstep.
In reality they are our neighbours, they could be living on the floor above you, selling you your food, or go to school with your children. If people feel they are not directly affected by this situation, they are turning a blind eye.
I think my photos are documents. These are things that are happening day after day.
Throughout history it's thanks to photographs or articles that we know what has happened - so we know that at the end of the 20th Century and the turn of the 21st Century people travelled to the gates of Europe in much the same way slaves did in the 17th Century.
Many of them would have drowned at sea too, squashed into makeshift boats that would sink.
And people keep dying today. It's unusual for a month to pass without a tragedy. Even after 20 years following this story, people are still drowning every week and I don't see anything changing. If there is any change at all, it's got worse. Each tragedy or shipwreck gets bigger and more painful because more people lose their lives. There is more police pressure on Europe's borders than ever before - but people are still dying.

An exhausted migrant crawls up the beach in Fuerteventura

Isa and Ibrahim are now living legally in Spain.
Juan Medina will be on Outlook on the BBC World Service on Tuesday 28 April at 11:05 GMT. 

AFRICA LEADERS WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY

Israel struck Gaza shelters

At least 44 Palestinians were killed by "Israeli actions" while sheltering at seven UN schools during last summer's war in Gaza, a UN inquiry has found.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he deplored the deaths and stressed that UN facilities were "inviolable".
The inquiry also found that three empty UN schools were used by Palestinian militants to store weapons, and that in two cases they likely fired from them.
The 50-day conflict claimed the lives of more than 2,260 people.
At least 2,189 were Palestinians, including more than 1,486 civilians, according to the UN. On the Israeli side, 67 soldiers were killed along with six civilians.

Americans linked to ISIS

It's unclear how many Americans have been caught attempting to join or help ISIS, but National Intelligence Director James Clapper has said 180 Americans have tried to go fight in Syria. Experts say most of them are disillusioned young people trying to find purpose or make their mark. While that's largely true, there are outliers. Below are details about some of the cases that have been made public.IS through Islamist sympathizers in the United States, rather than joining the group on her own, (Somali leaders) said. At least one other woman is suspected of helping her leave the United States.

NameDouglas McCain

Age33

Genderm

LocationNew Hope, Minnesota

An American man in Syria while fighting for ISIS, the latest evidence of the reach of a terror group that's become increasingly powerful and feared in the eyes of Americans. Douglas McAuthur McCain, 33, died in a battle between rival extremist groups in the suburbs of Aleppo, Syria's once-bustling commercial capital and largest city, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the conflict. The man's uncle, Ken McCain, said that his nephew had gone to fight as a jihadi and that the U.S. State Department told the family Monday about the death.

NameMichael Todd Wolfe

Age23

Genderm

LocationAustin, Texas

Arrested at George H.W. Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport before a flight to Europe, Wolfe was charged in June "with attempting to provide material support to terrorists," authorities said. He "planned to travel to the Middle East to provide his services to radical groups engaged in armed conflict in Syria," according to a complaint.

Ageunknown

Genderm

LocationSalisbury, North Carolina

U.S. authorities arrested an American man returning from overseas who they say is a sympathizer of the terrorist group ISIS. Morgan was arrested on August 2 on arrival at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport from Frankfurt, Germany, according to federal court documents.

NameMufid Elfgeeh

Age30

Genderm

LocationRochester, New York

A man who owns an upstate New York food store funded ISIS, tried to send jihadists to Syria to fight with the terrorist group and plotted to do some killing himself -- by gunning down U.S. troops who had served in Iraq -- federal authorities alleged Tuesday. Elfgeeh, 30, was arrested for trying "to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization" (namely, ISIS), one count of attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States, two counts of having an unregistered firearm silencer and one for possessing guns or silencers "in furtherance of a crime of violence."

NameUnknown

Age19

Genderf

LocationSt. Paul, Minnesota

In a separate case, a 19-year-old American Somali woman from St. Paul snuck away from her parents on Aug. 25 saying she was going to a bridal shower. Instead, she flew to Turkey and joined IS in Syria. … The St. Paul woman is the first case of an area female joining IS that has been made public although her family have asked for her name to be kept private because it fears retaliation from Islamists. … The St. Paul woman is highly likely to have been recruited by

fight for a terror group." Minneapolis, Minnesota

A group of six young Minnesota men conspired to sneak into Syria and join ISIS "by any means necessary," federal prosecutors said April 20. Abdurahman, Adnan Farah, Musse and Omar were arrested in Minneapolis. Daud, 21, and Mohamed Abdihamid Farah were arrested in San Diego after driving there in hopes of crossing into Mexico. They plotted for 10 months, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the District of Minnesota said. "Even when their co-conspirators were caught and charged, they continued to seek new and creative ways to leave Minnesota to fight for a terror group."

NameGuled Ali Omar

Age20

Genderm

LocationMinneapolis, Minnesota

A group of six young Minnesota men conspired to sneak into Syria and join ISIS "by any means necessary," federal prosecutors said April 20. Abdurahman, Adnan Farah, Musse and Omar were arrested in Minneapolis. Daud, 21, and Mohamed Abdihamid Farah were arrested in San Diego after driving there in hopes of crossing into Mexico. They plotted for 10 months, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the District of Minnesota said. "Even when their co-conspirator

A group of six young Minnesota men conspired to sneak into Syria and join ISIS "by any means necessary," federal prosecutors said April 20. Abdurahman, Adnan Farah, Musse and Omar were arrested in Minneapolis. Daud, 21, and Mohamed Abdihamid Farah were arrested in San Diego after driving there in hopes of crossing into Mexico. They plotted for 10 months, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the District of Minnesota said. "Even when their co-conspirators were caught and charged, they continued to seek new and creative ways to leave Minnesota to fight for a terror group."

NameAbdirahman Yasin Daud

Age21

Genderm

LocationSan Diego, California

A group of six young Minnesota men conspired to sneak into Syria and join ISIS "by any means necessary," federal prosecutors said April 20. Abdurahman, Adnan Farah, Musse and Omar were arrested in Minneapolis. Daud, 21, and Mohamed Abdihamid Farah were arrested in San Diego after driving there in hopes of crossing into Mexico. They plotted for 10 months, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the District of Minnesota said. "Even when their co-conspirators were caught and charged, they continued to seek new and creative ways to leave Minnesota to fight for a terror group."

NameMohamed Abdihamid Farah

Age21

Genderm

LocationSan Diego, California

A group of six young Minnesota men conspired to sneak into Syria and join ISIS "by any means necessary," federal prosecutors said April 20. Abdurahman, Adnan Farah, Musse and Omar were arrested in Minneapolis. Daud, 21, and Mohamed Abdihamid Farah were arrested in San Diego after driving there in hopes of crossing into Mexico. They plotted for 10 months, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the District of Minnesota said. "Even when their co-conspirators were caught and charged, they continued to seek new and creative ways to leave Minnesota to

NameUnknown

Age16

Genderm

LocationYork County, South Carolina

A South Carolina teen pleaded guilty April 22, 2015, to plotting an attack on a U.S. military base before attempting to travel to Syria to join ISIS, CNN affiliate WBTV reported. Police, who found an ISIS flag in the teen's bedroom while executing a search warrant, said the teen acknowledged that he and a person from North Carolina had plotted to rob a gun store so they could attack a military installation in retaliation for U.S. military airstrikes on ISIS.

NameHoda Muthana

Age20

Genderf

LocationHoover, Alabama

After Buzzfeed published an April 17, 2015, interview with the woman, who said she was in Raqqa, family members and community leaders confirmed to CNN affiliate that Hoda Muthana had indeed left her family to join ISIS. In March, she posted a photo of four passports to Twitter with the tweet, "Bonfire soon, no need for these anymore." Jordan Laporta, who graduated high school with Muthana, told CNN she was a bright and quiet girl who wore a hijab and kept to herself and her small group of friends. He said he was surprised to learn she was a jihadi, and asked about he devotion to Islam, he said he never spoke to her about it.

Gay hotelier apologizes for hosting Ted Cruz

A gay businessman who hosted an event for Sen. Ted Cruz -- a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage -- is apologizing to the gay community for what he called a "terrible mistake."

Ian Reisner, who is facing boycott threats along with his business partner Mati Weiderpass, said in a Facebook post Sunday that he hadn't fully understood the Republican presidential contender's views on gay rights issues.

"I am shaken to my bones by the e-mails, texts, postings and phone calls of the past few days. I made a terrible mistake," Reisner wrote in the post.

News of Cruz's appearance at Reisner and Weiderpass's Manhattan apartment was first reported by The New York Times, which said Cruz told the group that marriage decisions should be left to states and that if he had a gay daughter, he'd "love them just as much."

Publicly, though, Cruz has been a fierce opponent of same-sex marriage rights. He also supported an Indiana "religious freedom" law that businesses, sports organizations and pro-gay rights groups said was discriminatory. I was ignorant, naive and much too quick in accepting a request to co-host a dinner with Cruz at my home without taking the time to completely understand all of his positions on gay rights," Reisner wrote.

"I've spent the past 24 hours reviewing videos of Cruz' statements on gay marriage and I am shocked and angry," he wrote. "I sincerely apologize for hurting the gay community and so many of our friends, family, allies, customers and employees. I will try my best to make up for my poor [judgment]. Again, I am deeply sorry."

Baltimore’s mayor denounces rioting and announces city-wide curfew, effective for one week.

fifteen police officers were injured Monday, Col. Darryl D. DeSousa told reporters. Two remain hospitalized, and the others have been released, he said. Most were hurt by flying debris, according to DeSousa. He described the violence as "unprecedented."

-- Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced that the city will impose a mandatory curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, effective for one week starting on Tuesday. She noted that the city already has a mandatory curfew for juveniles.

It did not say where the information came from, nor did it say whether the threat was tied to the recent death of Freddie Gray. Gray died in police custody under circumstances that remain unclear.

His death has sparked ongoing protests in Baltimore and raised long-simmering tensions between police and residents.

"The Baltimore Police Department/Criminal Intelligence Unit has received credible information that members of various gangs including the Black Guerilla Family, Bloods, and Crips have entered into a partnership to 'take out' law enforcement officers," police said. "This is a credible threat."

Maryland State Police have ordered an additional 40 troopers to Baltimore to join the 42 troopers already sent there Monday afternoon to assist city police. Since last Thursday, more than 280 state troopers have provided assistance in Baltimore.

"Today's looting and acts of violence in Baltimore will not be tolerated," said Gov. Hogan. "There is a significant difference between protesting and violence, and those committing these acts will be prosecuted under the fullest extent of the law."

Separately, President Barack Obama met with Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the White House, just hours after she was sworn in.

"Attorney General Lynch assured the President that she would continue to monitor events in Baltimore and that the Department of Justice stands ready to provide any assistance that might be helpful there," said a statement from the White House.

Gunman kills Bosnian policeman in apparent Islamist attack

A gunman shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) attacked a police station in eastern Bosnia on Monday, killing one police officer and wounding two before he was shot dead, a police spokeswoman said.
“The attacker broke into the station and started a shooting spree,” Aleksandra Simojlovic told Reuters.
The attack occurred at around 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) in Zvornik, a town in Bosnia’s Serb-dominated autonomous region, the Serb Republic, which together with the Bosniak-Croat Federation makes up the Bosnia that emerged from the 1992-95 war.
“This is the worst terrorism attack that could happen in the Serb Republic,” regional Interior Minister Dragan Lukac told local television, adding that security level had been raised after the attack.
Doctors said the two police officers’ wounds were not life-threatening.
This was the first attack of its kind in the Serb Republic, though similar ones have occurred in the Federation, including a 2010 bomb attack on a police station in central Bosnia and an attack on the U.S. embassy in the capital Sarajevo a year later.
Most Bosnian Muslims practice a moderate form of Islam but some have embraced the puritanical ideology of the Sunni Wahhabi sect and the government estimates that up to 200 have gone to Syria and Iraq to fight for the Islamic State group.
Thousands of Bosnian Muslims were expelled from Zvornik by Serb forces during the war but some have since returned.

US Missionary in Nepal: 'The Needs Are Staggering'

CBN News has received new information from American missionary Deborah Strong regarding the devastating aftermath of the Nepal earthquake.

Strong, who is in on the ground in Katmandu, hails from from New Life Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

"For the nation....please pray the Church of Nepal rises big during all this," she writes. "The needs are staggering, with homes destroyed, families injured and without homes, food, water, etc."

"The major need right now, as in any disaster, is water to drink, food, tents, tarps, blankets," she continued. "Many have written asking what they can do to help. The biggest need right now is for money to buy all the above."
    
She goes on to write, "It is an ideal moment in time to share Jesus' love and truth."

"Fill Me Up": Gospel Singer Recounts Her Road to Success

Casey J has been described as the "vegetarian, school teacher who has the #1 gospel song in the country."

Her song "Fill Me Up" sits at the top of multiple Billboard charts. But to students at one Georgia elementary school, Casey J is simply Ms. Hobbs, their math teacher.

She says her classroom was where God gave her the inspiration to write the song.

"I was just in my classroom and I heard God say he wanted to do something different with me, but he needed me to give him a yes now," she told CBN News. 

That yes led to her debut album,"The Truth,"  which was recently released.

Casey J paid a visit to CBN News to talk about how her new role in full time ministry and the journey to get here.

Her advice to others who hope to see success in the Christian Music industry?  "Serve, and serve with the heart of service," says Casey.

"God will honor that heart because he's looking for people that just want to serve and he will use them in profound and amazing ways, "
she continued.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Give a stranger for you never know if it is an angelic visit

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

The purpose of a person heart are deep waters , but one who has insight draws them out .Many claim to have unfailing love , but a faithful person who can find?

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH SUFFERING IN THE WORLD?

The news of the world is very sad , innocent people dying everyday based on circumstances that they have no control over, when you wake up there is no guarantee that you will see the end of the day, famine , drought , pestilence , disease literally all countries all over the world have their own problem butwhy  is this all happening. The ruler of the world must be very wicked to allow all this happenings if there is at all a ruler .
WHO IS RULING THE WORLD ?
The ruler of the world is Babylon the great, the mother of prostitute and of the abominations of the earth whose end is soon , the enemy is the ruler of the world  she has seven heads and ten horns  she rules over the kings of the earth isnt this complicating there isnt any woman ruling  the earth would be the thought of any novice. The devil is ruling the earth and is in charge of religion, politics and commerce but the headquarters is religion with the capital in rome .
When the ruler of the world is wicked the implication is also wickedness havent you ever wonder why the zeal of any human being is to be in authority ?
BUT WHY IS GOD NOT RULING ?
God is a holy God and want He produces are good implying that God will never create anyone to suffer, be barren, die before their time but there is something God has given each one of us which is free will , you have a choice of either to  be under the rulership of God or satan your choice will determine what will happen to your life . But you might say you know some christians that are suffering ? The defination of suffering has to be in the context of poverty, sickness but I can say boldly that no true child of God will ever beg on the street for food or be homeless whatever a child of God is going through is only a test for an examination and God will never test you beyond your capability.
WHEN WILL THE SUFFERING END?
The trumpet will soon sound and Jesus Christ will come and take His own people when this happen the ruler of the world will be locked up in a bottomless pit and all will see and beyond the ruler with contempt the signs are all here .

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee

Bella's Gift: The Santorum Family's Unlikely Hero

NORTHERN VIRGINIA -- When you mention the name Rick Santorum, social conservatives see a former senator and presidential candidate who has been a hero on the cultural issues of the day.

But in the Santorum household, Rick isn't the hero at all. It's actually their 6-year-old daughter Bella.

Doctors didn't think she'd make it, but she's proved them wrong. It is a story of hope, love and the belief that every person matters. Bella has been a gift to the entire Santorum family.

"She's all about love, massive amounts of love and joy," Karen Santorum told CBN News from her Virginia home.

Bella was born with Trisomy 18, a rare genetic condition. Only 10 percent of babies survive, and of those survivors, only 10 percent make it to their first birthday.

Doctors told Rick and Karen Santorum that Bella's condition was "incompatible with life."  But someone should tell that to Bella because she turns 7 years old next month.

"She's just beautiful, vulnerable, dependent," Rick Santorum told CBN News. "Just completely dependent on us."

Bella's Gift

The Santorums have written a deeply personal book about their journey of caring for a special needs child.  Along the way, Bella taught all of them some very special lessons. The book is called Bella's Gift.

Karen Santorum explains what that gift is.

"She taught so many people how to love better, love and serve Christ better, live in the moment, how to treasure each and every day, how to focus on what is most important in life and to celebrate each and every life," Karen told CBN News.

"She reminds us that every person matters, and we say she's a great teacher of souls because she really is," she said.

One lesson went to their oldest daughter Elizabeth, who also wrote part of the book. She initially struggled with the thought of losing a relationship with a younger sister.

"Bella taught me that love isn't about what someone can do for you," Elizabeth Santorum told CBN News. "It's about giving to the beloved. It's about selflessness."

"…I remember holding her for the first time and all of this was internal at that point and I really just saw a vulnerability and I thought, 'Gosh, that is how my Lord looks at me.' He sees all of us as vulnerable, as totally unable to do anything without Him or His love and Bella's looking at me and I thought, 'just love me,'" she said.

There's no doubt Bella is thoroughly loved -- not just by her family, but also by people she's never met. During Rick Santorum's 2012 presidential campaign, supporters came to rallies with Bella signs. 

Through the Valley

Still, the family felt a desperate need and Karen Santorum says help came from leaning on the Lord and his Word, especially the 23rd Psalm.

"It's such a powerful image because when any parent gets a bad diagnosis it's crushing and heartbreaking and it's a very hard and emotional time," she told CBN News.

"The beautiful thing is that when you have the Lord there and you're going through a really hard time, it's the most beautiful thing to know that He is there with you, bringing you through out of this dark valley and giving you the strength for this journey," she said.

And they needed that strength, especially for their marriage. Many couples with special needs children end up divorced.

"You have moments where you may feel differently about care, decisions, where to go, what hospital to go to, lots of different things. But in the end you forgive, you heal and you know that you are in this together," Karen Santorum said.

Her husband says there is a marriage lesson taught through Bella.

"Here's this little vessel Christ sent to us to teach us what He is trying to teach us, which is to give of yourself fully and completely, not to just this little girl but to each other in marriage," he explained, "because that's what marriage is about. It's about selfless love."

"The reason marriages break up in America is because we go in there with the expectation that marriage is about what's for you, as oppose to what you can give, as oppose to what you receive," he said.

'It Will Get Better'

The Santorums hope this book helps other parents with special needs children, to let them know it's going to be okay.

"You've been thrown into a sea of confusion, a real heartbreak," Karen Santorum said. "But I promise you it will get better. You have more strength than you think and you take one day at a time. Sometimes you are literally living moment to moment."

And the Santorums' thank God for that strength, patience and knowledge that their little girl was worth it all.

"His plan, as unwelcome as it can be, is in fact the perfect plan," Rick Santorum said. "I would say that Bella was unwelcome. I didn't want a child with Trisomy 18, but if you ask Karen or I if we would trade Bella for anything, absolutely not."

Death Toll in Nepal Quake over 1,000

Tens of thousands of people prepared to spend the night in the open under a chilly and thundery sky after a powerful earthquake shook Nepal on Saturday, killing more than 1,180 people, collapsing modern houses and centuries-old temples, and triggering a landslide on the slopes of Mount Everest. Officials said the death toll will rise as more reports from far-flung areas come in.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which originated outside the capital Kathmandu, was the worst tremor to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years. It was so powerful that it was felt all across the northern part of neighboring India, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan where a total of 50 people died. The death toll in Nepal was 1,130, but it is almost certain to rise, said deputy Inspector General of Police Komal Singh Bam.

More than two dozen aftershocks jolted the area after the first quake, which struck just before noon. At the time, Shrish Vaidya, who runs an advertising agency, was in his two-story house outside the capital Kathmandu with his arents.

"It is hard to describe. The house was shaking like crazy. We ran out and it seemed like the road was heaving up and down," Vaidya, 46, told The Associated Press. "I don't remember anything like this before. Even my parents can't remember anything this bad."

Residents Flee Homes, Buildings

All across the country, residents ran out of homes and buildings in panic. Walls tumbled, trees swayed, power lines came crashing down and large cracks opened up on streets and walls. And clouds of dust began to swirl all around.

Once the first shaking stopped, Vaidya thought the fa

Thousands of people were spending the night at Tudikhel, a vast open ground in the middle of Kathmandu, just next to the old city that is lined with old buildings and narrow lanes. Now it is in ruins.

People lay on plastic sheets or cardboard boxes, wrapped in blankets. Mothers kept their children warm; some lit fire with whatever wood they could find. Most were eating instant noodles and cookies.

Deepak Rauniar, a shop worker who was there with his friends, said: "We are too scared to go back to our apartment. It is surrounded closely by houses, most of them old. The houses could collapse while we are still sleeping."

Hospitals Filled with Injured

Within hours of the quake, hospitals had filled up with hundreds of injured people. With organized relief and rescue largely absent, many of them were brought to hospitals by friends and relatives in motorized rickshaws, flatbed trucks and cars. It was also residents themselves who used bare hands, crowbars and other tools to dig through rubble and rescue survivors.

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, who was attending a summit in Jakarta, tried to rush back home but made it as far as Bangkok where his connecting flight to Kathmandu was canceled because the capital's international airport was shut down.

While the extent of the damage and the scale of the disaster are yet to be ascertained, the quake will likely put a huge strain on the resources of this poor country best known for Everest, the highest mountain in the world, and its rich Hindu culture. The economy of Nepal, a nation of 27.8 million people, is heavily reliant on tourism, principally trekking and

mily could return indoors by the evening. But the jolts kept coming, and they felt safer outdoors. 

THE GREATEST GIFT EVER

I have a gift that had been waiting for me but due to my stubbornness, pride and negligence i refused to claim this gift despite the fact that i knew but because of my assumption that once i receive his gift i would need to change and give back all other gift delayed but one day i became so determined that i must collect my gift having realized  that the other gifts were given with a condition attached but this gift was free .

The greatest gift that you are entitled to is the gift of salvation , it contains the peace that passes human understanding, despite all the financial turbulence all over the world when received your provision becomes divine during famine  a widow with her son who had only flour and oil for a meal eat and were filled throughout the period. The Israelite walked through the desert and eat manna , quail divinely, though you dont live in a desert but your cirumstance might look like a desert situation. Peradventure you have been diagonised with an incurable disease ,cancer,HIV, in this gift is healing . With adamant faith you will be made whole, I have witnessed a lady eyes corrected miraculously, Sickle cell turned to negative am a living testimony.

How to receive this gift ? With a sincere heart say LORD JESUS PLEASE FORGIVE ME MY SINS I CONFESS YOU AS MY LORD AND SAVIOR DWELL IN ME FROM THIS MOMENT BE THE MASTER OF MY LIFE IN JESUS NAME AMEN
Congratulations you are now a new creature , you will now need to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ by speaking to him constantly which is called prayer the more you communicate with Him the more closer you get with Him gradually He will reveal Himself to you .

Recant or Else: Saeed Faces New Psychological Torture

IRanian prison guards holding American Pastor Saeed Abedini have reportedly given him a warning: deny Jesus Christ and return to Islam or stay imprisoned for life.

Lawyers representing the 35-year-old Abedini say he's also facing increased psychological torment.

Saaed Abedini was convicted on January 27, 2013 and condemned to eight years in prison. Now Iranian authorities are threatening to extend that prison sentence, something his lawyers say has been done to other Christian prisoners in the past.

"They find some other way to set them up for a falsehood and try them for additional convictions," Tiffany Barrans, with the American Center for Law and Justice, told CBN News.

According to Abedini's wife, Naghmeh, prison guards have become increasingly hostile -- reportedly tormenting the American pastor with constant psychological threats.

In a Facebook post, Naghmeh writes: "He has been under a lot of pressure and attack from the hardliners...The guards have also been threatening Saeed that he will never go free...They continually threaten Saeed that the only key to his freedom is denying Christ and returning to Islam."

Abedini is serving his sentence in one of the toughest prisons in Iran.

"This is a prison that was built for 5,000 individuals," Barrans explained. "Currently it is housing over 20,000. So you've got incredible hygienic conditions, you've got threats from other cellmates and certainly several of them see him as a threat right now as Iran and the United States are negotiating this nuclear deal."

Naghmeh says recent prisoner executions have also taken their toll on her husband. Despite the hardships, she writes that he continues to remain strong in the faith.

Prayer and praise will set him free before the end of the year in Jesus Name AMEN. How God will do it I dont know but I belive he will be set free very soon

It's Not Just Iran: China Warns of N. Korea Threat

As world powers focus on trying to curb Iran's nuclear pursuits, there's new evidence that North Korea is building nuclear bombs at an alarming rate.

The nation may have as many as 20 nuclear warheads and that number could climb to 50 or 100 in the next five years.The end time is really drawer near nations all preparing themselves for war eventuality so peace amongst nations seem to be a rare commodity

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

When the wicked advance against me to devour me , it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me my heart will not fear though war break out against me , even then I will be confident.

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THOUGHT OF THE DAY

IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES GIVE THANKS IT COULD BE WORSE

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Thank you Lord for another wonderful day ,I commit today into your hands lead me in your path teach me your ways, direct me let me be at the right place at the right time in JESUS Name AMEN

ETHIOPIAN CHRISTIANS

Dozens of Ethiopian families are reeling after their loved ones were slaughtered by ISIS in Libya.

Several wakes have already been held by grieving families.

The Islamic State shot and beheaded 28 Ethiopian Christians over the weekend, releasing a video of the bloody executions.

The video shows masked terrorists leading prisoners in black jumpsuits along a beach, shooting them in the back of the head, beheading them and then placing their severed heads on their bodies. 

A masked jihadist with an American accent delivers a long statement warning Christians they won't be safe until they "embrace Islam."

"You will not have safety, even in your dreams, until you accept Islam," he declares, aiming his weapon at the camera. "To the nation of the cross, we are back again."

Ethiopia's government declared a three-day mourning period in the predominantly Christian country.

S. Korean Church's 7-Day Service: Sundays Not Enough

For one church in South Korea, meeting only once a week on Sundays is hardly enough.  Myungsung Church in Seoul gathers for early morning prayer every day, and it's been doing it for 35 years.

In the early morning in Seoul, thousands of people stream out of the downtown church passing the thousands of others who are waiting in the cold and the dark to go inside. When the signal comes, they stream inside and scurry down the street to arrive on time.

Myungsung Church holds four early morning services on a daily basis.

"Christians cannot live without faith and prayer, even for a moment. I believe morning prayer is God's blessing for us. So, I am joyfully attending to the gathering, even though the church is far and it takes long," said church elder Seon Gyoo Kim.

Recently, the church celebrated 35 years of early morning prayer. Church leaders from around the world gathered in Seoul for a week long celebration.

Since Rev. Samhwan Kim started the church in 1980, it has grown to more than 120,000 members. He credits that success to prayer and an unyielding commitment to historic Christian truths.

"The power of church is from the Gospel in the Bible, and the tradition that we inherited from the ancestors. If we preserve those values, the world will follow us, and we can lead this era," Kim said.

Well into his 70s, Pastor Kim still leads two morning services.

Myungsung Church is the largest Presbyterian church in the world. It has planted 24 churches and supports more than 500 missionaries in 63 countries. The church also supports a children's home, a hospital and other social ministries.

Pastor Kim says it's prayer that's made all this ministry possible, and he and his church believe that if they ask, God will do the same for their kinsmen in North Korea. 

"North Korea is in despair, but at the same time, it is very hopeful in Christ. Isaiah 9 says, 'The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.' ...I believe the time of Gospel must come to them. We need prayer to save North Korea...God will work on them through our prayer. He must liberate the land and perform the miracle to open the way in the desert for the unification of North and South," Kim said.

North and South Korea have been separated for 65 years. Since the armistice was signed, South Korea has grown into a modern state with a booming economy.

North Korea is one of the most isolated nations on earth, ruled by a family of dictators who repress its people and threaten the world with nuclear holocaust.

On the border of North and South Korea, people come to look into the 'Hermit Kingdom' and to leave messages for their families on the other side.

At Myungsung Church, the people pray passionately for reunification. Among them is a group of North Korean refugees now living in the South.
    
Though they're free, it's hard to escape the grip of the totalitarian regime just across the border.

Wonjoon Sung, who escaped North Korea, said, "Actually, North Korean defectors have a trauma by the North Korean regime. We often have a nightmare of being taken to the North. Whenever I wake up in the morning, I feel the freedom, but become sorrowful thinking my family who are living perilously without freedom in the North."

These refugees came to Christ after escaping the North, but they saw firsthand the government's persecution of Christians.
 
Hyejin Lim, another North Korean escapee said, "In the North, the Christians were singled out for torture. They were found because of their knees, because they have sat kneeling to pray. The Christians were separated and right away sent to other places such like concentration camp."
     
Still, the church in North Korea is growing.
     
A woman named Yunsun Lee says some North Koreans who visit China are converted to Christianity by missionaries on the border.
     
Despite the risk of imprisonment or even death, some of them return to preach the Gospel.

"After they go back to the North, they evangelize others one by one in basement, and then the new comers bring their families or friends as well. In this way, the Gospel is being spread secretly. If this comes out, whole family will be murdered. So the churches are performing in basement in secret, but actively," Yunsun Lee said.

Meanwhile, those who have found safety in the South cry out for their families in the North.

Wonjoon Sung said, "I really pray, 'God, may his Gospel enter to the North so that the people there can live like decent men enjoying freedom.' Every human being has the right to freedom, but in the North, this most basic is being restricted. I am praying God earnestly to allow this blessing for the people in the North."

Believing that these fervent prayers will avail much for the people of North Korea.

The church also helps support a Christian TV station in Seoul which broadcasts CBN's "Christian World News" program in Korean to some 12 million viewers.

migrants

Thousands of migrants from Africa and the Middle East are embarking on deadly journeys on a weekly basis from the coasts of Libya and Tunisia hoping to reach the European continent in search of a safer and better future. Most of these people are fleeing war-torn places like Syria, Eritrea, Somalia, Afghanistan and other regions where they're facing religious and ethnic persecution, or are simply caught in the middle of civil unrest.
Many of them have already lost family members or experienced different forms of trauma themselves before even embarking on what could potentially be the most dangerous leg of their journey: the trek across the Mediterranean Sea on overcrowded vessels. At that point they're confronted with the reality that surviving physical and psychological torture doesn't guarantee their survival at sea.
During the past few weeks alone thousands have died due to capsized vessels. The Italian Coast Guard and the European Union are having a hard time keeping up with rescue efforts and holding people accountable for what has turned into a major human trafficking operation.
The only solution is  if the war in the countries are stopped and this can only be resolved if nations can acknowledge Jehovah and commit all to him 

Extremist's IS Links Probed After Paris Killing

A heavily armed Islamic extremist said to have been planning an imminent attack on one or more churches had documents relating to Islamic State and al Qaeda, French authorities have revealed.

Investigators also found evidence on the 24-year-old's computer that he was in contact with a man in Syria "who clearly asked him to target a church," Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said.
Alongside the church plot, the Algerian suspect, named in French reports as Sid Ahmed Ghlam, is accused of killing a young woman shortly before his arrest.
He was detained in Paris over the weekend after he apparently shot himself in the leg by accident and called for an ambulance, French officials said on Wednesday.
Police called to the scene found a trail of blood leading to his car, with loaded guns and notes about potential targets inside.
A search of the man's apartment in the southeast of the capital led to the discovery of more weapons as well as the Arabic-language documents.
The documents "prove, without any ambiguity, that the individual was preparing an imminent attack, in all probability, against one or two churches,"  Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.
In a sinister echo of the Charlie Hebdo attacks earlier this year, authorities said the "arsenal of war weapons" found included handguns, Kalashnikov assault rifles, munitions, and bullet-proof vests.
The 32-year-old dead woman, Aurelie Chatelain, who had been visiting Paris for a work training session, was found shot in her car on Sunday morning.
The authorities believe she was killed at random. THANK YOU JEHOVAH MAY ALL OF THEM BE CAUGHT IN JESUS NAME AMEN

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

What you see affect your thinking and perspective of life when you view positive things you want to impact and influence others positively but when you view role models that  pose naked and make millions you want to emulate but the end thereof is destruction

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the field produce no food though there are no sheep in the sheepfold and no cattle in the stalls yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will be joyful in God my saviour

WHAT FOUNDATION ARE YOU STANDING ON?

   A house is built on a foundation , while building if a spanner is dropped and a house is built the spanner is forgotten reminding me of a pastor that never had congregration some days there were many people , following week very few people until a day armed robbers came visiting and when asked for money he didnt have and the armed robber advised him to look for another job , this made him very angry and went back to God in prayer.

God showed him that the promblem was in the foundation of the building all he needed to do was destroy the building to the foundation which he obeyed to his amazement there was a live tortoise in the foundation the next week the rented canopies chairs was not enough implying that the foundation of your life can either make or mar your destiny but I dont have any problem so why should i be bothered if my life is based on a solid foundation.

Jesus Christ is a solid rock that cannot be shaken broken or destroyed and those that are standing on this rock dont move even when there is calamities around them it doesnt affect them financially they are very comfortable and often wonder why they seem to be peaceable all this can be based on the fact that the foundation of their lives is the rock that can never be shaken

When an individual foundation is on sand it is tossed and swept with all the troubles of life though might have all the things of life but there might be lack of peace, discontentment, depravity mind , hopelessness because they are usually moved by things round them a loved one that is on life supporting machine seem hopeless because of the foundation .

Many people will go to bed tonight and not wake up , some will start the day and would be gone by nighttime based on the fact that life is uncertain but your foundation will determine your certainity in life . REBUILD YOUR FOUNDATION TODAY 

Solar plane aims for Chinese coast

The fuel-free aeroplane Solar Impulse has taken off from Chongqing in western-central China, and is heading for Nanjing in the east.

It is the sixth stint in a bid to fly around the world that began in Abu Dhabi, UAE on 9 March.
Solar Impulse was only supposed to stay a few hours in Chongqing after arriving from Myanmar (Burma), but poor weather grounded the plane for three weeks.
The team is now confident conditions will remain fair for the Nanjing leg.
Getting to the east of the country would set up the project for its greatest challenge yet - a five-day, five-night crossing to Hawaii.
The latest leg saw Solar Impulse leave the runway at Chongqing International Airport at just after 06:00 local time, Tuesday (22:00 GMT, Monday). Project chairman, Bertrand Piccard, is again at the controls of the single-seater aircraft.
He is taking it in turns with CEO Andre Borschberg. But as the engineer in the partnership, Borschberg wants to do the Hawaii leg, so Piccard has elected to do both Chinese stages. He brought the plane in from Mandalay, Myanmar, to Chongqing, and is now flying the 1,200km to Nanjing as well. It should take him about 17 hours.Once in Nanjing, the team will stay put for at least 10 days, carefully checking over the aircraft and running through a training programme ahead of the first Pacific leg.
"I think 10 days is the time we need to get ready. Then we need to wait for a good weather window," explained mission director Raymond Clerc.
"That could be three days; we could have to wait three weeks - because this leg is really the most important and is very complex. To go towards Hawaii could last five days and five nights."
Nanjing is about 200km from the coast, very close to Shanghai. The first Pacific leg would cover a distance of more than 8,000km

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

There is no need for preaching the signs are here to tell anyone that has ears to listen that we live in the end times very soon the trumpet will soon sound brings me to the question and reassessment of my life every moment preparing to be amongst the five wise virgins

Israel Turns to Asian Markets, Despite US Objections

ERUSALEM, Israel --  It seems the many challenges facing the Jewish state fuel its determination to press ahead in today's marketplace, laying the groundwork for future generations.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought a two-week extension to wrap up talks with potential coalition partners, the current government continues to take care of business.

Netanyahu, who also serves as finance minister, recently applied for Israeli membership in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), led by China. Analysts say the decision is evidence of Israel's understanding of Asia's rising place in global markets and the importance of improving relations with Asian countries.

The Obama administration is reportedly unhappy with the decision because it views the AIIB as a threat to the World Bank, according to a position paper by the Begin-Sadat Center (BESA).

"The new bank is viewed by many as an important indicator of the changing economic and global balance of power, appearing as a threat to the World Bank," the paper states.

But joining AIIB is just one example of the Jewish state's ingenuity in today's marketplace.

Annual Innovation Report

Israeli Chief Scientist Avi Hasson released the first annual innovation report, more evidence of the stuff it takes to keep the economy moving forward.

"Our challenge in the coming years will be to remain at the forefront of global technology while implementing innovative measures in all aspects of the market and the economy," Hasson said. He listed four ways to help Israel meet these challenges:

• Creating new sources of funding for industry
• Turning more hi-tech companies into major companies
• Implementing and developing technologies in traditional industries and in the public sector
• Smarter and more efficient government involvement

Cultural Tourism   

Meanwhile, the tourism sector, one of Israel's most important, continues to flourish.

Last year saw record numbers of tourists and 2015 is off to a very good start.

Israeli Tourism Minister Dr. Uzi Landau released a statement last week on a Polish Tourism Ministry conference that took place at Jerusalem's Dan Panorama Hotel. Some 170 senior representatives of Poland's tourism industry came for the conference.

Landau says Israel is an increasingly favorite destination for cultural tourism, as well as religious pilgrimages, so it's important to present new and attractive destinations to potential visitors.

"Poland is one of the fastest emerging markets in Central Europe and, with the increase in the local standard of living, it is important to present Poland is one of the fastest emerging markets in Central Europe and, with the increase in the local standard of living, it is important to present Israel as a quality and attractive holiday destination to the potential Polish tourist," Landau said.

There are many examples of Israeli innovation -- in medical breakthroughs, hi-tech, agriculture, solar energy, startups and venture capital. All of it contributes to its forward-moving economy.

It seems neither boycotts, divestment, sanctions, criticism or threats from Islamists are succeeding in bringing down the Jewish state. In fact, those very obstacles are fueling Israeli determination to succeed.

In an increasingly competitive global marketplace, Israelis recognize that hard work pays off.

Explosion at Spanish embassy in Libyan capital – residents

An explosion occurred in front of the Spanish embassy in the Libyan capital late on Monday, residents and local media said.
“We heard a loud explosion,” said a Tripoli resident living next to the embassy. No more information was immediately available.
Like most Western and Arab countries, Spain had pulled out its diplomats in summer during weeks of heavy fighting between rival armed groups in Tripoli.

What's behind xenophobic attacks in South Africa?

Shops looted and set ablaze. Terrified foreigners hiding in police stations and stadiums. Machete-wielding attackers hacking immigrants to death in major cities in South Africa.

As attacks against foreigners and their businesses rage on, killing at least six people this week, other nations in the continent are scrambling to evacuate their citizens from South Africa. But this is not the first time xenophobic violence has exploded in a country that tries to portray itself as a diverse "rainbow" nation.

What triggered this week's attacks?They started after Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini said at a recent gathering that foreigners "should pack their bags and go" because they are taking jobs from citizens, local media reported.

But this isnt about a comment about the king there is a demonic spirit attached to every attack what mind would make another person take a knife and stab another person thereafter feel remorse after the attack I couldnt watch the attack on the Mozambique  man that was attacked my heart is too soft to watch it. The earlier people stop the habit of finding out history of xenophobic attack and focus on how we all should reconcile with God and plead for mercy the better for us as individuals and a nation as a whole