World
The Islamic extremist group Boko Haram and the Nigerian government have agreed to a ceasefire on Friday, Nigerian officials announced. Reports say that they may be considering the release of the over 200 schoolgirls that had been abducted by Boko Haram back in May. It seems that specific terms have not been agreed upon as of yet in regards to the girls. READ MORE
World
At least 16 died and 11 more have been injured during an accident that occurred at a Korean pop (K-Pop) concert in Seongnam, located a little south of Seoul. The victims were atop a ventilation grate to get a better view of the performance in the midst of a crowd of 700 in the outdoor concert. Though the exact cause of the accident has not been confirmed, reports say that it is due to the fact that the grate was unable to hold the weight of the 20-30 people that were standing on top. READ MORE
World
The deaths of at least 27 people have been confirmed on Thursday, amid rescue teams’ continuous efforts in looking for the bodies of missing hikers in Nepal’s Himalayas. So far, at least 220 trekkers had been rescued. The Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) told the Associated Press that about 70 more people are missing in the Annapurna trail, one of the most popular trails in the Himalayas.READ MORE
Ministries
Asian American Christian artists AMP, Mickey Cho, Gowe, NAK, and MC Jin will all be performing together on stage for the first time during their upcoming “Fearless Tour,” during which they will be performing in two locations in southern California; northern California; Virginia; and Maryland, “with the hope of exemplifying the idea of being fearless.”READ MORE
Church
Pastor Mark Driscoll, the author of numerous Christian books and the former senior pastor of Mars Hill Church, has submitted a resignation letter to his Board of Overseers on Tuesday. “By God’s grace I have pastored Mars Hill Church for 18 years. Today, also by God’s grace, and with the full support of my wife Grace, I resign my position as a pastor and elder or Mars Hill. I do so with profound sadness, but also with complete peace,” he wrote in his letter. READ MORE
US
Pamela Bondi, Florida’s Attorney General, has asked to move two same-sex marriage cases up to the state Supreme Court for a decision. The two cases had been pending in Florida’s Third District Court of Appeals. Though in both cases, judges ruled that the state’s 2008 ban on same-sex marriages to be unconstitutional, an automatic stay was placed on both cases. READ MORE
US
Hannah Graham, an 18-year-old college student from University of Virginia, had gone missing a month ago, yet still remains missing. Graham was last seen in the early hours of September 13 as she was leaving a party. Her last form of communication was a text message to her friends at 1:20 AM, telling them that she was lost. She was wearing “a metallic black crop top with mesh cut outs and black pants,” according to a statement on the University of Virginia website.READ MORE
World
In the midst of much speculation about his health and the condition of the mysterious North Korea, Kim Jong Un made his first public appearance since September 3. On Tuesday local time, Kim appeared to the public giving “field guidance” at a new residential district called Wisong Scientists Residential District, according to KCNA, an official state agency.READ MORE
World
Dr. Kent Brantly, who had contracted the Ebola virus but recovered after receiving treatment, assured the public to not panic about Ebola in the U.S., but to instead shift the focus to those who are suffering in West Africa. Brantly, who had contracted the virus while he was serving as a missionary at Liberia with the ministry Samaritan’s Purse, spoke on Friday at a public forum at Abilene Christian University, his alma mater, about his experiences and thoughts about the Ebola outbreak.READ MORE
US
A nurse who had been treating the first patient to be diagnosed with and to die of Ebola within the U.S. has also contracted the virus and was diagnosed on Sunday, allegedly due to a breach in safety protocols. The nurse, which has not been identified in public, had been treating Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian who was diagnosed with Ebola and had been receiving treatment at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.READ MORE
World
Two suicide bombings took place in Yemen on Thursday, killing 70 and wounding over 80. The first and more severe bombing took place at a gathering of Shiite Houthi rebels at Sana, the capital of Yemen. A man which reports say was about 20 years old blew the explosives that had been attached to himself when he was entering the rebel area.READ MORE
World
Malala Yousafzai, the young 17-year-old peace and education reform activist, and Kailash Styarthi, a 60-year-old activist who had been running campaigns to end child trafficking, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The award of $1.1 million will be split equally between the two recipients.READ MORE
Church
Pastor Kiwon Suh has been serving the English congregation at New Life Vision Church (NLVC) for almost five years. However, his experience with the Korean American church goes beyond his pastoral experience. He has served in Korean American churches as a worship leader previous to becoming a pastor, and as a part of the 1.5 generation – those who had lived in Korea for during childhood and moved to grow up in the U.S. – he himself has grown up in the Korean American church as well.READ MORE
US
One of the most unusual cases has been filed and heard at an appellate court on Wednesday in the state of New York: to extend human rights to a chimpanzee. The case was filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) in defense of a 26-year-old chimpanzee named Tommy, saying that Tommy has been forced to live in a “small, dank, cement cage in a cavernous dark shed,” according to the legal brief text. READ MORE
US
On September 28, 35 new locations of the Sunday Assembly, a non-religious gathering that calls itself the atheist church, were launched across the United States. The Sunday Assembly, which has the positive and appealing motto, “Live Better, Help Often, and Wonder More,” was started in January 2013 by British comedians Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones, with the purpose to “build radically inclusive communities that help everyone find and fulfill their full potential.”READ MORE
The Sunday Assembly, also known as the “Atheist Church”, based in the United Kingdom is scheduled to have its first global assembly. The “church” is also known to have a branch and ...
World May 06, 2014 02:34 AM EDTThe leaders of the DPRK have been making very strong statements regarding human rights. A representative from the North Korean government has stated in a speech that the U.S. is a ‘living ...
World May 08, 2014 03:08 AM EDT
