Poverty a powder keg, Johannesburg synod told

SOUTH AFRICA is “sitting on a powder keg of hopelessness”, the Bishop of Johannesburg, Dr Steve Moreo, has told his diocesan synod. The poverty rate had increased by 53.2 per cent between 2011 and 2015. “The authorities seem unable to cope with this,” he said last week. The Church was called to alleviate the situation as much as it could.

Fulani militants blamed for Nigerian killings

TWENTY Christians were killed on Thursday of last week by “Fulani militants” in Nigeria, International Christian Concern reports. The US-based charity reports that 19 of the victims were members of Salama Baptist Church. Another charity, Open Doors reported this year that Hausa-Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria’s Middle Belt were recorded as killing more Christians than Boko Haram.

Muslim nations vow to invest in science and technology

WORLD leaders and representatives of 56 Muslim nations including the Presidents of Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan made pledges to increase investment in science and technology this week, in an effort to tackle food, water, health, and climate-change challenges. They were attending a summit organised by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.