ASSIST News Service

• North Korea sentences American to 15 years hard labour

  An American tour operator has been sentenced to 15 years of compulsory hard labour after being tried by North Korea's highest court for unspecified "hostile acts" against the country.

• Jeremy Camp, Nick Vujicic in new film on suffering

  From the producers of Lost Boy: The Next Chapter, winner of eight international film festival awards, comes Hope for Hurting Hearts, the new film from Harvest Ministries.

• Nigeria's Christians suffering repeated attacks

  Morning Star News is reporting that an attack in Nigeria that killed 18 Christians has capped two years of Islamic aggression. It says that Muslim Fulani herdsmen are suspected in another deadly assault in the area.

• KP Yohannan on women, 'dowry deaths' and 'untouchables' in India

  Gospel for Asia founder talks about his extraordinary work with Gospel for Asia and, in particular his latest mission to help the downtrodden Dalit women of India

• Saeed Abedini prays in wake of Boston bombings

  Beaten American Pastor Saeed Abedini prays for America in wake of Boston bombings as medical care for him is delayed

• George Beverly Shea remembered at public memorial

  Billy Graham Crusades soloist George Beverly Shea was remembered on Sunday in a public memorial service at Anderson Auditorium in Montreat, North Carolina, the town where both he and Graham lived.

• Church raided in Kazakhstan

  Officials who raided a Protestant church in Kazakhstan have defended their actions.

• Funeral of George Beverly Shea to celebrate life and music

  The life, music and ministry of George Beverly Shea, who passed away at the age of 104 on Tuesday will be celebrated during a funeral service this coming Sunday at Anderson Auditorium, Montreat, North Carolina

• From homelessness to PhD

  The man who founded and runs New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter was once homeless himself.

• Reports of Christian convert tortured in Somalia

  Muslim militants still controlling part of the Lower Shebelle Region of Somalia have jailed and tortured a Christian for converting from Islam, sources said.

• Greg Laurie to bring message of hope to Saddleback Church

  Greg Laurie will speak for Pastor Rick Warren this weekend at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, offering a message of hope in the midst of grief to a congregation reeling from the recent death of Warren's son, Matthew.

• Sri Lanka: Fears churches may be hit by legislation on cults

  According to Barnabas Aid, the Religious Affairs Ministry in Sri Lanka has announced that it intends to introduce legislation enabling the authorities to take action against religious groups that are deemed cults in a move that threatens some of the country's churches.