Globe Trot: Russia sends more tanks, armored vehicles to Ukraine

UKRAINE: Russian tanks and armored vehicles entered southeastern Ukraine today, away from where most of the intense fighting has been taking place and potentially opening a new front in Russia’s offensive. In eastern Ukraine’s city of Donetsk, pro-Moscow rebels marched captured Ukrainian soldiers through the streets on Sunday, a theatrical show of Russian dominance in the embattled Ukrainian city.

MALAYSIA on Friday honored 20 citizens who died on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down over Ukraine last month.

IRAQ: Despite more recent gains on the ground—made possible by about 90 U.S. air strikes in the area since Aug. 8—ISIS retains a hold on one-third of Iraq. Homeless Christians and others have no idea what will happen to them next, where they might go, or how to make a home that’s secure again. Here’s WORLD’s latest report.

We are looking for more information on what’s happening in Qaraqosh, as there are reports of new influxes of Christian refugees from there to Erbil. Other reports say Kurdish and Iraqi forces have retaken the city, one of the largest Christian areas of Nineveh province.

What to do? WORLD has updated its list of aid groups working in Iraq. Robert P. George of Princeton University and a host of other eminent scholars have launched a petition calling on the United States and the international community to take action to halt Islamic State genocide in Iraq—it has over 11,000 signatures.

PERSECUTED: In June I gave a talk on the persecuted church for The Gospel Coalition’s women’s conference, now online: “The very gates of hell cannot prevail against the church, but what we see happening in the world looks hellish to us …”

SOUTH SUDAN faces the worst food crisis in the world. As many as 4 million residents—a third of the country’s population—could face severe food shortages, and as many as 50,000 children could starve to death.

CHINA: Authorities released Gao Zhisheng from prison nearly 2 weeks ago, but it remains unclear whether he will be allowed to join his family in the United States.

NOTE: Welcome new subscribers, especially students, and including several whole classes at a Christian high school now using Globe Trot. If it might be useful in your school, please email me to sign up.

To have Globe Trot delivered to your email inbox, email Mindy at mbelz@wng.org.