More than 240 Iranians were baptised recently in two large celebrations in the Iran region. According to Elam Ministries a further sixteen were baptised in a smaller service, and about 200 more are to be baptised at a fourth celebration. These baptism services are joyful day-long gatherings, with sessions of worship, preaching, prayer for the nation of Iran, Holy Communion and shared meals. In a separate story, Elam Ministries announced that 30,000 copies of the ‘Action Bible’ have come off the press. This version of the Bible for children and youth was launched in Persian in 2013 and has been incredibly popular. Another 150,000 New Testaments were also printed recently, ready for more evangelism in the Iran region.

The USA and Russia announced plans for a cessation of Syrian hostilities to take effect tomorrow. It excludes IS and Nusra Front. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon welcomed the announcement, which followed a failed attempt to restart peace talks by Staffan de Mistura in Geneva. De Mistura said, ‘We can now relaunch, very soon, the political process needed to end this conflict.’ Under the cessation terms, parties would indicate their agreement to the United States and Russia by noon Damascus time today, and the truce would take effect at midnight. To succeed, the deal will require both countries to persuade their allies on the ground to comply. Fighting and airstrikes s continued this week, according to a British-based monitoring group. Meanwhile, the Turkish government has said it doesn't think a deal will be respected by all.

A car bomb which destroyed a convoy of military vehicles last Wednesday during Ankara's evening rush hour killed 28 and wounded over sixty. This act of terrorism was blamed on three assailants but claimed by none. Complicating the situation is the Russian attempt to draw Turkey further into the Syrian military conflict; some see it as payback for the Turkish downing of a Russian bomber several months ago. Russia's bombing of rebel groups fighting the Assad regime has angered and frustrated the Western allies; they feel that Daesh is the target, and consider the Kurdish YPG militia in Syria (which Turkey and Russia are attacking) an important partner in the war. The many separate rebel and militia groups appear to be controlled by more powerful regimes, such as Russia and Iran. The recent attack in Ankara only complicates what is already a clandestine proxy war.

A popular early learning TV programme, Play School, plans to feature a child with two fathers in a segment which profiles different types of blended families. Executive producer of the beloved preschool show, Jan Stradling, confirmed that the programme will feature an adopted family, an extended family, a blended family, an indigenous nuclear family and a family with two dads in its ‘Through the Windows’ segment to be screened later this year. A similar segment in 2004 featuring two gay mothers was attacked by the conservative press and the then Prime Minister John Howard, who described the ABC's decision to broadcast as foolish. But since then public support for same-sex marriage has grown, and the Turnbull government plans to develop a plebiscite on same-sex marriage after the next federal election.

The world’s deadliest terrorist group is not in the Middle East, but in Nigeria, where the Islamist insurgency Boko Haram and other forces killed more than 4,000 Christians in 2015 - a 62% increase from 2014. In response, Nigeria's largest confederation of Christian churches is, for the first time, jointly endorsing a commitment to revive the Church in the country's north, before it collapses from a decade of violence that has killed thousands of Christians and driven away more than a million. Christians in the northern region have for long been abandoned to their own fate by the Nigerian authorities. ‘This is the first time we’re going public to sign a declaration which gives the true picture of the persecution Christians are going through in this country,’ said Rev Musa Asake.

The Canadian parliament passed a historic motion on Monday which formally condemned the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement. The motion stated, ‘Given that Canada and Israel share a long history of friendship as well as economic and diplomatic relations, the House rejects the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which promotes the demonisation and de-legitimisation of the State of Israel. We call upon the government to condemn any and all attempts by Canadian organisations, groups or individuals to promote the BDS movement, both at home and abroad.’ Foreign affairs minister Stéphane Dion noted that the world will win nothing for boycotting Israel but deprive itself of the talents of its inventiveness. ‘We must fight anti-Semitism in all its forms,’ he added.

Mitt Romney called for the top three Republican presidential candidates to release their tax documents - especially Trump. Romney accused Trump of ‘dodging and weaving’ on the issue, noting that he had been vague about when he would make the records public. Romney said, ‘We’re going to select our nominee. We really ought to see from all three of these fellas what their taxes look like to see if there’s an issue there. I think in Donald Trump’s case, it’s likely to be a bombshell. There’s no question that Trump has the clearest path to the Republican nomination. I think that for the other people still in the race, their path is becoming a slimmer and slimmer opening. But should Trump release his tax returns, that opening could swell.’

In his last National Prayer Breakfast speech while in office, President Obama spoke of how his faith overcomes his fears. ‘For me, and I know for so many of you, faith is the great cure for fear: Jesus is a good cure for fear.’ He said he is comforted by Scripture and the faith of others, and has lately focused on 2 Timothy: ‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.’ The president said, ‘What better time in these changing and tumultuous times to have Jesus standing beside us, steadying our minds, cleansing our hearts and pointing us towards what matters!’ Hollywood power couple Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, the other keynote speakers, said that with God’s help our world can heal some of the hurts that wound us and the confusion that divides us, but it begins with us.

‘Jesus' presence was stronger than I have ever felt, in that little dirty room. There were about 25 people in there, and Jesus' presence was stronger than any conference, any prayer room or camp-high moment. Jesus was there in the middle of the desert, in Iraq, in the dirt, with Muslims. He is attracted to the broken-hearted, the contrite, the desperate. The King of Heaven was right there with the poor in spirit.’ Tyler Connell is with the Ekballo Project and has been touring college campuses around the USA, sharing stories and videos from his most recent trip to the Middle East, where he documented a dramatic move of God among Muslims, particularly refugees. Back in the States, when speaking on college campuses, he saw the presence of Jesus break in and touch students, with bodies healed, people saved, and people giving their lives to serve in the mission field.

The prime minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, says, ‘Overlooking tension, nervousness and fear that the EU does not have a real solution to the migration crisis while the migration wave continues could have catastrophic consequences. 2016 will be the year when the EU will either get the migration crisis under control or collapse.’ Tackling the flow of refugees is prominent in his campaign for Slovakia's 5 March parliamentary election. He argues for strengthening EU border protection, and has filed a lawsuit against EU decisions to redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers among member countries. His immigration stance resonates with the country’s 5.4 million Catholic voters. Fico's statements come ahead of next week's Visegrad meeting of central European countries. The Visegrad Group is an alliance of Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia which aims to further their European integration and to advance military, economic and energy cooperation. The group has taken a tough stance on migration, and is at odds with EU neighbours over how to deal with the influx of over one million migrants last year.