Panama's president Ricardo Martinelli said his country has seized a North Korean-flagged ship in the Panama Canal carrying ‘undeclared sophisticated missile equipment.’ The 35-strong crew had resisted the search and the captain had tried to kill himself. The US ‘commended’ Panama for its actions and said it strongly supported a full inspection of the ship. The ship had crossed the Pacific from Cuba without its automatic tracking system switched on - a move described by the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner as highly suspicious. The suspected weaponry was found in two containers and finding further ‘surprises’ was not ruled out as the search of the ship continued on Wednesday. Neither Cuba nor North Korea has yet commented on the incident. Under United Nations sanctions North Korea is banned from weapons exports and the import of all but small arms. North Korea has an on-going missile development programme.

Pray: that all North Korea’s black-market dealings would continue to be intercepted, and that sanctions would achieve the desired results. (Job 34:28-30)

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23324170

North Korea warned foreigners to leave South Korea because ‘the two countries are on the brink of war’. Observers say this is mostly bluster to bolster Kim Jong Un’s image. However America's allies are taking precautions. Japan has deployed two interceptor missiles capable of engaging a North Korean rocket. North Korea founds its historical legitimacy on its ferocious animosity against U.S. imperialism and is what makes the current moment so dangerous. - SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS reveal that North Korea has deep political roots going back much further than 1945. Wedged awkwardly between China, Russia and Japan, the Korean Peninsula has long been a bloody battleground for greater powers. Korean rulers only managed to survive by playing one foreign power off against the other and by offering subservience, mainly to Chinese emperors, in exchange for protection. This legacy has nurtured a passionate fear and loathing of dependency on stronger countries.

Pray: that North Korea will turn from the state religion of Juche (Ps.4:2-3) Pray also against an all-out holy war on the west. (Ps.4:8)

More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/April/N-Korea-Warns-Tourists-to-Evacuate-South-Korea/

200,000+ North Koreans, including many Christians suffer brutal conditions in labour camps for political prisoners. Camp 14 is known as a ‘complete control district,’ meaning its 50,000 prisoners will work there until death. Camp 22 also holds 50,000 is the size of Los Angeles and thought to be used for human experiments. Camp 25 holds felons, religious leaders, spies and their families, and is controlled by the secret police. Very few survive a labour camp. The average sentence is 15 years, the average labour camp life expectancy is seven years. Up to three generations of entire families have been detained in government efforts to ‘root out class enemies.’ Christian workers along the border and inside the country face the continual threat of arrest and the subsequent consequences. Yet additional workers are in training for this dangerous work. Voice of the Martyrs request prayer for North Koreans, their team of workers and the North Korean underground church.

Pray: that God will guard the hearts of North Korean Christians and mission workers.(Ps.17:8,9)

More: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june152012/korea-religion-pk.php