Triple crises test Trump’s support ahead of November’s election

BATTERED by crisis after crisis, President Donald Trump appears to be in political peril as never before.

Since taking office in 2017, Trump has weathered storm after storm, always emerging with a fighting chance at being re-elected. After he survived an impeachment trial that saw him acquitted by the Republican-led Senate on Feb. 5, things looked up.

Now, Trump’s shield is being put to an acid test as he faces a triple whammy – the biggest public health crisis in a century, the worst economic downturn in generations and the largest civil unrest since the 1960s.

This week, Trump’s calls for a crackdown on nationwide protests over police brutality have drawn rebukes from civil rights advocates, religious leaders, opposition Democrats and some fellow Republicans.

Even, former Republican president George W Bush felt the need to issue a statement that the protesters be heard here

Perhaps of more concern to Trump and his re-election campaign, however, is that almost every opinion poll points to clear signs of erosion of his electoral support since the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has taken almost 109,000 American lives since February and led to 40 million jobless claims.

At the same time, his Democratic opponent in the Nov. 3 election, Joe Biden, has re-emerged in public from a coronavirus lockdown, with a message of unity and civic healing here that stands in marked contrast to Trump’s talk of “thugs” and “lowlifes” and “law and order.”

So far, Trump’s aggressive tone does not seem to be matching the moment. An opinion poll by Reuters/Ipsos this week showed that a bipartisan majority of Americans, including twice as many independents, sympathise with protesters and disapprove of Trump’s bellicose response.

Republicans say he has time to turn things around, particularly if the economy begins to rebound. And, they note, if the protests persist and become unruly, voters may become more responsive to Trump’s hardline approach.

“As awful as this is, it does allow Trump the opportunity to reframe the debate the way he wants it to be – law and order versus chaos,” said Doug Heye, a former Republican National Committee official and frequent Trump critic. “That is part of the conversation that he wants.”

A source close to the Trump campaign said the protests have taken attention away from the government’s often-criticised handling of the pandemic. And Trump could ultimately benefit if states continue to re-open their economies and job numbers improve in the fall, said the source, who asked for anonymity to speak candidly. Right now, though, the numbers are against him.

More than 55% of Americans said they disapproved of Trump’s handling of the protests, including 40% who “strongly” disapproved, while just one-third said they approved – lower than his overall job approval of 39%, the poll showed.

A separate Reuters poll this week showed Biden’s lead over Trump among registered voters expanded to 10 percentage points – the biggest margin since the former vice president became his party’s presumptive nominee in early April.

Meghan Markle reacts to the murder of George Floyd and other Black victims of police brutality (video)

Meghan Markle reacted to the death of George Floyd as she gave a speech to the graduating students from her former high school.

 

The Duchess began the conversation by addressing the class of 2020 from Immaculate Heart as they graduate. She then proceeded to condemn the brutal murder of George Floyd and the murder of other Black people by the police.

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“What is happening in our country and in our state and in our hometown of LA. I wasn’t sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing. I realized the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing because George Floyd’s life mattered and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered and Philando Castile’s life mattered and Tamir Rice’s life mattered - and so did so many other people whose names we know and whose names we do not know.”?

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She remembered her time at Immaculate Heart saying: “One of my teachers, Ms. Pollia, said to me, ‘always remember to put other’s needs above your own fears.’ That has stuck with me throughout my entire life and I have thought about it more in the last week than ever before. ?

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“I was 11 or 12 years old and it was the LA Riots, which was also triggered by senseless act of racism,” she said. “I remember the curfew and I remember rushing back home and on that drive home, seeing ash fall from the sky and smelling the smoke and seeing the smoke billow out of building. I remember seeing men in the back of a van just holding guns and rifles. I remember pulling up the house and seeing the tree, that had always been there, completely charred. And those memories don’t go away.”?

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“We’re seeing that right now, from the sheriff in Michigan or the police chief in Virginia. We’re seeing people stand in solidarity, we are seeing communities come together and to uplift. You are going to be part of this movement. With as diverse, vibrant and opened minded as I know the teachings are at Immaculate Heart, I know you know that Black lives matters. You’re going to use your voice in a stronger way than you have ever been able to because most of you are 18 – or you’re turning 18 — so you’re going to vote. You’re going to have empathy for those who don’t see the world through the same lens that you do. You’re ready. We need you and you’re prepared.”?

Watch the video below.

FBI to probe death of black man in Minnesota after arrest

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is to investigate the death of a black man in the United State (U.S.) state of Minnesota after a video emerged showing a policeman kneeling on his neck.

In the footage, the man, believed to be in his 40s, is heard groaning and repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe” to the white officer.

The Minneapolis Police Department said it was responding to a reported crime.

The incident echoed that of Eric Garner, a black man who died being arrested in 2014.

Garner was placed in a chokehold and uttering the words “I can’t breathe” nearly a dozen times.

The phrase became a rallying cry for activists protesting alleged police brutality against people of colour in the U.S.

The Minnesota Police admitted that the man in the footage filmed on Monday died after a “medical incident” in a “police interaction”.

He was suspected of committing a forgery, meaning to have been fraudulently altering or making a false reproduction of a product.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the incident as “completely and utterly messed up”.

“I believe what I saw and what I saw is wrong on every level,” Frey said. “Being black in America should not be a death sentence.”

It is the latest accusation of U.S. police brutality against African Americans. Recent high-profile cases include an officer in Maryland, who fatally shot a man inside a patrol car.

Trump gives WHO ultimatum over COVID-19 handling

UNITED States (U.S.) President Donald Trump has threatened to permanently pull funding from the World Health Organisation (WHO), if it does not commit to “major substantive improvements” within 30 days, according to a letter to the WHO chief shared by Trump on Twitter.

In a four-page letter to WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Trump set out what he called “repeated missteps” by the organisation.

Trump claimed that the WHO shares the responsibility for the large number of deaths in the crisis.

He alleged that mismanagement on the part of the WHO and reliance on information from China had dramatically worsened the epidemic and spread it globally.

Trump said he would make a temporary freeze of funding permanent and might also reconsider U.S. membership of the organisation at the end of the 30-day deadline if he saw no improvements.

“The only way forward for the World Health Organisation is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,” the U.S. president asserted.

He said discussions with the organisation on how to reform the WHO had already begun.

“But action is needed quickly. We do not have time to waste.

“I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organisation that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America’s interests,” Trump concluded.

The U.S. president faced international criticism when he announced in April that he would be halting funding to the WHO while a 60- to 90-day review took place.

He has also faced criticism over how the White House initially responded to the virus.

Trump has repeatedly accused the organisation of failing in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

He said U.S. taxpayers provided between 400 and 500 million dollars a year to the organisation.

That funding is largely appropriated by Congress.

Trump’s criticisms of the WHO echo some experts, who say the organisation relied too heavily on information from China in the initial stages of the outbreak.

Trump’s ultimatum also comes at a time of pressure for the WHO.

On Monday, Tedros backed a review of the agency’s handling of the pandemic. He said an independent evaluation would take place “at the earliest appropriate moment”.

Health Secretary Alex Azar spoke at the WHO’s World Health Assembly and accused the organisation of letting Covid-19 spin “out of control” at the cost of “many lives”.

In his letter to Tedros, the U.S. president accuses the WHO of having an “alarming lack of independence” from China.

Kanu sets up Biafra Aid foundation in US

Leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has announced the establishment of BIAFRA Aid Foundation in the United States of America.

In a statement on Monday by the group’s media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, Kanu said the organisation was for the fast-tracking of the restoration of Biafra.

He said a grassroots fundraising initiative was agreed as part of the process.

The statement partly reads: “During my recently concluded tour of the United States, I promised to set up a US based charitable organisation to enable us fast-track the restoration of Biafra and stem the tide of Fulani terror invasion of our land.

“I am pleased to announce the establishment of BIAFRA Aid Foundation in the United States of America which I made public during last night’s special broadcast.

“The official IPOB backed Biafra Aid Foundation bank account number is now available to enable Biafrans domiciled in the USA and lovers of freedom from all over the world to contribute just $1 charitable donation every blessed month until Biafra sovereignty is fully restored and Fulani terrorism completely eradicated from all territories of the south.”

Tunisia’s largest union starts nationwide strike

Rail, bus and air traffic stopped in Tunisia on Thursday after the powerful UGTT union staged a one-day nationwide strike to protest against the government’s refusal to raise the salaries of 670,000 public servants.

Tunisia is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to freeze public sector wages as part of reforms to help reduce its budget deficit.

The one-day strike hit airports, ports, schools, hospitals, state media and government offices.

Tunisia’s state-owned airline Tunisair expects major disruptions to its flight schedule due to the strike and urged customers to change bookings.

At Tunis Carthage airport, most flights were canceled and check-in counters closed, leaving hundreds of angry passengers stranded.

Chahed said the strike would be very expensive but that the government could not afford to raise wages.

Sami Tahri, Deputy Secretary-General of the UGTT, said the government had come under the dictates of the IMF and had opted for a confrontation with public servants in a bid to find a solution.

Government and union sources told Reuters that the government had proposed spending about 400 million dollars on pay rises whereas the UGTT had asked for about 850 million dollars.

Tunisia struck a deal with the IMF in December 2016 for a loan programme worth around 2.8 billion dollars to overhaul its ailing economy with steps to cut chronic deficits and trim bloated public services, however progress has been slow.

Tunisia’s economy has been in crisis since the toppling of autocrat Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali threw it into turmoil, with unemployment and inflation shooting up.

According to the IMF, the government aims to cut the public sector wage bill to 12.5 per cent of gross domestic product in 2020 from the current 15.5 per cent.

15 killed as Military cargo plane crashes in Iran

A Boeing 707 military cargo plane crashed in bad weather on Monday west of the Iranian capital, killing 15 out of the 16 people on board, the Iranian army said.

A flight engineer survived and was taken to hospital, the army said in a statement carried by the semi-official Fars news agency.

Reuters reports that the plane went down near Fath airport, near Karaj in the central Iranian province of Alborz.

“A Boeing cargo 707 place carrying meat from Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan had an emergency landing at Fath airport today … the flight engineer has been dispatched to the hospital,” the army said.

“It exited the runway during the landing and caught fire after hitting the wall at the end of the runway,” the army.

The army’s statement came after some confusion over who owned the plane.

Earlier on Monday, a spokesman for Iran’s civil aviation told had told state TV that the plane belonged to Kyrgyzstan, while a spokeswoman for Kyrgyzstan’s Manas airport said the plane belonged to Iran’s Payam Air.

State TV said rescue teams had been sent to the area, between the airports of Fath and Payam. It showed footage of burning wreckage of the plane and a plume of smoke rising from the crash site.

The cheapest days to fly in 2019

Every year at this time, I like to help travelers plan upcoming trips by publishing a list of the cheapest days to fly in the new year.

A brief note on methodology: This 2019 list is the result of analyzing a vast amount of airfare data, almost 300 million unique flight combinations for every origin and destination around the world. These daily prices were then reduced to average “cheapest fares” for the world and various regions.

Again, these are daily averages, so there may be some slight variation (perhaps a day or two) for a particular route’s very cheapest date. A good way to find your best deal is by comparing prices on a multiairline comparison site for your desired travel dates, plus a few dates on either side of this target.

These are – on average – the cheapest days (or day) to fly, overall.

• U.S. flights: Jan. 22-30
• Trans-Atlantic flights: Jan. 30
• Worldwide flights: Jan. 29

Cheap days by season: U.S. flights

You’ll notice I don’t mention travel dates after summer. I only analyzed airfare data through August because most airlines do not actively manage ticket prices much beyond nine months in advance. If planning a domestic flight for September or beyond, shop within a window beginning about 14 to 21 days through 30 to 45 days before departure (and from about two to five months for international travel). Here are the average cheap days by season for U.S. flights:

• Winter: Prices are cheap starting Jan. 3 and continue through much of February with especially good deals in the last two weeks of the month.

• Spring: Weekend fares start to rise in March, as much as 35 percent over weekdays, but weekends will be even higher in April. In late May, watch for higher prices on Thursdays and Fridays as well.

• Early summer: Fares in the first couple of weeks of June remain relative bargains compared to peak summer season pricing, but this is followed by two significant price hikes: June 13 is the first, followed by another on June 23, which marks the start of peak season. Late June fares will run about 20 to 25 percent higher than the start of the month.

Cheap days by season: Europe flights

• Winter: January to March is a cheap time to fly to Europe, but seasonal deals give way to sharp increases starting March 20.

• Spring: Weekend fares in April become increasingly expensive, but spring prices are cheaper than summer so try to fly before the early summer season begins on May 23.

• Summer: If you fly in late June, your ticket will cost on average from 60 to 70 percent more than you would have paid in January. The good news is, prices actually drop a bit in July and drop again in late August and early September. To save on summer, simply avoid flights in the second half of June.

Cheap days for other regions

• Caribbean: A cheap time to fly is Jan. 20-30.

• South America: January is a relatively cheap time to fly, but look for a few cheap dates in April and May as well.

• Asia: Not much seasonal price variation, but you can often save by flying midweek days.

• Australia: May, just before the start of Australia’s winter season, is generally a cheap month to fly.

How to find the cheapest flights any time of year

• Simple advice on finding the cheapest flights year-round: Always compare airfares from multiple sources. Yes, this is a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people skip this step and go directly to their favorite airline to book tickets. The problem is, no airline always has the best deal, and if you don’t compare, you could pay too much. Don’t be the person who pays too much in 2019, OK?

FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney is an airline industry insider and top media air travel resource. Follow Rick (@rickseaney) and never overpay for airfare again.

Police detain church leaders in China

Police have detained dozens of churchgoers and leaders of one of China’s most prominent Protestant “house” churches, congregation members and activists said on Monday.

Teams of police and state security officials in the southwestern city of Chengdu came to the homes of leaders and members of the Early Rain Covenant Church, late on Sunday and detained them, according to church announcements.

The action was seen as the latest government action against unregistered religious groups.

“The time has come. O, Lord! Did you not establish this church for this very purpose?’’ the church said in one of its announcements.

“We will wait for Thee, as one keeping vigil waits for daybreak.’’

More than 100 people were believed to have been detained, said a church elder, who declined to be identified.

Neither the Chengdu nor national-level Public Security Ministries responded to faxed requests for comment.

China’s constitution guarantees religious freedom.

However, since President Xi Jinping took office six years ago, the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party.

Chinese law requires that all places of worship register and submit to government oversight, but some churches have declined to register for various reasons.

The Early Rain Church is one of the best known unregistered “house” churches in China.

Members of the church have been unable to contact Pastor Wang Yi, the church’s founder, or his wife.

Also, church groups on the instant messaging platform WeChat had been blocked, the church said in an announcement.

Reuters was unable to reach Wang for comment.

Beijing-based journalist, Ian Johnson, who wrote about Wang and his congregation in his 2017 book “The Souls of China”, said on Twitter that the crackdown was “really disturbing news’’.

“I’m afraid this is part of a bigger crackdown on unregistered Christian churches as the government pushes its efforts to dominate society,’’ he wrote.

Police told Zhang Xianchi, 84, a well-known author and church member, not to visit the church because it had been “outlawed” and that all its top leaders had been detained, according to an account from Zhang.

A video posted online by activists in China and overseas, which Reuters was unable to independently verify, showed a group of about a dozen plainclothes policemen taking church-goers away from a meeting.

In the footage, Police told a woman they were taking a man to the municipal public security bureau to be investigated, while a child was crying in the background.

“I’m telling you, we are enforcing the law,’’ a Policeman said to the woman.

Churches across China have more pressure to register since a new set of regulations to govern religious affairs came into effect in February and increased punishments for unofficial churches.

U.S Envoy says Nigerians represent real, sustainable wealth of nation

Amb. Stuart Symington, U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, says Nigerians represent the real and sustainable wealth of their country, saying true leadership must showcase the people.

Symington made the remarks at the African Business Conference Plus 2018 with the theme: “Human Capital: The key to Africa’s Transformation” in Lagos.

The conference was organised by the American Business Council (ABC) in partnership with the Lagos Business School (LBS).

Symington, in a statement by Mrs Margaret Olele, the Director-General, American Business Council (ABC), said that citizens were greatest resources of Nigeria, adding that without them, there would be no leader.

“I am here to let you know the greatest resource of this nation. As an ambassador, I have seen first hand the diversity of the nation as well as its potential.

“The most successful people you will remember think in terms of people.

“Their value for people is what makes them stand out, that is why I strongly believe that the greatest resource for this nation is you,” he said.

The ambassador said that the time was apt to scale up partnerships between U.S Companies and credible institutions like LBS, in order to improve vocational studies and requisite talents in areas that would enhance Africa’s growth.

Similarly, Dr Lazarus Angbazo, the President, American Business Council, said that U.S companies operating in Nigeria were keen on training.

He said that they spent over N1.6 billion on training and development in 2017 from N340 million they spent in 2016.

Angbazo, who is the Chief Executive Officer of General Electric (GE) in Nigeria, said that a recent talent survey carried out by the company showed a clear deficit in the area of Engineering profession.

According to him, the study showed that about 4,600 talents were available in the Nigerian market for profession that needed over 14,000 talents.

He said that GE and U.S Companies focussed on three key areas to drive innovation that would enhance human capital- education, localisation and digitalisation.

“Innovation is indispensable for solving Africa’s challenges. Greater technical training is required for scalable and efficient solutions for the next generation,” Angbazo said.

He called for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) focussed education that would unlock the growth of infrastructure in Nigeria and indeed Africa.

Also, Mr Oscar Onyema, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, said that human capital defines the rate of economic growth of a country via productivity and employment levels.

Onyema said countries with low investment in human capital were typically less economically competitive, adding that most economies lagging behind have high rate of unemployment, especially amongst youths.

Commenting, Dr Enase Okonedo, the Dean, LBS, said that the school was striving to ensure all participants in its programmes were developed into visionary leaders.

Okonedo said that Nigerians have been known to possess real potential which was visible in the citizens. (NAN)

President Biya, 85, sworn in for another 7-year tenure in Cameroon

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, in power for almost 36 years, was sworn into office for seven more years on Tuesday, after winning October’s election in a landslide.

The 85-year old, one of Africa’s longest-ruling leaders, won the October presidential poll for the seventh time, in spite his questionable record that includes corruption and human rights abuse allegations.

During his inaugural speech, Biya acknowledged the “frustrations’’ of people in the English-speaking north-west and south-west regions, who feel marginalised in the otherwise French-speaking country.

The president promised to fast-track the decentralisation process to render local councils more autonomous, but condemned Anglophone secessionists, who have held regular protests over the past two years and sometimes stage violent attacks.

“War mongers, who are jeopardising our national unity and preaching secession should know that they will face not only the full force of the law, but also the determination of our defence and security forces,” said Biya.

However, the president remained mum about Sunday’s abduction of 79 students, their principal, the school’s driver and another staff member from a Christian secondary school in western Cameroon.

The abduction seems to be part of a plan by Anglophone secessionists to shut down all schools in the disputed regions, in a move to make the area ungovernable.

Biya was declared winner of the presidential poll with more than 71 per cent of total votes cast on Oct. 22.

His main opponent, Maurice Kamto has since called for a resistance movement against what he said was a flawed electoral process.

Biya was born on Feb, 13, 1933. He has been serving as the President of Cameroon since Nov. 6, 1982.

A native of Cameroon’s south, Biya rose rapidly as a bureaucrat under President Ahmadou Ahidjo in the 1960s, serving as Secretary-General of the Presidency from 1968 to 1975 and then as Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1975 to 1982.

He succeeded Ahidjo as president upon the latter’s surprise resignation in 1982 and consolidated power in a 1983–1984 fake attempted coup where he eliminated all his rivals.

Biya introduced political reforms within the context of a one-party system in the 1980s. Under serious pressure, he accepted the introduction of multiparty politics in the early 1990s.

Biya is at present the longest-ruling non-royal leader in Africa and the oldest ruler in Sub-Saharan Africa after Robert Mugabe stepped down during the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d’état.

Biya has maintained Cameroon’s close relationship with France, one of Cameroon’s former colonial ruler besides the United Kingdom.

Paul Biya at the inauguration in Yaounde today

Trump on Sessions: 'I don't have an attorney general'

US President Donald Trump has said he does not "have an attorney general" in his fiercest attack yet on Jeff Sessions.

In an interview with Hill.TV, Mr Trump renewed criticism of Mr Sessions' decision to step aside from the inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

He also said he was unhappy with Mr Sessions' response to immigration.

The attorney general is yet to respond to Mr Trump's comments.

It is unusual for a sitting president to attack their attorney general and critics accuse Mr Trump of trying to meddle in the legal system.

After the president criticised Mr Sessions last month, two key Republican senators signalled that they would support Mr Trump if he were to fire Mr Sessions after the November mid-term elections.

However, other Republicans told Politico they thought this would be a bad move and said they were standing by the attorney general.

Mr Sessions has pushed back against previous criticism by Mr Trump. "While I am attorney general, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations," he said in August.

"I demand the highest standards, and where they are not met, I take action."

• Russia-Trump: Who's who in the drama to end all dramas?
• Will Trump remain bulletproof?

Mr Sessions was an early supporter of Mr Trump's presidential campaign.

But he left the Russia investigation - which is also reportedly now looking into whether Mr Trump has attempted to obstruct justice - in 2017, citing a potential conflict of interest, and handed control to his deputy, Rod Rosenstein.

The president insists there was no collusion between his campaign and the Russian government, and denies he has attempted to obstruct justice.

What has Mr Trump said this time?

"I don't have an attorney general. It's very sad," Mr Trump said during Tuesday's interview.

He added that he was "very disappointed" about Mr Sessions' decision to leave the investigation.

Asked whether he would consider firing Mr Sessions, the president responded: "We'll see what happens. A lot of people have asked me to do that.

"And I guess I study history, and I say I just want to leave things alone, but it was very unfair what he did [in recusing himself from the Russia investigation]."

Mr Trump also told Hill.TV that he was "not happy" with Mr Sessions on immigration and other issues, and said the attorney general had performed "very poorly" during the nomination process for the post.

"I mean, he was mixed up and confused, and people that worked with him for, you know, a long time in the Senate were not nice to him, but he was giving very confusing answers," he said.

"Answers that should have been easily answered. And that was a rough time for him."

'I lost my entire family to a cult': How one woman escaped Grace Road

A South Korean church which believes global famine is imminent has set up base in Fiji, where it's gained considerable influence but faced growing allegations of abuse. One woman who fled what she believes is a cult told the BBC's Yvette Tan she lost her family in the process - but has no regrets.

Seoyeon Lee had one chance to escape and she took it, running down the road in Fiji in her pyjamas and flip-flops.

"I was crying and I looked hysterical," she told the BBC.

The then 21-year-old was being pursued by members of Grace Road - including her own mother - who she says had tricked her into going to the Pacific island nation.

"I would have killed myself if they'd made me stay," she says.

'I think it's a cult'

A year earlier, in 2013, Seoyeon had come home to South Korea from the US, where she was studying, for the summer. Her mum was suffering from uterine cancer but had refused treatment.

She told Seoyeon she would only seek treatment if she went with her to Grace Road Church.

"It was very bizarre," said Seoyeon. "There were people screaming, crying, speaking in tongues and the sermon was about how the end times were coming.

"I told my mum, I think it's a cult but she didn't believe me."

Once back at university, she found her mother had still not sought treatment and would only do so on one condition - that Seoyeon quit school and went back to South Korea.

Seoyeon, whose father had died of cancer, took leave and went home.

After her mother went through surgery, she told Seoyeon that she wanted to move to Fiji to recover - and insisted that she go along with her. Eventually, Seoyeon agreed to go for two weeks to help her adjust.

"At that point, I didn't know it was an elaborate ruse," she said.

"But when I got to Fiji and saw we were driving to a commune... I was like, how could I have been so stupid?"

The 'great famine'

South Korea has a significant Christian population, and in recent decades many small, fringe churches have sprung up, some of them developing cult-like characteristics.

Grace Road, which insists it is not a cult, started out small in 2002, but now numbers about 1,000 followers, according to Prof Tark Ji-il of Busan Presbyterian University, who has closely studied Korean cults.

SEOYEON LEE