16 May 2000 (Newsroom) — An Australian Protestant missionary was kidnapped on Sunday by a gang of armed men on Colombia’s north coast, according to news reports. Edward Walter Smith, 51, was abducted from a church in the village of Canito along with three local men. The three men were released unharmed later on Sunday.
Six Christian missionaries participating in a gospel campaign called “Love Ahmedabad” were beaten so savagely in the state of Gujarat last week that one of the men may lose his arms and legs.
At least 40 people were killed last week in continuing sectarian violence in Indonesia’s Moluccas, also known as the Spice Islands. According to news reports, the fatalities resulted from clashes between Muslims and Christians in the town of Galela on the island of Halmahera in North Malaku province.