Vietnam deploys tanks as 10,000 Christians march for religious freedom (Second Coming Watch Update #

Vietnam deploys tanks as 10,000 Christians march for religious freedom. According to Asia News, more than 10 thousand Christians marched on Sunday to demand respect for religious freedom against threats and violence of the government in Vietnam. On the eve of the marches, the government deployed tanks outside the bishop's residence, with patrols by gangs of thugs and soldiers. The diocese said that government forces had "occupied the chapel, desecrated the sacred space and destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary."

Britain's foreign secretary says situation in Syria is deteriorating alarmingly. According to The Telegraph, speaking during a visit to Libya's capital, British Foreign Secretary William Hague emphasised that the "situation in Syria continues to deteriorate alarmingly" with evidence of "terrible massacres in recent days." His comments came as the United Nations called on President Bashar al-Assad's government to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centres as they released new video showing destruction from a recent attack on a village.

The International Monetary Fund cuts global growth forecast once again. According to Reuters, the International Monetary Fund on Monday cut its forecast for global economic growth and warned that the outlook could dim further if policymakers in the euro zone do not act with enough force and speed to quell their region's debt crisis. In a mid-year health check of the world economy, the IMF said emerging market nations were being dragged down by the economic turmoil in Europe. The global lender said advanced economies would grow only 1.4 percent this year and 1.9 percent in 2013.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:12: "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."