Christian Today staff writer

• Philippines military personnel charged with murder of Italian Catholic priest

  The Philippines' Department of Justice has brought criminal charges against several military members for the murder of an Italian Catholic priest in Mindanao, in the Philippines.

• Harmless art or satanic figure? Greek statue provokes outrage among Christians

  A controversial new sculpture of a naked, red male figure with wings in Greece has provoked protests from Christians who claim it is satanic and even an agent of black magic.

• Historic Welsh Bible that survived French invasion goes on display

  A Bible that survived the last invasion of Britain has gone on display after being painstakingly conserved following years of neglect.

• 'Blind but now I see': The Christian legacy of Louis Braille

  Today is World Braille Day, the commemoration of the birth of Louis Braille, a prodigious blind boy who grew up to innovate a form of communication that transformed the world for those unable to see. Braille was also a committed Christian who knew on multiple levels the power of granting sight to the blind.

• US Judge sides with Iraqi Christians against Trump administration's deportation plans

  Hundreds of Iraqi nationals including many Christians who have been held for months under new US deportation orders under Donald Trump will get a new chance of freedom while they fight their removal, a judge said on Tuesday.

• US Muslims set to outnumber Jews and become second largest religion after Christians: Pew report

  The number of Muslims living in the US has increased by a million in the past decade, and if that growth rate continues Muslims could replace religious Jews as America's second largest religious group by 2040, according to a study.

• 100 biggest US churches not 'LGBTQ affirming', leadership overwhelmingly male and white

  A recent 'scoring' of America's 100 largest churches has found that none are 'LGBTQ+ affirming'. The research from Churchclarity.org also reported that the leadership of these churches is 93 per cent white, while only one has a female pastor.

• Indian Christians suffer 23 attacks over Christmas period

  Indian Christians suffered at least 23 religiously motivated attacks over the Christmas period, according to research by a persecution lobby group.

• As police invade churches and fire tear gas during Mass, what's going on in Congo?

  Police invaded Catholic churches and fired tear gas during Mass in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, it has emerged, as protests organised by lay Catholic activists against the rule of president Joseph Kabila intensified and at least eight were killed.

• Australian seaplane crash pilot was devout Christian who 'committed every flight' to Jesus

  The experienced Canadian pilot in the Australian sea-plane crash on New Year's Eve in which five Britons were also killed was a devout Christian who read the Bible daily and 'committed every flight to the Lord' in prayer.

• Coptic Christian mother sacrificed her life for her daughters in church terror attack

  A Coptic mother sacrificed her life to save her two daughters during the December 29 terrorist attack targeting Christians at a church in Cairo, it has emerged.

• At least 16 killed in New Year church service attack in Nigeria

  At least 16 people have been killed by gunmen at a church in southern Nigeria after a New Year's Day service, police have said, with some local reports putting the death toll as high as 21.