Florence Taylor

• Syrian Archbishop: Using hunger as a weapon of war is 'shameful'

  A Syrian Archbishop has condemned the use of hunger as a "weapon" in war while saying, although there are difficulties, there is no excuse for aid not to be reaching people in desperate need.

• Lebanon: Rival Christian presidential candidates unite for sake of 'national interest'

  A Lebanese Christian leader has endorsed his arch-rival for presidency in a hope to unite Lebanon's Christian community and break the 20-month political stalemate that has been damaging his country.

• How does Jesus challenge the way we do friendship?

  We often surround ourselves with people who are like us – that tick our boxes; that enjoy the same things we do; that share our political inclination. Jesus challenges us to spend our time a little differently.

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  Turkey: Christians fear state interference in churches

  Religious minorities fear that state interference in churches could increase, after a request was made for the government to fund the salaries of clergy and pastoral workers.

• Multicoloured martyrs, an urban elephant and telephone boxes full of fish: Lumiere London in pictures

  Westminster Abbey will light up the darkness this weekend as London's biggest-ever festival of light begins. Lumiere London will see the iconic architecture of Westminster Abbey, along with 30 other locations across London, transformed by technicolour light installations.

• The Pope took 2,000 homeless people, refugees and prisoners to the circus in Rome

  The Vatican hosted 2,000 homeless people, refugees and prisoners at the Rony Roller circus on Thursday afternoon, where medics were also on hand to give free check-ups to those who needed it.

• Ebola: New case in Sierra Leone just hours after West Africa marked clear of the virus

  Just hours after the World Health Organisation said the Ebola outbreak was over, Sierra Leone has confirmed a new death from the disease.

• Former football chaplain hopes to build a prayer wall using one million bricks

  A former football club chaplain has launched a campaign to build a wall that will be a national landmark representing one million prayers being answered.

• There are more people going to Church schools than CofE churches in England

  More pupils attend Church of England schools than people attend Church of England churches each week.

• Assyrian Christians and Kurds clash for first time as tensions rise in north-eastern Syria

  Several people have been killed in a clash between Assyrian Christians and Kurds in north-eastern Syria, as tensions are rising between the two groups.

• Pakistan: 15-year-old Christian 'forced to convert to Islam and marry her abductor'

  A 15-year-old Christian girl has been kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam before being married to her abductor in Pakistan, her family have said.

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  Christian leader linked to the Duggars confesses to 'ungodly and sinful' behaviour after rape and sexual assault accusations

  Bill Gothard, the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) currently being sued by ten women claiming sexual abuse, has admitted to "ungodly" and "sinful" behaviour in an apology letter.