World

Egyptian man allowed to list Christian faith on ID card a decade after clerical error
After over a decade of persistent denial of his religious identity, an Egyptian Christian man has successfully corrected the religious affiliation on his identification documents, marking a significant victory for religious freedom in Egypt.

Christian parents regain custody of three girls in Pakistan
In rare case, judge allows children to talk with parents.

Ukraine's ban targeting Russian-linked faith groups raises religious freedom concerns
Even some supporters of Ukraine see the ban as an overstep in the name of national security, a violation of religious freedom and a potential risk to continued foreign military aid.

Nicaragua forces 1,500 churches, non-profits to close
The Nicaraguan government has canceled the legal registration of 1,500 nonprofit organizations, including churches, intensifying a years-long crackdown in this Central American nation. A notice in the government Gazette, La Gaceta, claimed these groups were non-compliant with financial reporting requirements spanning one to 35 years.

Nearly half of world's migrants are Christian, Pew Research shows
The world's 280 million immigrants have greater shares of Christians, Muslims and Jews than the general population, according to a new Pew Research Center study released on Monday.

Christians in Pakistan 'terrified' of more violence
Christians in Pakistan are living in fear of more violent attacks a year after a wave of severe anti-Christian persecution.

Christian charity reaches milestone in combating blindness in Rwanda
CBM UK has announced the successful end to their three-year See the Way project, saying that they had been able to raise £845,000 in donations from supporters, pushing the final total over £1.8 million after it was matched by the UK government, as part of the UK Aid Match scheme.

Nigeria continues to tolerate terrorism, USCIRF States
Nigeria's government at federal and state levels continues to tolerate attacks by non-state assailants who justify violence on religious grounds, according to a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Religion, prayer most important in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, least important in Western countries
Europeans are least likely to say that religion is very important in their lives, compared to other parts of the world, and only 42 percent of Americans claim that religion is personally crucial to them.

Christians in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine face increasing persecution
The non-profit organisation says the scale of the hostility is reminiscent of Soviet-era repression, with imprisonment, torture, and murder all on the rise.

Muslims burn down church building in central Nigeria
Muslims burned down a church building in the early hours of August 10 in central Nigeria's Niger state, sources said.

Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican believes a visit by Pope Francis would promote peace
Pope Francis is waiting for 'the appropriate time' to visit Ukraine, according to that country's ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash.

Religious minorities suffer as Iran cracks down on women's rights protests
An advocacy paper published by the UN's fact-finding mission to the country said that "crimes against humanity" are being perpetrated

Massive 1st-century stone quarry unearthed in Jerusalem's high-tech industrial park
The stones' enormous size suggest they were intended to be used in one of Jerusalem's many royal 1st-century A.D. construction projects

Islamic State's genocide was not limited to killing and enslaving Yazidis, Christians and other communities â it also erased their heritage
A scholar of Iraq describes the ongoing loss following the genocidal violence by IS â not just of human lives, but of a rich cultural heritage.

Rwanda government shuts more than 5,000 churches, claiming code violations
'The government gave us five years to comply and kept giving us reminders. That ended last year in September,' said Anglican Archbishop Laurent Mbanda.