World

Pastor Saeed Abedini makes impassioned plea for imprisoned Christian friend
The Iranian pastor who was freed from prison earlier this year has pleaded for the release of another imprisoned Christian, Maryam Naghash Zargaran, known as Nasim.

Bernie Sanders will speak at the Vatican on creating a 'moral economy'
Bernie Sanders will take a break from the campaign trail to speak at the Vatican on social, economic and environmental issues.

Thousands quit Church of Denmark after atheist campaign
Nearly 3,000 baptised peopel cancelled their membership last month after Denmark's Atheist Society launched a nationwide campaign advising people they could save money by opting out.

Nigeria: Hundreds killed and churches burned in latest Fulani massacre
At least 500 people are reported to have been murdered in new attacks by Fulani herders in more than 10 villages in northern Nigeria and the villages remain under siege.

Brother of priest kidnapped by ISIS in Yemen: 'Everything is secure in God's hands'
The brother of kidnapped Fr Tom Uzhunnalil is leaving everything in God's hands, according to the Catholic News Service.

What we can learn from John Adams and Thomas Jefferson about handling disagreements
Blogger Samuel D. James thinks the lost art of disagreement practiced by our forefathers could well serve this generation.

Gay French ambassador who failed to win Vatican approval is switched to new role
France has abandoned its attempt to appoint a devout gay Catholic as its ambassador to the Holy See in Rome and this week instead appointed Laurent Stefanini as ambassador to Unesco.

Why Tennessee making the Bible its official book is a waste of time
The Bible can look after itself without being the official book of Tennessee or anywhere else. It will carry on being read, sung, wrestled with, preached, discussed, debated and absorbed well into the future.

Wycliffe Associates translators only want to 're-double' their efforts after deadly terrorist attack
Wycliffe Associates, a ministry focused on Bible translation, is determined to re-double its efforts to accomplish its mission following the death of four of its Middle East translators in an attack by suspected Islamic radicals.

ISIS militants 'abduct 300 factory workers in Syria'
Three hundred cement workers have been kidnapped by militants fighters in an area northeast of Damascus, Syrian state television said today.

Indiana signs law to protect down syndrome babies from abortion
Starting July, it will be illegal for babies to be aborted on the basis of having Down Syndrome after Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed into law a bill protecting unborn children with the genetic condition.

Underground churches thriving in Iran despite persecution
Iran may have taken the 9th spot in the 2016 Watch List of most severe persecutors of Christians but this has not deterred thousands to become Christians and join underground house churches, despite being illegal in the country.

Burma: Europeans unite to call for end to Rohingya persecution
The European Burma Network have called the new government to address the Rohingya crisis that has left 150,000 people displaced.

Scotland Church's influence declines as more Scottish people quit religion, survey shows
A recent survey published by Scottish Social Attitudes revealed that more and more residents of Scotland are saying they no longer have a religion, leading to the decline of the influence of the Church that once almost every aspect of life in the European country.

Family of false prophet Warren Jeffs starved followers while they lived in luxury, former cook reveals
More and more testimonies are emerging about how false prophet and convicted child-sex offender Warren Jeffs abused his followers in the group he formed called the "Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ."

Fallujah: Besieged city is starving to death under ISIS control
The residents of the ISIS-controlled city Fallujah, Iraq, have been forced to eat soup made from grass, as the besieged city starves without aid.