World

Freed US prisoners leave Iran, arrive in Germany as Obama hails win for diplomacy

Three Iranian-Americans arrived in Germany after leaving Tehran on Sunday.

Terror attacks spur Burkina Faso and Mali to join forces to fight al Qaeda militants

The assault follows a similar raid in November on a luxury hotel in Mali's capital, Bamako.

Pope Francis visits Rome's Great Synagogue, condemns religious violence

Francis became the third pontiff to visit Rome's main synagogue, after popes John Paul and Benedict.

Call for Ofsted chief to resign over Sunday school 'inspections'

A senior Conservative MP has called for ministers to sack the chief inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw after he said church and religious groups which involve children will need to be registered under new rules

ISIS child figher trainee freed from camp after fighters break his leg

An 11-year-old boy who was abducted by ISIS fighters to train him for war was released after his leg was broken during training. He said that his broken leg "saved" his life.

New study indicates that one Christian dies as a martyr every hour

A new publication, the Crux by Boston Globe, estimates the global incidence of Christians being martyred for faith-based reasons is at one death per hour.

Rouhani: Iran nuclear deal marks 'golden page' in nation's history

President Hassan Rouhani hailed on Sunday a nuclear deal with world powers as a "golden page" in Iran's history, and looked forward to an economic future less dependent on oil as the country emerges from years of sanctions and isolation.

Dozens killed and 400 kidnapped by ISIS in Syrian city

Islamic state militants killed dozens of people execution style and kidnapped at least 400 civilians in attacks on government-held areas in Syria's city of Deir al-Zor on Saturday, a source and a monitoring group said.

Suicide bomber kills 13 in Afghan city

A suicide bomber killed 13 people in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Sunday at the home of a tribal elder when people had gathered to celebrate his son's release from Taliban captivity, local officials said.

Saeed Abedini freed from Iran prison after three years

Iran freed four Americans including a Washington Post reporter on Saturday in a prisoner swap, as diplomats gathered to announce the lifting of international sanctions and bring the country of 80 million people back to the global economic stage.

Leading member of US Church pledges to continue Anglican Communion work

A leading cleric has pledged that the measures taken by Anglican Primates against The Episcopal Church because of its pro-gay doctrines will not stop the church working to feed the hungry and care for the sick across the world.

Extremists should be allowed to speak at universities says new Oxford head

The new head of the University of Oxford has spoken out in support of extremist groups being allowed to speak on campus.

Water into wine: The extravagance, revelation and victory of Jesus' first miracle

The Wedding at Cana is far more than just a literary trope. It's famous for being the first of the miracle accounts of Jesus' life recounted in the Gospel of John. The turning of the water into wine when it looked like the wedding party was about to fall flat on its face.