World

Church attack suspect spoke about witchcraft and 'the devil' before attack, says roommate
A Moroccan man who allegedly stormed two Spanish churches in the southern port city of Algeciras on Wednesday, killed a church official and wounded a priest with a machete allegedly thought a stuffed animal was "the devil" and spoke of witchcraft in the weeks leading up to the attack, according to one of his roommates.

Church leaders condemn radical Jewish attack on Armenian restaurant in Jerusalem's Christian quarter
Christian leaders in the Holy Land have condemned an assault on an Armenian restaurant in the Christian quarter of Jerusalem by a group of radical Israelis, warning that the "radical aggression" is aimed at imposing an exclusively "Jewish character" on the city.

Leprosy in paradise
It's World Leprosy Day on 29 January and in the beautiful tea gardens of Sylhet, Bangladesh, the condition is all too painful a reality.

Suspected Islamic extremists kill four Christians in Sudan
Four others were wounded in the pre-dawn attack.

Ex-gay prosecution in Malta is globally significant for free speech
The case against Matthew Grech will send out signals to governments everywhere to be more intolerant of speech they don't like.

Church verger killed in Spain church attacks
At least one person has been killed and another four injured in a suspected terror attack on two churches in Spain.

Fears for Christians as Pakistan moves to tighten blasphemy laws
A Bill passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan earlier this month has led to increased fears for the country's persecuted Christian minority.

Nigeria: pastor shot and 25 churchgoers kidnapped
Terrorists attacked a church service in northwestern Nigeria on Sunday 15 January, shot and wounded the pastor and kidnapped 25 congregation members, sources said.

Christian worship service prohibited in Indonesia
A church in Indonesia was on January 8 prohibited from holding a Sunday service in front of a city hall building, where it had gone after losing its prior worship venue in a mall, sources said.

Byzantine church discovered near Jericho
A large Byzantine church with mosaic floors dating back to the sixth century has been uncovered in the area of Jericho in the West Bank, the biblical city conquered by Joshua and the Israelites, according to the Old Testament account.

A Chinese New Year of 'weaponised surveillance'
China is celebrating its New Year on Sunday but for the country's Christians, there are fears of yet more oppression and control through technology.

Decline in church attendance drove deaths of despair among middle-aged white population: study
"We show that the initial rise in deaths of despair in the US was preceded by a large decline in organized religious participation."

Christian to stand trial after sharing ex-gay testimony
A Christian man in Malta is being prosecuted after he shared his testimony about leaving behind homosexual relationships in an interview with a local media outlet.

North Korea is again the worst country for persecution
North Korea has again come out on top of Open Door's annual World Watch List where Christians suffer the most severe persecution.

Catholic priest burned to death in Nigeria
"It's a black Sunday for the Catholic Diocese of Minna."

17 killed in attack on church in Democratic Republic of Congo
"The attack was the last thing we ever thought would happen in our church today."