ZHEZIANG, China (China Aid)— Authorities detained two church deacons in Wenzhou on Sunday and Monday after churches re-erected crosses that had been demolished. Wenzhou police detained Huang Xiaoyuan, a deacon of Shangzhou Church in the Tengqiao religious district, and Zhang Zhi, a deacon of Xianqiao Church, last week. Police have provided no information about Huang […]

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (New York Post)— A towering construction crane toppled over on Friday during a violent rainstorm in the Saudi city of Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, crashing into the Grand Mosque and killing at least 107 people ahead of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage later this month. Images posted by social media […]

CHIAPAS STATE, Mexico (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) — Three Protestant members from Unión Juárez village, La Trinitaria municipality in Chiapas State were physically prevented from entering the village on 31 August and one was arbitrarily detained for 24 hours. Village leaders blocked the three men from entering the village, citing a curfew, and other travel restrictions […]

North Korea (MNN/VOM) — North Korea is sick of balloons. These are not the kinds that you find at parties, but they’re the sturdy kinds, built for tracking weather and able to carry weight—and they’re used by Voice of the Martyrs to reach North Korea with the gospel. VOM USA spokesman Todd Nettleton explains, “They clearly […]

LAHORE, Pakistan (Morning Star News) – Authorities this week charged and jailed a Christian accused of blasphemy by Muslim business competitors, and police beat area Christians in their search for him, sources said. Jamshed Masih told Morning Star News that local Muslims had entrapped his brother, 35-year-old Pervaiz Masih, in a false blasphemy case after he […]

HARGEISA, Somaliland (Morning Star News) – Desperate to avoid arrest in Somaliland for leaving Islam, one Christian fled to Ethiopia, while another in Somalia escaped kidnappers after losing fingers for his faith. Sharif (full name withheld for security reasons) said he had to leave his wife and four children behind in order to sneak out of […]

NEW DELHI (Morning Star News) – Heightened hostilities against Christians in India that began late last year continued through a hot summer, with Hindu extremists threatening Christians and forcing them to “reconvert” to Hindusim, church leaders said. In Rajasthan in the northwest, 10 Christian families in Nakhnool village, near Alwar, have fled after intolerant Hindus […]

LAHORE, Pakistan (Morning Star News) – Islamist groups are threatening the family and attorney of a young Christian man shot dead by Muslim in-laws who also wounded his wife over her decision to marry him and leave Islam, the attorney said. Aleem Masih, 28, married Nadia, 23, last year after she put her faith in […]

(Open Doors) — Lujah* is in her early seventies. She lives with her younger sister and nephew. They were inhabitants of Mosul, Iraq until the early morning of June 10, 2014. It was on this morning that friends knocked on their door impatiently, urging them to leave. “We were living at our house with dignity, […]

Zambia (Mission Network News) — The shocking Planned Parenthood videos continue to make headlines, but cruelty to unborn babies isn’t just happening in the U.S. It’s happening all around the world. Around 42 million abortions take place every year outside of the U.S. and Canada. Women choose it optionally; sometimes it may be out of […]