Originally published in World Community South Korea’s Constitutional Court has upheld a 59-year-old ban on abortions. The eight-judge panel needed six votes in favor of declaring the law unconstitutional in order to overturn the longtime ban. However, the court said Thursday that four judges voted to keep the ban and […]
Asia
Christian Pakistani girl, 11, jailed for ‘blasphemy’
Originally published in Baptist Press Controversy continues to swirl around Pakistan’s blasphemy law after the arrest of a young Christian girl for defiling words from the Quran. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has asked the country’s Interior Ministry for a report about the Aug. 16 arrest of Rimshah Masih, described […]
Iran declining help in aftermath of quakes
Originally published in Baptist Press Iran is declining offers of assistance from other countries after twin earthquakes devastated rural villages in northwest Iran Saturday (Aug. 11), killing at least 306 people, most of them women and children. “Our prayers go out for those affected by these earthquakes. We are asking […]
70 000 Christians locked in concentration camps
Originally published in WND Sources confirm North Korea has eased or lifted a number of restrictions for citizens since Kim Jong Un succeeded his father, Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Il’s tenure as dictator was marked by intense persecution of Christians, including imprisonment of generations of a family for a […]
South Korean Christians release Gospel balloons into North Korea
Originally published in Religion Today On July 4, four North Korean defectors now living in South Korea joined a Voice of the Martyrs worker to release 10 balloons into North Korea carrying 45 000 gospel flyers plus their personal written testimonies. It was the fifth such balloon launch by the […]
Christians tormented with music, then attacked
By Open Doors News For months, a group of Hindu extremists in southern India had been blasting high-volume movie music at the prayer meetings of a local Christian ministry. In early July, the harassment crossed the line to assault when the Hindus burst into the prayer meeting of End Time […]
Prayer alert for jailed Iranian pastor in critical condition
Originally published in Mission Network News Behnam Irani, a 41-year-old Iranian pastor serving prison time, is currently facing severe health concerns due to physical persecution, prompting urgent reuests for Christians to pray for his recovery. While serving his time in Karaj’s Ghezel Hesar Prison, Behnam has suffered several beatings from […]
International clamour for Asia Bibi’s release grows
Originally published in National Catholic Register Amid the growing international campaign demanding release of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five sentenced by a trial court to death for blasphemy, a Church official in Pakistan says the local Church would prefer to maintain a solemn, prayerful vigil. “We understand the […]
Taliban publicly execute woman near Kabul: officials
Originally published in Rawa News A man Afghan officials say is a member of the Taliban shot dead a woman accused of adultery in front of a crowd near Kabul, a video obtained by Reuters showed, a sign that the austere Islamist group dictates law even near the Afghan capital. […]
Authorities order demolition of 20 churches in Indonesia
Originally published in Barnabasaid The authorities have ordered 20 churches in an Indonesian district to tear down their buildings; this follows the closure of 16 smaller Christian places of worship in the same district last month. Razali Abdul Rahman, the acting regent of Aceh Singkil in the semi-autonomous province of […]