News

Somali Christian Killed, His Four Children Kidnapped: Yet another leader of an underground Christian movement in Somalia was murdered by Islamic insurgents in front of his wife and his four children. Afterwards, the children were taken from their mother in a continuing campaign against Christians, Worthy News has learned.
Muslim Men Attack Somali Church Leader in Ethiopia: Two Somali Muslim men attacked a popular Somali church leader in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa Aug. 21, according to a Washington-based Christian human rights group.
Muslim Cleric Calls for Jihad, Copts Attacked: During Friday prayers, Imam Sheikh Tobah called for jihad against all Christians living in the Egyptian village of Shimi.
Tanzania Court Acquits Christian Evangelists Of ''Illegal Preaching'': Two Christian evangelists were free Sunday, August 15, after a court in Tanzania acquitted them of "illegal preaching", trial observers said.
Three International Aid Groups Banned in Somalia: Al-Shabaab, an Islamic militant organization with close ties to al-Qaeda, recently banned three Christian Aid organizations from Somalia on charges of "actively propagating Christianity", Worthy News has learned.
BREAKING NEWS: American Christians Among Victims In Uganda Bomb Blasts, 64 Killed: Bomb attacks killed at least 64 people, including an American aid worker, and injured several American Christians among others at two sites in Uganda's capital, Kampala, where people gathered to watch the World Cup, Worthy News learned early Monday, July 12.
Eight Christians Killed in Nigerian Muslim Attacks: Christians in two states of Nigeria were mourning Wednesday, July 7, the killings of at least eight Christian believers, after Muslim militants reportedly attacked several villages.
NEWS ALERT: Niger Christians Starving, Group Says: Christians in this vast, drought-prone country on the edge of the Sahara desert, were among those facing starvation Tuesday, July 6, after aid groups described the food situation in Niger as "extremely desperate".
U.S. Pastors Praise Morocco As Christian Serves Jail Sentence For Evangelism: A Christian is serving 15 years in a Moroccan jail for evangelism, a Christian rights groups said, while American Christian leaders praised Morocco Thursday, June 17, for its "long history of friendship and religious cooperation."
Bombs Rock Kenya Prayer Rally, 6 Killed: Tensions remained high in Kenya Tuesday, June 15, after two bombs rocked a Christian prayer rally opposing a draft constitution, killing at least six people and injuring 100 others.
Cuba Drops Charges Against Church Leader: Cuba has released and dropped all charges of "threatening behavior" against a well-known church after his accusers gave contradictory evidence against him, a Christian human rights organization said Monday, September 7.
Cuba Detains Church Leader For "Offensive Bahavior": A respected church leader in Cuba was unexpectedly arrested on Monday on trumped up charges of "offensive behavior" and "threats" according to a Christian human rights organization.
NEWS ALERT: Cuba To Release 52 Dissidents, Church Says: Cuba will release 52 political prisoners as part of the communist-run Caribbean island's largest release of dissidents since Pope John Paul II visited in 1998, the Cuban Catholic Church said comments monitored by Worthy News Thursday, July 8.
AMERICA WATCH: Christians Remember Murdered U.S. Evangelists: Christian leaders were preparing to hold a memorial service later Sunday, May 16, in the Boynton Beach are of the U.S. state of Florida to honor two street evangelists who were murdered there earlier this year.
AMERICA WATCH: Broadcaster Airing U.S. Day Of Prayer Despite Court Ruling: International Christian broadcaster GOD Television was to air Thursday, May 6, the United States' National Day of Prayer (NDP), amid concerns among Christians that the annual event may be banned following a controversial court ruling.
NEWS ALERT: Wife, Children Of Jailed Cuban Pastor Face Eviction: The wife of jailed Cuban Pastor Omar Gude Perez faced a difficult weekend after authorities reportedly told her that the family home is to be confiscated. The family will be relocated to a significantly smaller apartment in poor conditions outside the city of Camaguey, said advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which has closely monitored the case.
Prayer Vigil For Murdered American Evangelists: Christian leaders are preparing a major prayer vigil in Florida "to honor the lives" of two young street preachers who were shot and killed while evangelizing on the streets of the U.S. state's Boynton Beach, organizers said.
AMERICA WATCH: Arsonists Attack American Church Bus: Despite tensions, Baptist Christians in the U.S. state of Tennessee prepared for worship Sunday, February 28, as local police continued to investigate an attack on a church bus by young arsonists.
NEWS ALERT: Street Preachers Killed In United States: A religious liberty group warned Saturday, February 6, that "Anti-Christian hostility is getting increasingly deadly" in the United States after two street preachers were shot and killed by a teenager who apparently opposed their message.
Mexico Court Releases Evangelical "Massacre Suspects": Mexico's highest court ordered the release of nine mainly evangelical prisoners who were convicted in a 1997 massacre of Indians, but over 20 others remain behind bars.
16-Year-Old Christian Girl Rescued from Slave Trade in India: A 16-year old Christian girl was rescued on August 9, 2010, after being held captive for two years, Worthy News has learned.
Man Dies in Vietnam Crackdown On Christian Villagers: Eight arrested Christians remained in Vietnamese police custody Sunday, August 29, after a violent government crackdown on Christian villagers in which one person was killed and several others injured, including a pregnant woman who lost her child, rights activists said.
Christian Rights Groups Supports UN Inquiry: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is urging all European Union (EU) foreign ministers to call for the formation of a United Nations (UN) Commission of Inquiry to investigate claims of crimes against humanity in North Korea, Worthy News has learned.
12 Believers Attacked and Arrested in India: After an attack on an Indian believers home in Karnataka, India, 12 believers, including the pastor and an evangelist were arrested by police Worthy news has learned.
Christians Celebrate in Streets to Demand Religious Freedom: Christians of the Yasmin Church celebrated Sunday service on the streets of Bogor, West Java, to protest the illegal closing of their building by the city in March.
Three U.S. Christian Aid Workers Killed in Pakistan, source: Suspected Islamic militants have killed three American Christian aid workers who were helping victims of Pakistan's worst floods in recent memory, a well-informed source in the Pakistani military told Worthy News Saturday, August 28.
Pastor Attacked in Delhi: A pastor and his church in India were attacked by a mob Sunday, Worthy News has learned.
Muslims Kidnap Pakistan Christian House Maid: The parents of a Christian Pakistani girl were still searching for their daughter Thursday, August 26, nearly half a year after she was reportedly kidnapped, forced to marry a Muslim men, and pressured into embracing Islam.
Ex-President Carter in North Korea to Release Christian: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived in North Korea Wednesday, August 25, to try to win the release of a devoted American Christian who has been jailed for illegally entering the isolated state earlier this year. Aijalon Mahli Gomes, aged 30 from Boston, Massachusetts, entered North Korea on January 25 to protest human rights abuses in the communist nation, fellow rights activists said.
'Blasphemy' Threats Send Pakistani Worker, Married Couple Into Hiding: Accusations of "blasphemy" in two Pakistani provinces have sent several people into hiding, according to Compass Direct.
Prayer Center Complex Destroyed by Chinese Government: A prayer center complex, known as "Prayer Mountain", was destroyed in China after several elderly Christians were forcibly removed, and then watched helplessly as their building was demolished according to ChinaAid, Worthy News has learned.
China Briefly Detains Influential House Pastor: An influential Chinese house church pastor was briefly detained in southern China shortly after authorities evicted his congregation from a hotel, his church and rights investigators said Friday, August 13.
Chinese Government Destroys Christian-Owned Factory: Last September, a mob of over 200 men led by Chinese Communist officials injured at least thirty people and demolished a Christian-owned factory in Linfen, along with its house church, Worthy News learned on August 11.
Chinese Church Leader Released on Bail, Awaiting Trial: Chinese church leader Wang Dao, was released on Sunday after being imprisoned on May 9, 2010 according to report obtained by Worthy News on June 17th.
China Christian Dissident Gao Zhisheng "Alive": One of China's best known Christian dissidents, missing for over a year and feared dead, is apparently alive and staying in mountains known for Buddhist pilgrimages, Worthy News monitored Tuesday, March 30.
China Detains Prominent Church Leader During Restaurant Raid: Chinese security forces detained a prominent house church leader Thursday, March 4, at a restaurant in southern China where he and a dozen other Christians had lunch, Chinese Christians said.
Chinese Christian Rights Lawyer 363 Days Missing: A Chinese Christian human rights lawyer was missing for 363 days Tuesday, February 2, but an advocacy group said it now believes he is still alive.
Massive New Year and Christmas Attacks In Arab World, Africa, Asia: Rights investigators said Wednesday, January 13, there has been "a surge ofattacks" against Christians since December, with deaths, detentions and destruction reported in the Arab world, Africa and Asia.
NEWS ALERT: China Sentences 10 Christian Leaders To Prison, Labor Camps: China has sentenced 10 Christian leaders to long prison terms and forced labor camps as part of a wider government crackdown on unauthorized worship services, Worthy News learned Saturday, December 5.
Expelled Christian Student Back In China School: A Christian student was again back at school Monday, November 2, more than a week after he was expelled for his Christian faith, Chinese Christians said.
NEWS WATCH: Experts Exhume Bodies of Romanian Dictator, Wife: Forensic analysts have exhumed what are believed to be the bodies of late Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, who were executed in 1989. It comes after relatives raised doubts that the couple was really buried in Romania's capital Bucharest.
BREAKING NEWS: Pentecostal Pastor Shot Dead In Dagestan: The pastor of the largest Pentecostal church in Russia's violent, mainly Muslim republic of Dagestan, has died after being shot in the head, in an apparent bid to intimidate converts from Islam, Christian rights activists and police said Friday, July 16.
Christians Worldwide Pray For Burma: Thousands of Christians worldwide will unite in prayer for Burma next week as part of global day of prayer for the nation, organizers said.
NEWS WATCH: Ukraine's Prime Minister Challenges Election Results: Ukrainian election officials say they will not consider Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's complaints of presidential election fraud. Results show opposition leader Victor Yanukovich defeated Tymoshenko by 3.5 percentage points in the February 7 runoff election.
Tajikistan Churches Face Closures, Uncertain Future: Devoted Christians in several areas of Tajikistan faced uncertainty Tuesday, January 5, over the future of their churches after the former Soviet republic introduced a new religion law that the United States has criticized as highly restrictive.
Wave of Clergy Killings In Russia (Feature): The second murder of a Russian priest in as many months has prompted a call by the Orthodox Church for Russians to think about their country's spiritual and moral condition.
Baptist Congregation Appeals Against Closure: Members of a Baptist congregation in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe have appealed to the City Court against a ban on their activity, which was apparently imposed because they meet in a private home without state registration, Worthy News learned Wednesday, December 2.
Kazakh-Born Christian Leader Threatened With Deportation: A Kazakh-born Christian leader who holds a German passport was preparing for deportation from Kazakhstan Tuesday, December 1, after local officials reportedly objected to a worship service.
Christian-Muslim Tensions Feared in Russia after Train Blast and Killing Priest: There were fears Sunday, November 29, of more tensions between Christians and Muslims in Russia after suspected Islamist rebels bombed a train that killed 25 people and a gunmen murdered a missionary priest.
NEWS ALERT: Ukraine's Christian Hero Svetlana Milchevich Dies At 64: Svetlana Milchevich, an evangelical Christian who became a voice of the voiceless with her public fight against abuse of power and corruption by Ukrainian authorities, has died after officials refused to allow her to seek medical treatment in neighboring Hungary. She was 64.
Christians In Danger Amid Deadly Protests Against Koran Burning (UPDATE): Minority Christians in strict Islamic countries remained anxious about their safety Friday, September 10, amid deadly protests against plans by an American pastor to burn copies of the Koran, although it remained uncertain whether the bonfire would go-ahead.
Iraqi Christians Face Harder Times Ahead: An organization dedicated to persecuted Christians worldwide expects life for believers in Iraq will only get worse as American troops are redeployed back to the States.
Iranian Christian Detained in Ahvaz: Members of a home-based church in the city of Ahvaz are worried about one of their own who has not been heard from since his arrest, Worthy News has learned.
BREAKING NEWS: Iran Pastor Facing Execution, Church Official: A well-known Iranian pastor faces execution after two judges agreed to make him "liable to capital punishment," as part of a crackdown on the growing Protestant church movement in the Islamic nation, Worthy News and its parner agency BosNewsLife learned Tuesday, July 13.
Militants Order Lebanon Christians To Leave; Blast Kills One: Lebanese security forces prepared to crackdown on Islamic insurgents Friday, June 25, after threatening leaflets were found calling on Christians to leave a key port city and a bomb blast that killed at least one person in a predominantly Christian town.
BREAKING NEWS: Iran Crackdown On National Protestant Movement, Members Detained (Exclusive): Iran's security forces detained eight members of a nationwide Protestant church movement in Tehran Friday, June 19, as part of a government crackdown on the growing number of Christians in the strict Islamic nation, a Christian leader told Worthy News and its news partner BosNewsLife.
BREAKING NEWS: Turkish Man Charged In Murder Bishop: A Turkish court on Friday, June 4, charged a Turkish man with murdering a Roman Catholic bishop -- the latest in a series of violent attacks against the country's tiny Christian minority.
BREAKING NEWS: Christian Women Flee Iran After Acquittal: Iran has acquitted "on all charges" two young women who were detained fourteen months ago "for their Christian faith and activities" and abandoning Islam, Iranian church officials confirmed Sunday, May 23.
BREAKING NEWS: Saudi Forces Free Kidnapped Christian Girls In Yemen: Saudi Arabia's security forces freed two German Christian girls kidnapped nearly a year ago in neighboring Yemen but the fate of their abducted parents, their infant brother and a British engineer remained unknown, officials and Christians said Tuesday, May 18.
Iraq Bombings On Christian Students Kill Four: The leader of the Syrian Catholic Church in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul condemned Friday, May 7, a deadly bombings targeting Christian students that killed four and reportedly injured up to 180 others.
Turkmenistan: Protestant Pastor Faces Five Years Imprisonment: A Pentecostal pastor remained in police custody Tuesday, August 31, in Turkmenistan where he faces five years imprisonment and confiscation of properties for "large-scale swindling", charges his wife and church members strongly deny, rights activists said.
Uzbekistan Jails Baptists, Threatens Church: Police in Uzbekistan jailed ten Baptists for three to five days, and fining them 80 times the monthly minimum wage, according to a religious rights group, Worthy News learned on Monday, August 9.
NEWS ALERT: Uzbekistan Jails Protestant Christians: An assistant pastor and two other members of one of Uzbekistan capital's largest Protestant churches began serving 15-day jail terms Wednesday, May 19, on charges that included "violating" strict religious regulations of the former Soviet nation, trial observers said.
BREAKING NEWS: Kyrgyzstan Christians Help Injured As Gunfire Rocks Presidential Rally: Christians in Kyrgyzstan continued praying and caring for injured survivors of their Central Asian nation's bloody uprising that killed at least 84 people, as gunfire interrupted a rally Thursday, April 15, of ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, witnesses and Christians said.
NEWS ALERT: Belarus Evangelical Church Faces Imminent Eviction By Security Forces: There was uncertainty about the future of one of the largest evangelical churches in Belarus Tuesday, June 2, after authorities ordered it to abandon its building in the capital Minsk.
Christians In Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan Face New Restrictions: Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliev was to receive for signing the final version of controversial legislation "limiting freedom of religion" while Christians elsewhere in Central Asia faced similar restrictions Saturday, May 16, rights investigators and local believers said.
Mounting Concerns Over Detained Uzbekistan Pastor: An international protest was underway Tuesday, May 12, to obtain the release of a detained, frail, evangelical pastor in Uzbekistan, who came to symbolize what rights investigators described as widespread persecution of Christians and other minorities in Central Asia.
Azerbaijan Pastor Receives "Corrective Labor" Sentence: A well-known Baptist pastor in Azerbaijan was weighing his legal options Monday, February 23, after receiving a two-year "corrective labor" sentence for allegedly possessing an "illegal" weapon, trial observers said.
NEWS ALERT: Minsk Church Threatened With Closure; Evangelicals "Fasting": Members of one of Belarus' largest evangelical churches continued a five-day �fasting and prayer� action, Friday, January 30, amid attempts by authorities to seize their place of worship as part of an alleged crackdown on non-Orthodox groups.
Tajikistan Churches Facing Closure In New Year: A major Christian rights group warned Tuesday, December 23, that many churches in the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan in 2009, if a new draft law requiring them to re-register under restrictive conditions is adopted by parliament.