“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” —Luke 21:36
Liu Zhenbin, a pastor detained in China amid a crackdown on his unregistered congregation, says a prosecutor invoked his young children in an attempt to press him into a confession.
Brussels, Belgium – 14th July 2026 | Victims’ stories and plight were center stage as members of the European Parliament, legal experts, human rights advocates discuss how the EU and its Member States can “systematically raise the issue of forced conversions and marriages and…
ABUJA, Nigeria (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Pastors and members of various churches attended a Catholic funeral service on Saturday (Aug. 1) for 27 Christians massacred by suspected Fulani terrorists in Kaduna state, Nigeria, sources said.
Soldiers Stationed 2 Miles Away Ignored Calls for Help By Luka Binniyat (Kaduna) –The church faithful buried their martyrs on Saturday in Kaduna’s flyover country – unnoticed and unattended by the ruling class.
Abuja – Ucciso in un agguato stradale un sacerdote in Nigeria. Padre Samuel Opeyemi Oyetoro è stato aggredito con un machete nella Church Road, ad Ajaokuta, nello Stato di Kogi . Ad annunciare l’omicidio del sacerdote è stata la diocesi di Lokoja, in un comunicato stampa…
Seven Christians in India’s Madhya Pradesh state have been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment following accusations that they used a child’s birthday party to conduct unlawful religious conversions.
Pastors and members of various churches attended a Catholic funeral service on Saturday (Aug. 1) for 27 Christians massacred by suspected Fulani terrorists in Kaduna state, Nigeria, sources said.
The Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives mark a century of missionary presence in Madagascar, it gives thanks for generations of missionaries whose service has strengthened the local Church, fostered vocations, and carried the Gospel to the country’s most remote…
Iraq’s highest appellate court has affirmed a ruling that grants a Christian woman recognition as a follower of Jesus rather than the Muslim designation forced on her under Iraqi law, ordering officials to fix her religious listing in the state’s records.
Abuja – Assalita la chiesta di St. Joseph a Inoyi, Affa, nel distretto di Udi dello Stato di Enugu durante la messa di domenica 2 agosto. Almeno sette uomini armati sono entrati durante la funzione domenicale, intorno alle 8.30 del mattino, interrompendo la messa.
Suspected fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic terror group active in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killed over a dozen people, including a church elder and worship leader, during attacks on the Christian commune of Mangina.
By James Lasher — On Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, thousands of Shia Muslims marched through the streets of Dearborn in the city’s annual Arbaeen procession, a religious event marking the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.
Seven Christians from India’s Madhya Pradesh state have been sentenced after a court found them guilty of forceful conversions during a birthday party. The convictions, which follow a legal battle that’s lasted since April 2024, are the latest example of the growing persecution…
International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)··
29th June 2026 GENEVA – Switzerland | Anti-conversion laws as a tool for human rights violations in Nepal was discussed during a joint side-event at the UN Human Rights Council’s 62nd session. Prof. Dr.
(Yueyang, Hunan Province — August 3, 2026) Police raided a gathering of a house church in Hunan Province, in south-central China, on the night of July 11, detaining the church’s founder and two members who now face criminal charges after authorities escalated the case beyond…
At A Glance: It began with one family freed from debt bondage in a Pakistan brick kiln. Now more than 200 families have found freedom. This year, we are working to free 500 more. You can help these your brothers and sisters find freedom.
28 July 2026 | In her preliminary findings the Special Rapporteur drew attention specifically to tensions with plural legal systems in relation to blasphemy, personal status matters amongst others, and the loud alarm bells elicited by the widespread insecurity in the country.
Oral Statement62nd session of the Human Rights CouncilNGO: Jubilee Campaign Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Jubilee Campaign and Christian Solidarity International would like to thank the delegation of Nepal for engaging with the Universal Periodic Review process.
The underground Church is like a seed in soil, sprouting and spreading in secrecy. It’s perceived as small and fractured,... The post The Darkness Cannot<br>Overcome It appeared first on Open Doors.
Egypt’s Ministry of Education's list of top-performing students in the 2025–2026 General Secondary Certificate examinations excludes Coptic Christians, amplifying concern among rights advocates about the marginalization of the country’s Christian minority.
India’s Parliament is considering a sweeping amendment to the country’s foreign-funding law that critics warn could give the government unprecedented authority over the assets of NGOs, including Christian ministries, hospitals, schools, and charitable organizations that rely on…
International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)··
The governor of Kogi state condemned the killing and assured the Catholic Church and the priest's family "the perpetrators will not escape justice." The post Diocese in Nigeria mourns death of priest killed in machete attack first appeared on OSV News.
By Coptic Solidarity – A carefully worded public appeal concerning prisoners’ religious rights has inadvertently highlighted what may be one of the least examined aspects of Egypt’s detention system: the apparent imprisonment of 106–107 Christian detainees in a single…
The judicial proceedings reveal systemic violations of due process, reliance on uncorroborated testimony, and the use of discredited notions such as “brainwashing”. The post The Rudnev Series: 2. The Criminal Case in Russia first appeared on Bitter Winter.
In February of this year, a local altercation in Manipur’s Ukhrul District escalated long-standing tensions between the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities, leading to property destruction, militant attacks, and displacement.
A Baptist pastor, peacebuilder, and advocate for religious freedom, Rev. John Joseph Hayab has spent more than two decades helping communities across northern Nigeria choose dialogue over division. Growing up between a traditional village and a military barracks in northern…
A peaceful spiritual community is driven across borders by China’s transnational pressure and escalating threats. The post Paradise Lost: The Forced Exodus of Lifechanyuan’s Thailand Home first appeared on Bitter Winter.
As part of a broader effort to tighten control over the Special Administrative Region, control over religion is also increasing. The post Sinicization of Religion Reaches Macau first appeared on Bitter Winter.
As U.S.–Iran negotiations continue, many Iranians fear what a weakened — but unchanged — regime could mean for the future. Lana Silk explains why the underground Church in Iran remains bold, hopeful, and growing despite rising uncertainty.
The Mississippi pastor who recently preached through the entire Bible for 96 consecutive hours says a young witch in Texas who attempted to curse him during his preaching ended up converting to Christianity after her black magic backfired.
India's judiciary has a choice to make by August 19: free the leader of a mob that burned a missionary and his children alive, or reckon with the ideology that hasn't gone anywhere.
Andrew Brunson spent 23 years planting churches in Turkey. When he was arrested on charges of espionage and terrorism and locked in a Turkish prison for two years, he expected to find God close. What he found instead was silence — and what he did with that silence, he told…
Last October, Pastor Wang Lin, one of the leaders in Zion Church in China, was arrested and imprisoned under false charges of "fraud" and "illegal business practices." Sarah Su (Su Ziming in Chinese), wife of Pastor Wang, recounts the day her husband was arrested and the…
How do Iranian Christians find community when gathering openly can be dangerous? Transform Iran’s Cheshme app is helping thousands access Christian teaching, worship, prayer meetings, digital church services, and encouragement—right from their phones.
On June 4, 2026, workmen under orders from the Iranian regime bulldozed the Evangelical Church of Mashhad, Iran, without explanation. The church was around 80 years old but had been closed by Iranian officials for more than two decades.
In early 2026, Christian translators in Morocco started printing full versions of the Bible in Darija, including the entire Old Testament, for the first time. Darija, the commonly spoken dialect of Arabic, is a mix of Berber, French, Spanish and Arabic and distinct from the…
When the pastor began to weep, Cade Jefferson, the leader of VOM's work in the Middle East and North Africa, wasn't quite sure how to respond. He had just explained to the pastor how The Voice of the Martyrs comes alongside persecuted Christians and how the ministry was ready…
The underground Church is like a seed in soil, sprouting and spreading in secrecy. It’s perceived as small and fractured,... The post The Darkness Cannot<br>Overcome It appeared first on Open Doors.
Pope Leo XIV sent a message to 97-year-old Cardinal Ernest Simoni, who yesterday morning, Friday 31 July, presided over the Mass at the former prison camp of Spaç, Albania, in memory of those who suffered or lost their lives there.
Nigeria's Catholic Diocese of Otukpo has appealed for prayers for the "quick and safe release" of Seminarian Kelvin Ochai, who was abducted from the Bishop's Residence in Benue State. In a statement issued on Friday, July 31, the Chancellor of the Nigerian Episcopal See, Fr.
Unaccounted “security votes,” massive state budgets, and worsening violence raise questions about where the money went. By Ebere Inyama BENUE STATE — Nigeria’s federal and state governments spent more than $377.4 million on security budgets between 2023 and 2025, yet violence…
The representative of the Holy Father in Mozambique has expressed hope that the killing of Bishop Osório Citora Afonso of the Diocese of Quelimane will become a catalyst for the renewal of the Church and society. In his homily during Mass at St.
Egypt’s Ministry of Education recently announced the country’s top-performing students in the 2025–2026 General Secondary Certificate examinations, but the list has drawn attention from Christian advocates after no Coptic Christians appeared among the nation’s 30 highest-ranked…
International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)··
Persecuted Christians around the world find profound meaning and liberation in scripture, contrasting with Western interpretations, as they navigate faith amid oppression and cultural challenges.
Twenty people, including senior pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, remain in custody following a crackdown on the unregistered Zion Church in China, which began on October 10 and is seen as a sign of increasing government hostility towards Christians.