By BosNewsLife Asia Service

NEW DELHI, INDIA (BosNewsLife)-- An Afghan Christian widow and three of her daughters faced possible deportation from India to their homeland Friday, January 20, despite concerns they may be killed or jailed for “apostasy”, after a UN agency reportedly refused to grant them refugee status.

 

By BosNewsLife Asia Service

NEW DELHI, INDIA (BosNewsLife)-- Foreign and Indian Christians are fleeing India's troubled Kashmir Valley after an Islamic court ordered the expulsion of Christian leaders and directed the state government to monitor Christian missionary schools in the area, trial observers said Thursday, January 19.

 

By BosNewsLife Americas Service

HAVANA, CUBA (BosNewsLife)-- Cuban Pastor Omar Gude Perez, who was jailed on "trumped up charges" for leading a major network of independent churches, has so far been denied a visa to leave Cuba to seek asylum in the United States, a Christian rights group confirmed to BosNewsLife Thursday, January 19.

By VOA Correspondent Ayaz Gul reporting from Islamabad, special to BosNewsLife

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibilty for the Tuesday killing of Pakistani reporter Mukarram Khan Aatif, who worked for the Voice of America (VOA). Aatif was assassinated in Shabqadar, a small town located in the violence-hit Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, not far from Peshawar.

By BosNewsLife News Center



VATICAN CITY/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)--  The Vatican's missionary news agency says more than two dozen priests, nuns and lay Catholics were killed worldwide in 2011, BosNewsLife monitored Monday, January 16.

By BosNewsLife Africa Service

ZANZIBAR CITY, TANZANIA (BosNewsLife)-- Leaders of Christians in Zanzibar, Tanzania's semi-autonomous archipelago, have appealed for more religious freedom in the heavily Islamic region, after Muslim extremists allegedly destroyed at least two church buildings, while elsewhere believers were detained or harassed.

 

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Supporters of a far-right party known for its antisemitic rhetoric and threats against Gypsies, or Roma, have demonstrated against Hungary's European Union membership.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos

VIENTIANE, LAOS (BosNewsLife)-- Seven Christian leaders who were detained and tortured for nearly a month in southern Laos have been released, but concerns remain about "the confiscation" of church buildings, an official assisting them told BosNewsLife Friday, January 13.

>Pastor asked to acknowledge Muhammed as "God's messenger" in exchange for release

>Lawyers summoned to discuss deal

>Nadarkhani still facing execution for abandoning Islam

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife

TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has rejected an offer to be released from prison if he publicly acknowledges Islam's prophet Mohammed as "a messenger sent by God" well-informed Christians and rights activists said Friday, January 13.

 

By BosNewsLife Africa Service

ABUJA, NIGERIA (BosNewsLife)-- Islamic militants have killed at least 13 Christians this week in northern Nigeria as part of efforts to cleanse the region of Christian believers, a rights group confirmed Thursday, January 12.