Hong Kong Court Sentences Pro-Democracy Media Founder Jimmy Lai to 20 Years

Hong Kong Court Sentences Pro-Democracy Media Founder Jimmy Lai to 20 Years

A Hong Kong court on Monday imposed a 20-year prison sentence on pro-democracy media tycoon and religious freedom advocate Jimmy Lai, delivering the most severe punishment yet under Beijing’s national security law in one of the city’s most prominent prosecutions.
  • Armenian Archbishop Warns From Prison That Church Is Under Threat, Appeals to U.S. Leaders at IRF Summit
    Bagrat Galstanyan, an Armenian archbishop currently imprisoned, sent a letter to the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington warning that the Armenian Apostolic Church is facing an existential threat and urging U.S. Vice President JD Vance to intervene. The letter was transmitted by the Switzerland-based advocacy group Christian Solidarity International (CSI) just days after Armenian authorities intensified legal actions against senior church leaders.
  • Finnish MP on Trial Over Bible Verse to Testify Before Congress on Europe’s Speech Crackdown
    Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish member of parliament awaiting a ruling from the country’s top court over a criminal case tied to a Bible verse tweet, is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday about expanding speech restrictions in Europe. Räsänen is set to appear before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington during a hearing on foreign censorship that will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building.

UK Baptists Raise Over $124,000 to Aid Students After Spurgeon’s College Closure

Baptist churches and individual supporters across the United Kingdom have contributed more than $124,000 to help students impacted by the abrupt shutdown of Spurgeon’s College, following an emergency fundraising appeal launched by the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
  • Huckabee Pushes Back After Jerusalem Church Leaders Criticize Christian Zionism
    U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has publicly rebuked senior Orthodox and Catholic leaders in Jerusalem after they issued a joint statement describing Christian Zionism as a “damaging ideology.” The dispute follows a Jan. 17 declaration titled “A Statement from the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem on Unity and Representation of the Christian Communities in the Holy Land.”
  • European Court Reviews Potentially Landmark Case on Religious Symbols in Public Building
    The European Court of Human Rights is examining a case that could set an important precedent on whether religious symbols may be displayed in courtrooms and other public buildings across Europe. The dispute stems from complaints filed by Greek atheists who contend that the presence of Christian icons in judicial settings infringed on their right to a fair trial and freedom of religion.
  • Nigeria Rejects Allegations of 100+ Christian Kidnappings Across Three Churches
    Armed groups believed to be Fulani militias attacked three Christian worship services in Nigeria’s Kaduna state on Sunday, an incident local Christian leaders say may represent one of the largest mass kidnappings of believers in the region, though state authorities have denied that any abductions occurred.
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  • Third-Century ‘Good Shepherd’ Image of Jesus Discovered in Ancient Tomb in Turkey

    Archaeologists working in Turkey have uncovered a rare third-century mural portraying Jesus as the “Good Shepherd,” offering new insight into early Christian art and belief. The artwork, which is notably well preserved, forms the central image among several frescoes found inside an underground burial chamber in the Hisardere necropolis near the modern town of Iznik.

  • UK Faith Leaders Warn Anti-Muslim Hatred Definition Risks Free Speech

    Faith leaders in the United Kingdom are raising concerns over the Labour government’s proposed definition of anti-Muslim hatred, arguing that the plan could threaten religious liberty and freedom of expression. The debate centers on a definition first introduced in 2018 by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims, which characterized Islamophobia as a form of racism.

  • Next Archbishop of Canterbury Speaks Out Against Assisted Dying as U.K. Bill Advances

    The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury has publicly rejected assisted suicide, weighing in as a controversial bill permitting assisted dying advances through the U.K. Parliament following a narrow vote in the House of Commons last year. In a recent appearance on the BBC’s “Today” program, Dame Sarah Mullally discussed the issue with former prime minister Theresa May, drawing on her background in both healthcare and ministry to explain her opposition.

  • Sudan Drone Attack Kills 11 Christians Traveling to Christmas Service

    A drone attack attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces on Christmas Day left at least 11 Christians dead as they traveled to attend holiday services in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, local sources reported. An area Christian lawyer said the victims were among a group walking toward the Episcopal Church of Sudan in the Julud area.

  • ‘God Has Not Forgotten Venezuela’: Evangelical Leaders Call for Prayer After U.S. Operation

    President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces carried out what he described as a decisive military operation in Venezuela early Saturday, an action that administration sources said followed months of strategic pressure on the socialist government. According to Trump, the operation involved targeted explosions and the deployment of aircraft in Caracas and ended with the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were flown out of the country.

  • Syria Foils Islamic State Plot Targeting Churches on New Year’s Eve

    Syrian authorities say they disrupted an Islamic State plan to carry out coordinated attacks against churches and public gatherings during New Year’s Eve celebrations, prompting heightened security measures around houses of worship. The Interior Ministry said intelligence indicated that Islamic State militants were preparing “suicide operations and attacks targeting New Year’s celebrations in a number of governorates,

  • Ancient Mikveh Found Beneath Western Wall Plaza Illuminates Final Temple Era

    Archaeologists excavating beneath Jerusalem’s Western Wall Plaza have uncovered a rock-carved mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath, dating to the final days of the Second Temple period. Experts say the discovery offers a rare glimpse into daily religious life shortly before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. The find was announced Monday following excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority in partnership with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

  • Pakistan Marks Christmas With Unprecedented State Sponsorship, Signaling Shift on Religious Freedom

    Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments openly sponsored Christmas celebrations nationwide, signaling what officials described as a renewed commitment to religious freedom and equal citizenship. Across major cities — including Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi — Christmas observances extended well beyond church grounds.
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