1,400-Year-Old Cross Plaque Discovered in Abu Dhabi Church and Monastery Ruins

1,400-Year-Old Cross Plaque Discovered in Abu Dhabi Church and Monastery Ruins

An extraordinary archaeological discovery on Sir Bani Yas Island in Abu Dhabi is significantly reshaping historians’ understanding of the spread of Christianity in the seventh and eighth centuries. Researchers unearthed a 1,400-year-old plaster plaque depicting a cross within the ruins of an ancient church and monastery. The cross shows a stepped pyramid that resembles Golgotha — the site traditionally believed to be where Jesus was crucified — with foliage emerging from its base.
  • Faith and NGO Leaders Urge UN to Stop Supporting Hamas and Collaborate with GHF
    Over 200 organizations from 15+ countries, representing diverse faiths and communities, are urging the UN and international leaders to collaborate with the U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and investigate the U.N. relief agency in Gaza. The coalition’s letter urges the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly to oppose any efforts to “obstruct or delegitimize” the GHF’s work and to promote collaboration between the U.N. and credible humanitarian organizations like the GHF.
  • Venezuelan Evangelicals Gathered for the National Day March for Jesus
    Evangelical Christians across Venezuela participated in the March for Jesus, which has been officially designated as the “National Day of the March for Jesus” by the government through a presidential decree. The date was recently moved to the first Saturday of August each year, representatives from Evangelical churches in all 23 states and the Capital District took part in the event, alongside believers of various nationalities and denominations.

Fatalities in Africa More Than Doubling: Over 22,000 Killed by Islamic Extremists

Militant Islamist groups have expanded their presence across Africa, more than doubling the number of fatalities linked to their violent activities in certain regions of the continent. According to a study by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), In the year ending June 30, ten militant Islamist groups were responsible for the deaths of 22,307 people, most of whom were Christians in West, East, and Central Africa. 
  • Global Decline of Christian-Majority Countries: UK, AU, France, and Uruguay No Longer in Majority
    A new report by the Pew Research Center shows that the number of countries where Christianity is the majority has declined from 2010 to 2020. As of 2020, Christians remained the majority in 120 out of 201 countries and territories analyzed, down from 124 in 2010. This means Christian-majority nations accounted for 60% of all countries surveyed, compared to 62% a decade earlier.
  • Indian Lawmaker's Cash Rewards for Violence Against Pastors Spark Christian Protest
    India’s Catholic bishops issued a strong condemnation of law enforcement for not prosecuting a state legislator who publicly offered up to $12,663 USD (1.1 million rupees) as a reward for violent attacks targeting Christian leaders. The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) voiced “deep anguish and alarm over the escalating hostility and violence targeting minority communities in the country,”
  • Global Christian Relief Plans to Clear Debts for Over 100 Pakistani Families
    Global Christian Relief, a donor-funded ministry dedicated to aiding persecuted Christians worldwide, has pledged to pay off the debts of at least 100 Christian families this year, who remain enslaved in brick kilns across Pakistan. This commitment includes providing economic and educational support, such as equipping 380 youth with vocational training, delivering healthcare to 20,000 families, and assisting 325 women in launching small businesses.
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  • Mexico Authorities Seizes Property and Evicts Staff at Assemblies of God Seminary

    A sudden and forced eviction was carried out in Mexico City last Friday at the premises of the Anna Sanders Theological Seminary, which is part of the National Council of the Assemblies of God. Dozens of agents from the National Guard, the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), and the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) arrived without warning, heavily armed, and forced the removal of staff, furniture, and documents from the premises.

  • UK Religious Freedom Official Warns Christianity Is Under Threat of ‘Being Wiped Out’

    The United Kingdom’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief, David Smith, has issued a stark warning that Christianity is at risk of being “wiped out” in parts of the world due to increasing persecution. The British government is now focusing on 10 countries as part of its revised foreign policy, aimed at defending this fundamental human right.

  • Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws Under Investigation at Last

    The Pakistan Federal High Court on Tuesday ordered the government to establish an inquiry commission within 30 days to investigate the widespread misuse and blatant abuse of blasphemy laws. Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) mandated the formation of this body to look into the extensive pattern of misuse of the laws.

  • Gaza's Sole Catholic Church Attacked, Three Killed in Israeli Tank Strike

    The Israeli military is conducting an investigation into reports that a tank strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza, the Holy Family Church, resulted in the deaths of three people and injured several others. In a statement released Thursday, the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem condemned the strike at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, which has been sheltering hundreds of people since the conflict began.

  • Pakistan Court Exonerates Two Christian Boys Wrongly Accused of Blasphemy

    A court in Lahore, Pakistan, has acquitted two Christian youths of false blasphemy charges stemming from a minor dispute, their lawyer announced Tuesday. Adil Babar, 20, and Simon Nadeem, 16, who were 18 and 14 respectively when charged in 2023, were cleared of accusations under Section 295-A of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, according to Supreme Court Advocate Naseeb Anjum.

  • EU Anti-Christian Report Sparks Concerns Over 'Slide into Godlessness,' Politician Warns

    A Hungarian government official has criticized progressive activists within the European Union, accusing them of producing a report that targets Christianity and seeks to weaken its influence across Europe. The report, published by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF), claims that Europe is experiencing a rise in religious “anti-feminist” groups.

  • Hindu Mob Assaults Pastor and Burns Bibles in Central India; Police Remain Silent

    Hindu extremists in central India launched a violent attack on a Christian church, ransacking the worship building, burning Bibles, and assaulting every member present, resulting in one person losing consciousness, sources reported. In Dhamtari District of Chhattisgarh state, during a worship service of the independent Penial Prayer Fellowship in Borsi village, Pastor Wakish Sahu, who leads the church along with his 57-year-old father, Mannohan Sahu, described the events.

  • A Tribunal in Melbourne Supports Elston’s Free Speech Over Social Media Post

    A Melbourne tribunal overturned a government order to remove Chris “Billboard Chris” Elston's social media post on gender identity, ruling in his favor under Australia's Online Safety Act. Elston’s post, published in February 2024, criticized the appointment of trans-identified activist Teddy Cook to an expert position at the World Health Organization and referred to Cook using biologically based pronouns.
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