Woman charged with desecrating Quran in Pakistan wins bail
A Christian woman in Pakistan wrongly charged with blasphemy by a mosque leader won bail on Thursday (Jan. 16), her lawyer said.
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Caribbean advocate for Church of England slave trade reparations appointed as chancelor of UN University
The Governance Council of the United Nations University unanimously appointed Professor Sir Hilary Beckles as its honorary chairman/chancellor, effective May 2025. The announcement, made during a meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on Dec. 7, coincides with the university’s 50th anniversary, according to a press release from the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine.
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International experts call for broader obesity diagnosis criteria, as 1 billion globally estimated obese
Doctors worldwide should adopt a more comprehensive approach to diagnosing obesity, incorporating broader criteria and focusing on when the condition leads to ill health, according to a new framework proposed by experts and endorsed by 76 medical organizations internationally.
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Christian in Sudan loses wife, home for converting
The Muslim family of a young man in Sudan’s Darfur Region has disowned him and compelled his wife to divorce him because he converted to Christianity, an area source said.
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Zimbabwe abolishes death penalty: A life-line for 62 people on death row
The President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, signed into law the Death Penalty Abolition Act (2024) effectively removing the death penalty sentence in the penal code. Although the Southern Africa country has not carried out death sentences for nearly two decades, 62 people who had been sentenced to death will be resentenced or have their death sentences commuted.
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Vatican opens door to letting gay men pursue the priesthood in Italy
The Vatican has given its blessing to a document suggesting that those with same-sex attraction can pursue the priesthood in Italy. The Italian Episcopal Conference, the group of Roman Catholic bishops in Italy, approved a document at its 78th General Conference in 2023 titled "The formation of priests in churches in Italy. Guidelines and standards for seminaries."
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Pakistani Veteran journalist Emanuel Sarfraz passes away at 56
By CDI StaffEmanuel Sarfraz, a senior journalist and general secretary of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Lahore Chapter, passed away in Lahore on Jan. 13 following cardiac failure. He was 56 years old. A well-respected figure in Pakistan’s media industry, Sarfraz had over three decades of experience with prominent national and international media organizations.
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Long-awaited cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas announced, raising hope for peace
By CDI StaffNegotiators from Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on a 42-day cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, U.S. President Joe Biden and other officials announced Wednesday. The deal raises hopes for an end to over a year of war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated the region.
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Persecution worldwide spikes as some countries go from bad to worse
The number of Christians persecuted worldwide jumped to 380 million last year, and while North Korea and Somalia remained the countries with the highest persecution levels respectively, two Central European countries saw the steepest increases, according to Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List (WWL).
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Evangelical leaders urge President-elect Trump to prioritize needs of refugees who flee persecution
By Chris EyteLeaders of evangelical Christian organizations have signed a joint statement urging President-elect Donald Trump to prioritize the needs of persecuted Christian refugees and others seeking asylum as he prepares to take office this month, January 2025.
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Authorities in Sudan ban Christmas service
Authorities prevented Christians internally displaced by war in Sudan from celebrating Christmas in a park where they had taken refuge, sources said.
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Jimmy Moore joins CAFO to strengthen church-oriented orphan care initiatives, explore use technology for training
By Chris EyteJimmy Moore has been appointed director of church strengthening and support at the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), a McLean, Virginia-based nonprofit uniting 290 organizations and a global network of churches to care for vulnerable children and families. Moore specifically aims to leverage technology to help churches better engage in orphan care.
