
Church in Italy slammed with taxes for meeting in former shop
A church in Rome that meets in a former shop is appealing a Supreme Court ruling that they pay thousands of dollars in taxes because the worship site is for commercial use only.

A church in Rome that meets in a former shop is appealing a Supreme Court ruling that they pay thousands of dollars in taxes because the worship site is for commercial use only.
Nigeria's socio-religious conflicts have a long and complex history, with numerous factors influencing the current violence. Whatever the cause, it cannot be denied that Christians are being disproportionately affected by the brutal violence that continues to result.
Accused of orchestrating or tolerating attacks on Christians, top representatives of India's RSS went mute. A video of the scene went viral. For India to fulfill its promise in this century, its most influential non-governmental organization must lead by example in transparency, accountability and permitting space for freedom of religion.
Sudan's civil war continues to rage after three years of devastating conflict and Sudan's two million Christians face particular peril. Yet this conflict is largely overlooked compared to other conflict zones. It seems to be a crisis too complex, too distant, and too African to hold the Western gaze. God sees, however, so let us pray for peace in Sudan and protection especially for Jesus' followers among the Sudanese.
Hungarians celebrating a change in government last week reminds us that freedom can be recovered through democratic means and that illiberal systems are reversible and autocratic leaders are removable. Yet for followers of Jesus our hope is not in political change. Freedom is an inner reality that we must cultivate.

Muslim employers of a 17-year-old Christian who works at their gas company in Pakistan have forcibly converted him to Islam and are holding him in illegal custody, his mother said.

A Christian woman held without charges in Iran since Sept. 9 wept uncontrollably during the five minutes her mother was allowed to visit her on Monday (Sept. 30), a relative said.

Fulani herdsmen killed a Christian on Thursday (Sept. 26) in one area of Plateau state after the killing of eight others on Sept. 15 in another part of the state, sources said.

The Irish government has backed down from plans to include “hate speech” in legislation that risked imprisoning Christians and others for possessing varied and undefined materials deemed offensive.

Muslims who abducted a 17-year-old Christian girl and gang-raped her for 10 days are threatening her family to pressure them to withdraw charges, even as police have failed to arrest most of the suspects, her father said.

Fulani herdsmen and other “bandit” terrorists often allied with them killed more civilians in Nigeria over a four-year period than Islamic extremist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a new report states.