Iran Orders Review Of Jailing Christians
A top Iranian court has ordered a review of five-year prison terms given to nine Christian converts who left Islam, according to sources familiar with the court’s thinking.
Middle East
Abbas meets Putin, seeks Quartet role in peace process
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for talks on reviving the peace process with Israel, in the context of Russia’s support for the two-state solution.
Gunman Kills One, Injures Others In Jerusalem’s Old City
Israel was on edge late Sunday after a suspected Palestinian militant opened fire in Jerusalem’s Old City, killing one Israeli man and injuring at least four others, including a rabbi.
Pentagon Chief in Mideast to Reaffirm US Support for Region
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin landed in Bahrain Friday at the start of a Middle East trip that will also take him to the United Arab Emirates.
Mideast Quartet expresses concern over West Bank violence, PA financial crisis
The so-called Quartet of Middle East mediators urged Israel and the Palestinians on Thursday to address an array of challenges — ongoing violence in the West Bank, the advancement of new settlement units in Palestinian territories, and “the untenable fiscal crisis within the Palestinian Authority.”
Putin accuses NATO of ignoring Russian ‘warnings about red lines’
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused NATO of ignoring Russian “red lines” in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, a habit that he blamed for raising the risk of a new crisis “tomorrow.”
Isolated Christians Turn To Satellite TV
A global Christian broadcaster says “isolated Christians” in the Middle East and North Africa use visual and digital technology to keep their faith alive amid mounting persecution.
Polish Forces Fire Tear Gas, Water, At Trapped Migrants
Poland’s border forces fired tear gas and water cannon at migrants Tuesday as desperate crowds tried to cross into the European Union nation from neighboring Belarus.
Iran-Backed Militants Storm US Embassy in Yemen, Seize Hostages and Equipment
The State Department is working to secure the release of several kidnapped hostages taken by Iran-backed terrorists just a day after the militant group stormed the U.S. embassy facility in Sana’a, Yemen, U.S. officials told the Washington Free Beacon early Thursday.
Iran Christian Converts Ordered To Start Prison Terms For Faith
Three Iranian men who abandoned Islam to embrace faith in Christ were summoned by Iranian authorities to serve three-year jail sentences, Christians told Worthy News.
Saudi Gets First Major Arms Deal Under Biden With Air-To-Air Missiles
The U.S. State Department approved its first major arms sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under U.S. President Joe Biden with the sale of 280 air-to-air missiles valued at up to $650 million, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
Christians not leaving Lebanon despite chronic economic and political crises
While hundreds of thousands of Lebanese are leaving their catastrophically unstable country in search of a better life, Lebanon’s Christians are largely choosing to stay, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
Algeria Christian Facing Jail For Evangelism
An Algerian Christian who abandoned Islam will soon hear whether he will face a lengthy prison for charges related to what authorities call “suspicious evangelistic activities.”
Jailed Iranian Christians Ask Tehran To Allow Free Worship
Two jailed Iranian Christians have asked Iran’s Islamic authorities to allow them to worship Christ in freedom.
Poland Votes To Build Wall Near Belarus
Poland’s parliament has voted to build a controversial anti-migration wall on its border with Belarus to halt an influx of people fleeing war, persecution, and poverty.
Seventeen Egyptian Coptic Christians disappear in Libya; fears of repeat ISIS beheadings of 2015
Seventeen Egyptian Coptic Christians went missing in Libya on September 30, and fears are rising that Islamic extremists may have kidnapped them in a repeat of the ISIS abductions and beheadings of 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya in 2015, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Couple Flees Syria After Threats For Converting To Christianity
A woman who left Islam for faith in Christ and her Christian husband have fled Syria after police violence and threats from Muslim family members, friends, confirmed to Worthy News.
Britain’s Ex-Archbishop Denies Christian Faith Is ‘Visa To Escape’ Hardship
Britain’s ex-Archbishop of Canterbury has condemned British media for suggesting that the Christian faith is “a visa advantage” for believers in the Middle East fleeing persecution and violence.
Suburb in Kurdistan Region to become largest Christian district in Middle East
A suburb in the Kurdistan Region is to be given autonomous administrative control and become the largest Christian district in the Middle East, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani made the announcement this month about the Erbil suburb of Ankawa.
Afghan Christian Girls Fear Being Abducted As Taliban Brides
Young Christian women and underaged girls in Afghanistan have appealed for help as they fear being abducted as brides for Islamist Taliban fighters, a Christian broadcaster announced Tuesday.