ASSIST News Service

Pop group launches campaign to free Asia Bibi

An all-out media blitz has been started to raise awareness for Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian mother of five children who has been sentenced to death by hanging for defending her Christian beliefs.

Increase in religious rights violations in Indonesia

Compass Direct News (CDN) is reporting that the number of violations of Christians' religious rights in Indonesia reached 40 in the first five months of the year, nearly two-thirds the amount of anti-Christian actions in all of last year, according to the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum.

Deadly suicide bomb attack on church in Nigeria

A suicide bomber crashed the gate of a church compound in Bauchi, a northern Nigerian city on Sunday, killing himself and at least 10 others

Anger towards Egyptian Christians after presidential elections

Some Muslims are angry that Ahmad Shafik is in second place - and are reportedly blaming Christians

Cuban church leaders appeal to US over religious freedom

A delegation of Cuban church leaders has called on the US government to add Cuba to its Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list as one of the world's worst violators of religious freedom.

Sewing helps lift women out of poverty in India

She's only 17, but Anshi already feels a crushing economic burden. "My father's monthly income is not sufficient to run the family," she recently shared.

Record numbers visit Holy Land

Tourism to Israel continues its upward trend as record numbers of tourists flocked to the Holy Land in April.

Suspect in Shahbaz Bhatti case walks free

A man booked for being allegedly involved in the murder of former Pakistan minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti more than a year ago, was acquitted by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) last week.

Iranian Christians temporarily released from prison

The pastor of a church in Esfahan, and nine imprisoned Christians from the city were freed on 30 April and 1 May, pending their recall at a future date.

New app to help dads

Modern-day fathers get a bad rap, and it has often been said in the manner of a joke, that 'Dads need all the help they can get.' Now there's an app for that!

Churches get behind Wembley 2012

Tens of thousands of believers from the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG ) were invited to the National Day of Prayer and Worship later this year.

Deadly explosions during church services at Nigerian university

Attackers armed with bombs and guns opened fire at church services at a Nigerian university, killing about 20 people as worshippers tried to flee, witnesses and officials said.

Kidnapped Swiss Christian freed amid Mali unrest

Separatist Islamist rebels have released a Swiss Christian woman kidnapped by a private militia on April 15 amid political turmoil in Timbuktu, Mali, according to a Swiss foreign ministry statement.

Bombers attack centre in Christian area of Jos in Nigeria

One person was killed and nine others were injured on Tuesday after suspected Islamic extremists attacked a TV viewing centre in a Christian area of Jos

Religious freedom still restricted in Turkey

Compass Direct News (CDN) is reporting that sentiment against Christians in Turkey has persisted long enough for a US religious rights monitor to recommend it as a "Country of Particular Concern", and pastor Orhan Picaklar knows such anti-Christian hostility first-hand.

Southern Sudanese fear forced repatriation

Christians from South Sudan who had until Easter Sunday April 8 to try to become citizens of Sudan or be deported, fear authorities will use the occasion to rid the country of Christianity, church leaders said.