Nepali pastor fears to return home following social media backlash for testimony
A pastor in Nepal is facing a social media firestorm that has caused him to flee his home.
India
US and India on verge of trade agreement breakthrough, officials say
U.S. and Indian officials are nearing a trade negotiation breakthrough, according to multiple administration officials and industry insiders familiar with the talks, hoping to unveil at least a preliminary agreement during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit this week.
Tribal Christians in east India maligned for ‘land-grabbing,’ ‘illegal religious conversions’
Christians in eastern India marched in protest last month against what leaders are calling retaliatory government harassment for their attempt to protect tribal lands.
Modi’s government prepares bill that would make all conversions illegal in India
Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is reportedly crafting a sweeping national anti-conversion law that would place a ban not only on forced conversions but also on conversions made in good faith.
Anti-conversion rules tighten in northern India, paving the way for Hindutva
One of India’s nine states to have passed an anti-conversion law in recent years tightened restrictions last month on the choice Indians have to turn from one religion to another.
Saffron Flags Usher in Hindu Nationalist India Where Christians Are Not Free to Worship
Christians in India are becoming more hard-pressed to find places where they can worship freely.
Pastor: Believers in India ‘Have Nothing More To Do Except To Go To God In Prayer’
The oxygen is thinning for religious freedom in India following the reelection of the Bharatiya Janata Party in May, with six attacks on Christians recorded in Telangana State alone in July.
Pakistan asks U.N. Security Council to meet on Kashmir crisis
Pakistan has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, saying India’s revoking of autonomous status to its section of disputed Kashmir poses a threat to the peace and security of South Asia.
Pastor Beaten, Attackers Escape in India as Church Leaders Call on Modi to Address Persecution of Christians
The Evangelical Fellowship of India called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the problem of rising persecution against Christians in his country, after a pastor was dragged from a prayer meeting by members of a nationalist organization.
Pakistan Downgrades Ties With India as Tensions Rise Over Kashmir
Pakistan says it is expelling India’s high commissioner to Islamabad, just hours after downgrading diplomatic and trade ties with New Dehli for stripping the disputed Kashmir region of its special status, as bilateral relations continue to deteriorate.
500 Arrests Made During Clampdown in Indian-Ruled Kashmir, Report Says
A petition was filed Thursday in India’s top court challenging the communications blackout and security clampdown in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where people remained holed up in their homes for a fourth day.
Kashmir tensions intensify amid India-Pakistan skirmishes
Tensions have soared along the volatile, highly militarized frontier between India and Pakistan in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, as India has deployed more troops and ordered thousands of visitors out of the region.
2 Indian Pastors Share Testimonies of Police Inaction Toward Christian Persecution
Christians in Bihar state, India are afraid to report attacks by Hindu militant organizations to the police, according to two pastors, one who had his hand and foot fractured when extremists attacked him.
A Turning-Point in Tehran-Moscow Military Relations’: Iran and Russia Shore Up Ties in Planned Naval Exercise
Russia and Iran moved to strengthen their military ties this week, ahead of a joint Russian-Iranian naval drill slated to take place between the Indian Ocean and contested strait of Hormuz over the next year.
Monsoon Flooding Hits Indian Subcontinent
More than three million people have been forced to flee their homes in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, as the rising floodwaters of monsoon season hit the Indian subcontinent.
Indian House Church in Telangana State Harassed for Third Week in a Row
A house church in India was violently attacked Sunday, June 30th during a worship service, marking the third Sunday in a row the church was harassed by Hindu radicals.
Mike Pence and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rally Christians for Trump
Vice President Mike Pence lashed Democratic opponents and touted President Trump’s record during an annual summit of evangelical supporters of Israel in an address that saw the policy and lobbying conference double as a campaign rally.
Indian Believer Called to Comfort the Sick Arrested and Monitored by Police
A Christian evangelist in India, who felt called to minister to sick people in hospitals, was arrested for ‘forced conversions’ after a local religious leader tipped the police to the fact he was passing out pamphlets.
National Guard First Denies Then Allows Christian Scouting Group to Tour Facility, Citing Need to ‘Prevent Discrimination’
The Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has reversed course on its initial decision to ban a Christian scouting group from touring its training facility.
Donations to ‘religion’ declined $2 billion in 2018 after years of growth: study
Giving to houses of worship, denominational bodies and religious television and radio declined in 2018 after years of growth as individual Americans donated about $3 billion less than they did in 2017 under a new federal tax code, according to a new study.