HOME RAIDED, BELIEVERS FINED IN AZERBAIJAN
Baku: A Christian's home was raided in Agdash, Azerbaijan on March 25, 2009 by the local official of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, police officers and two camera-men, according reports.  READ MORE

AMERICAN CHRISTIANS EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL
More than 100,000 American Christians have signed a petition expressing solidarity with Israel. The petition, organized by Pastor John Hagee's group Christians United for Israel, was presented on March 24, 2009 to members of Congress. READ MORE

CHRISTIANS EXPELLED FROM MOROCCO
Rabat: Five female Christians, four Spanish and one German, were recently expelled from Morocco on accusations of "proselytizing" Muslims. According to reports the women were among a group of tourists who were arrested by police while gathered for Bible study in the city of Casablanca on March 28, 2009. READ MORE

IRANIAN CONVERTS SENTENCED
Teheran: On March 10, a court in the Iranian city of Shiraz handed three converts to Christianity from Islam eight-month suspended prison sentences with five years probation, according to recent reports. READ MORE

TAJIKISTAN: PRESIDENT SIGNS RESTRICTIVE LAW
Dushanbe: Tajikistan's President, Emomali Rahmon, has signed a repressive new religion law that was first sent to parliament for approval in mid-November, 2008. The legislation, which violates the country's constitution and international human rights obligations, has been harshly criticized by many human rights groups, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. READ MORE

BAGHDAD'S CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOURHOOD
“The killing of four innocent people within the last two days has put a renewed fear in our hearts,” said Julian Taimoorazy, president of Iraqi Christian Relief Council, in an interview with International Christian Concern. “What is important is to keep these continuous atrocities in the media and on the policy makers' radars. What we need is a more safe and secure Iraq for all of Iraqi's especially for the Christians who have faced ethno-religious cleansing.” READ MORE

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH BECOMING A GROWING POLITICAL FORCE
Moscow: The glittering Christ the Savior Cathedral, a palewhite marble structure decorated with bronze statuary and swaths of gold leaf, is more than just Moscow's grandest and most opulent place of worship. Built in the 1990s as a replica of a church dynamited by Communists in 1931, the cathedral symbolizes the Moscow Patriarchate's rising political influence which may be greater today than at any time since the 17th century. It also serves as global headquarters of vast and expanding business operations that experts say are worth several billion dollars. READ MORE

TWO YOUNG CHRISTIAN WOMEN HELD IN NOTORIOUS IRANIAN PRISON WITHOUT CHARGE
Teheran: Roommates Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, and Maryam Rustampoor,27, were arrested March 5 by Iranian security forces who accused them of being “anti-government activists,” reported Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN), which recently received news about their detainment.
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4 CHRISTIANS KILLED WITHIN 48 HOURS IN IRAQ
Baghdad: Four Iraqi Christians were murdered within two days by unknown assailants, according sources. Sha-bah Aziz Suliman was reportedly killed in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Apr. 1, and Nimrud Khuder Moshi, Glawiz Nissan and Hanaa Issaq were murdered thereafter in Dora, a historical Christian neighborhood of Baghdad. READ MORE

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY VOICES CONCERN
London: The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan William has urged the BBC not to neglect Christians in its religious programming. Dr Williams voiced his concern to the corporation's director general Mark Thompson in a private meeting at Lambeth Palace. READ MORE

MUSLIM ATTACKS CHURCH, MOLESTS COPTIC GIRL
Cairo: In another series of the recurring incidents of churches being attacked by mentally deranged Muslims, and for the second time within 12 weeks, the same Muslim impinged on the church of St. George in Mansheyet Eltahrir, Ain Shams. READ MORE

PARENTS SUE SCHOOL OVER RELIGIOUS SONG
Jacksonville (USA): Parents are suing the St. Johns County School Board saying a teacher made their children learn a religious themed song for an end-of-the-year program. The lawsuit, filed last week in federal court, says “In God We Still Trust,” interferes with the parents' right to raise children according to their own beliefs. READ MORE

'JOHN 3:16' NOT WELCOME AT NCAA TOURNAMENT
Has the Bible verse John 3:16 become too controversial to be displayed at sporting events? Some might be asking that question after a basketball fan at the NCAA Tournament had his sign featuring the famous New Testament quote snatched away from him by a security guard. The incident took place last month during Round One of the annual contest, as Siena College, a Catholic school, was taking on Ohio State. READ MORE

REAGAN TRIED TO PERSUADE GORBACHEV?
Moscow: A new biography that draws on recently declassified documents discloses a secret exchange between the two leaders that left at least one official present convinced that Reagan had tried to persuade his counterpart of God's existence. READ MORE

IRANIAN CHRISTIAN RELEASED
Teheran: Delayed reports say that on February 25, 2009, 27-year old Hossein Karimi was released from prison after placing his home as collateral. Hossein, a new convert, had been arrested on charges of attending home churches, evangelizing, storing Bibles and converting to the Christian faith, FCNN reported. READ MORE

THREE ERITREAN CHRISTIANS RELEASED
Asmara: Three Christians were recently released on bail in Eritrea. Two of the men, both in their 80s, had been arrested in November and were being held at the Mitire military prison camp in north-eastern Eritrea. The third man had been held in a police station for six months. READ MORE

POPE WARNS AGAINST WITCHCRAFT IN ANGOLA
Luanda: Pope Benedict XVI issued a warning against witchcraft on March 21, 2009 during his visit to Angola, after calling on African leaders to battle corruption and drawing a tough line against abortion. READ MORE

CHINESE PRIEST BEATEN IN MAYOR'S OFFICE
Beijing: On March 16, 2009, Father Francis Gao Jianli (39) was attacked while at the mayor's office in Xiangong town in Chencang district where he had been invited to discuss a disputed church property.  READ MORE

CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS TO ASSIST ISRAEL
Jerusalem: The international Christian community, under the auspices of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), is ready to step in and partially fill the void that could be left if American funding is cut for Jewish social welfare organizations and programmes in Israel and the Former Soviet Union (FSU). READ MORE

CHRISTIANS UNDER FIRE IN UZBEKISTAN
Six Christians were detained after police raided a home in the town of Kurgantepe, Andijan region, Uzbekistan, where believers had gathered to share a meal together, according to recent reports. Three Christians were detained at the Kurgantepe Rehabilitation Centre for Homeless Persons for not having their identification documents with them. READ MORE

KHMER ROUGE TORTURER FINDS CHRIST
Phnom Penh (Cambodia): Once a devoted Khmer Rouge communist, the regime's former chief executioner traded leftist ideology for Jesus, and now, with his trial going on, presents himself as a pious, contrite, and cooperative old man. READ MORE