This Life: Grace – the greatest gift of all
US columnist CAROL ROUND, in an article first published on ASSIST News Service, reflects on God’s gift of grace…
In the US, Liberty University deletes John Piper convocation videos after Trump criticism
RNS Liberty University removed videos of evangelical author and speaker John Piper from its website after the well-known pastor wrote a blog post that was seen as critical of President Donald Trump. According to Christianity Today, Piper and Southern Baptist Convention President JD Greear recorded a video conversation with David Nasser, Liberty’s senior vice president for spiritual development, […]
US Election Day – Seven religious voter trends to look for
Washington DC, USRNS After more than a year of campaigning, the 2020 election is finally upon us, pitting Democrat Joe Biden against President Donald Trump. It has been an unusually faith-focused campaign season, with both candidates repeatedly appealing to religion and religious voters over the past few months – albeit often in very different ways. Voters mark their […]
Pakistani police rescue Christian teen forced to convert, marry
Karachi, Pakistan Thomson Reuters Foundation Pakistani police have rescued a missing Christian teenager who was allegedly forced to convert to Islam and marry a 44-year-old Muslim man, her family said on Tuesday after the case sparked street protests and outrage on social media. A court in the city of Karachi ordered police to free the […]
Austrian police arrest 14 in manhunt after gunman’s deadly rampage
Vienna, AustriaReuters Austrian police raided 18 properties and arrested 14 people in a massive dragnet on Tuesday, after a gunman identified as a convicted jihadist killed four people and injured 22 in a rampage in the centre of Vienna. The 20-year-old gunman, who was killed by police minutes after opening fire on crowded bars late […]
US Election Day – Trump, Biden hand their fate to voters, with robust turnout
Washington DC, USAP President Donald Trump and Joe Biden handed their fate Tuesday to voters, who will decide which man will steer the country through the surging pandemic that has killed over 231,000 people, destroyed jobs and reshaped nearly every aspect of American life. With almost 102 million Americans voting early and millions more waiting […]
Austrian minister says “Islamist terrorist” in Vienna attack, death toll rises to five
Vienna, AustriaReuters Hundreds of police fanned out across Vienna on Tuesday, searching for perpetrators of attacks that left five people dead in the city’s centre, after what a government minister said was an “Islamist terrorist” incident. In an early morning televised news conference, Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer repeated calls for the public to stay […]
UN expert airs human rights concerns ahead of Myanmar vote
Geneva, SwitzerlandAP An independent human rights expert working with the United Nations is calling on Myanmar’s government and military leadership to stop persecuting supporters of the opposition ahead of Sunday’s general election. Thomas Andrews, a former US congressman from Maine who is the UN special investigator on Myanmar, called for free and fair elections but […]
British volunteers uncover 80,000 kilometres in missing footpaths
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Walking enthusiasts have uncovered nearly 80,000 kilometres of footpaths that are missing from official maps in England and Wales, putting them at risk of being lost forever, a charity said on Monday. The historic paths, which include a favourite walk described by writer Virginia Woolf in her diaries, were identified by […]
In the US, Louisiana man gets 25 years for torching three Baptist churches
Lafayette, Louisiana, USAP A Louisiana man who admitted to burning down three predominantly African American churches to promote himself as a “black metal” musician was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay the churches $US2.6 million. US District Judge Robert Summerhays of Lafayette sentenced Holden Matthews, giving the 23-year-old man credit […]