Finnish MP on Trial Over Bible Verse to Testify Before Congress on Europe’s Speech Crackdown

Finnish MP on Trial Over Bible Verse to Testify Before Congress on Europe’s Speech Crackdown

Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish member of parliament awaiting a ruling from the country’s top court over a criminal case tied to a Bible verse tweet, is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday about expanding speech restrictions in Europe. Räsänen is set to appear before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington during a hearing on foreign censorship that will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building.
  • Former Archbishop Rowan Williams Condemns Putin’s Religious Rhetoric on Ukraine War
    Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing “heresy” after the Russian leader suggested that his country’s military actions were being carried out at divine direction. Williams made the remarks in a recent interview with The Independent while responding to a speech Putin delivered earlier this month to Russian troops during celebrations marking Orthodox Christmas.
  • Huckabee Pushes Back After Jerusalem Church Leaders Criticize Christian Zionism
    U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has publicly rebuked senior Orthodox and Catholic leaders in Jerusalem after they issued a joint statement describing Christian Zionism as a “damaging ideology.” The dispute follows a Jan. 17 declaration titled “A Statement from the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem on Unity and Representation of the Christian Communities in the Holy Land.”

European Court Reviews Potentially Landmark Case on Religious Symbols in Public Building

The European Court of Human Rights is examining a case that could set an important precedent on whether religious symbols may be displayed in courtrooms and other public buildings across Europe. The dispute stems from complaints filed by Greek atheists who contend that the presence of Christian icons in judicial settings infringed on their right to a fair trial and freedom of religion.
  • Third-Century ‘Good Shepherd’ Image of Jesus Discovered in Ancient Tomb in Turkey
    Archaeologists working in Turkey have uncovered a rare third-century mural portraying Jesus as the “Good Shepherd,” offering new insight into early Christian art and belief. The artwork, which is notably well preserved, forms the central image among several frescoes found inside an underground burial chamber in the Hisardere necropolis near the modern town of Iznik.
  • UK Faith Leaders Warn Anti-Muslim Hatred Definition Risks Free Speech
    Faith leaders in the United Kingdom are raising concerns over the Labour government’s proposed definition of anti-Muslim hatred, arguing that the plan could threaten religious liberty and freedom of expression. The debate centers on a definition first introduced in 2018 by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims, which characterized Islamophobia as a form of racism.
  • Next Archbishop of Canterbury Speaks Out Against Assisted Dying as U.K. Bill Advances
    The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury has publicly rejected assisted suicide, weighing in as a controversial bill permitting assisted dying advances through the U.K. Parliament following a narrow vote in the House of Commons last year. In a recent appearance on the BBC’s “Today” program, Dame Sarah Mullally discussed the issue with former prime minister Theresa May, drawing on her background in both healthcare and ministry to explain her opposition.
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  • Sudan Drone Attack Kills 11 Christians Traveling to Christmas Service

    A drone attack attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces on Christmas Day left at least 11 Christians dead as they traveled to attend holiday services in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, local sources reported. An area Christian lawyer said the victims were among a group walking toward the Episcopal Church of Sudan in the Julud area.

  • ‘God Has Not Forgotten Venezuela’: Evangelical Leaders Call for Prayer After U.S. Operation

    President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces carried out what he described as a decisive military operation in Venezuela early Saturday, an action that administration sources said followed months of strategic pressure on the socialist government. According to Trump, the operation involved targeted explosions and the deployment of aircraft in Caracas and ended with the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were flown out of the country.

  • Syria Foils Islamic State Plot Targeting Churches on New Year’s Eve

    Syrian authorities say they disrupted an Islamic State plan to carry out coordinated attacks against churches and public gatherings during New Year’s Eve celebrations, prompting heightened security measures around houses of worship. The Interior Ministry said intelligence indicated that Islamic State militants were preparing “suicide operations and attacks targeting New Year’s celebrations in a number of governorates,

  • Ancient Mikveh Found Beneath Western Wall Plaza Illuminates Final Temple Era

    Archaeologists excavating beneath Jerusalem’s Western Wall Plaza have uncovered a rock-carved mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath, dating to the final days of the Second Temple period. Experts say the discovery offers a rare glimpse into daily religious life shortly before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. The find was announced Monday following excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority in partnership with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

  • Pakistan Marks Christmas With Unprecedented State Sponsorship, Signaling Shift on Religious Freedom

    Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments openly sponsored Christmas celebrations nationwide, signaling what officials described as a renewed commitment to religious freedom and equal citizenship. Across major cities — including Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi — Christmas observances extended well beyond church grounds.

  • British Woman Charged for Silent Prayer Outside Abortion Clinic, U.S. Raises Religious Liberty Concerns

    A British Catholic volunteer has become the first person criminally charged under a newly enacted U.K. public order law after authorities accused her of silently praying near an abortion facility. The case has drawn sharp criticism from U.S. officials and religious freedom advocates.

  • 130 Kidnapped Catholic Schoolchildren and Staff Released in Nigeria before Christmas

    Nigerian authorities confirmed Monday that every remaining 130 student and staff member taken during a mass kidnapping at a Catholic school in the country’s north has now been released. The abduction occurred before dawn on Nov. 21, when gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Papiri community of Niger state, seizing children and staff before fleeing, according to police and church sources.

  • Pakistani Court Acquits Christian Accused of Blasphemy After Facebook Bible Post

    A Pakistani court acquitted a Christian man of blasphemy charges in September, but the decision was kept private for weeks out of fear for his safety, according to his legal counsel. Sargodha Magistrate Syed Faizan-e-Rasool cleared 47-year-old Haroon Shahzad on Sept. 27 after the original complainant, Muhammad Imran Ladhar, withdrew the accusation he filed on June 30, 2023, attorney Aneeqa Maria confirmed. 
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