World
Nun 'stabs schoolboy in the hand to show him how Jesus felt'
A nun has been removed from teaching in Slovakia after allegedly stabbing a boy in the hand with a needle to help him empathise with Christ's suffering on the cross.
Australia 'failed to act' over child abuse at controversial refugee camp
Psychiatrists and social workers say allegations of abuse at the Nauru camp were ignored.
Boston bombing trial: Bishops oppose death penalty
Catholic bishops in Massachusetts yesterday reaffirmed their opposition to the death penalty, as prosecutors made their closing arguments in the case against accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Iran nuclear deal can't depend on it recognising Israel, says Obama
Israel's demand amounts to asking for a fundamental change in the regime, says the US president.
The world 'must not look the other way' when Christians are killed by Islamic extremists, says Pope in Easter Monday message
Pope Francis called on the world to give tangible help to persecuted Christians on Monday, highlighting the plight of people he described as modern "martyrs" after nearly 150 people were killed by Islamist militants in Kenya.
Kenya bombs al Shabaab camps in Somalia in response to Garissa attack
The Kenyan air force bombed two al Shabaab camps in Somalia on Sunday, a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) source said.
Indonesia: Court rejects last-ditch appeal by Australian convicts facing death by firing squad
An Indonesian court rejected on Monday a last-ditch challenge by two Australian drug convicts facing execution by firing squad, but lawyers for the state and defence were divided over whether legal avenues remained for them to avoid the death penalty.
Militants attack church and police in Egypt, one policeman dead
Islamist militants hit Egypt's two largest cities on Sunday with a bombing in Cairo and an attack on a church in Alexandria.
Pope at Easter prays for killed Kenyan students, decries persecution
Pope Francis prayed for an end to the persecution of Christians in his Easter Sunday address, commemorating the students massacred by Islamist militants at Garissa University in Kenya.
Kenya says government official's son was among gunmen in Garissa University attack
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Saturday that those behind an attack in which al Shabaab Islamist militants killed 148 people at a university were "deeply embedded" in Kenya, and called on Kenyan Muslims to help prevent radicalization.
Kenyatta says campus attackers 'embedded' in Kenya's Muslim community
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Saturday that those behind an attack in which al Shabaab Islamist militants killed 148 people at a university were "deeply embedded" in Kenya, and called on Kenyan Muslims to help prevent radicalization.
Christian student survived Garissa attack by hiding in cupboard for 2 days
Extraordinary tales of courage and survival are emerging from the Islamist university massacre in Kenya.
Kenya: Armed guards protecting Easter congregations after Islamist attack
Kenyan churches used armed guards to protect their Easter congregations on Sunday, days after gunmen from the Islamist al Shabaab group killed nearly 150 people at a Kenyan university.
34,000 Black churches break away from Presbyterian church over same sex marriage
Approximately 15.7 million African Americans belonging to 34,000 churches have broken their ties with the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) following its decision to allow same sex marriage.
Arizona senator mulls bill to make Sunday church attendance mandatory
Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen (R-Snowflake) believes that America is in need of a moral rebirth and said a bill making it mandatory for Americans to attend a church of their choice every Sunday may not be such a bad idea.
Illinois Senate committee junks bill on Bible colleges
The Illinois Senate has rejected a bill seeking to allow religious institutions to grant degrees without securing the approval of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).