Staff writer

New guide launched to help churches understand Universal Credit
A new guide has been published to help churches understand Universal Credit and better support people they come into contact who are receiving it.
Pope tells clergy they must report sexual abuse and cover-ups
The Pope has issued new guidelines making it mandatory for Roman Catholic clergy to report cases of clerical sexual abuse or attempts to cover it up.

Church of England maintains confidentiality of confession for now
The Church of England has decided to maintain the confidentiality of the confessional for now after a working group set up to review the guidelines failed to reach a unanimous verdict on the matter.

Persecution of Christians is 'close to our hearts', says Jeremy Hunt
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has affirmed the UK's commitment to addressing the persecution of Christians following a meeting of faith leaders at the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday.

Pastor, church members and Christian relief worker kidnapped in Nigeria
A group of Christians, including a church pastor, are missing after being kidnapped in Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram militants while on their way to deliver aid.

Christian rugby player Israel Folau says his 'head is held high' after breach of conduct
Christian rugby player Israel Folau says his "head is held high" after being found guilty of breaching Rugby Australia's player code of conduct.

UN steps in to stop French disabled man being dehydrated to death
A UN committee has intervened to stop a disabled man in France from being starved and dehydrated to death.

Church of England response to child sexual abuse 'marked by secrecy'
The scathing report also accused some senior clergy of demonstrating "deep-seated arrogance" in response to claims of sexual abuse

US and UK should use foreign policy to help persecuted Christians, say Church leaders
The Archbishop of Canterbury hosted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at a meeting of faith leaders on Wednesday to discuss how Christians can be protected from persecution.

History is at risk of repeating itself, UN special adviser warns religious leaders
Signs of the anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance that overshadowed Europe in the lead-up to the Second World War are "resurfacing", a UN summit of religious leaders has heard.

Asia Bibi supporter faces deportation from the UK
A campaign has been launched to stop the imminent deportation of a Pakistani Christian who sought sanctuary in the UK after protesting against his country's blasphemy laws.

Church calls on UK to work with Pakistan in ending misuse of blasphemy law
The Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly is calling upon the UK to use its relations with Pakistan to end misuse of the country's blasphemy laws.

Christian mother Asia Bibi has finally left Pakistan
After Christian mother Asia Bibi finally departed from Pakistan, where she spent nearly a decade on death row, Release International is asking Pakistan to free 200 others Christians behind bars for blasphemy.

Christian rugby player committed 'high level breach' of player conduct, panel finds
Australian rugby player Israel Folau is waiting to hear what punishment awaits him after a three-person panel concluded he committed a "high level" breach of player conduct.

Exorcists share experiences of fighting evil and demonic possession
When exorcists met in Rome, they held a major summit on how to treat demonic possession and respond effectively to the growth of Satanism and secularism.

Christians beaten during prayer meeting in India
Christians were beaten and threatened with death as they held a prayer meeting at a church in India last week.