Armed men burned five buses that were supposed to be used for an evacuation near Idlib in Syria on Sunday, stalling a deal to allow thousands to depart from the last rebel pocket in Aleppo.
A new deal is being negotiated to complete the evacuation of rebel-held areas of Syria's east Aleppo which ground to a halt on Friday after demands from pro-government forces that people also be moved out of two villages besieged by insurgents.
Syrian rebels have received a US-backed proposal to leave Aleppo along with civilians under safe passage guaranteed by Russia, rebel officials have said.
Senior Anglican clergy have accused the British government of failing to take seriously the urgent plight of Christians facing persecution and death in Syria and Iraq.
The British government has been slammed for refusing visas to archbishops from Iraq and Syria invited to participate in a service addressed by Prince Charles.
Rebels in Aleppo have told the United States they will not leave their besieged enclave in the city after Moscow called for talks with Washington over their withdrawal, signaling they will fight on even as their top commander was wounded.
The intensity and violence of persecution against religious minorities around the world is "like nothing we've seen in the past two or three decades" an expert has told Christian Today.