US
France's Macron, after overture to Church, to visit pope in June
President Emmanuel Macron, accused of straining France's secular foundations by saying he wanted to mend ties with the Catholic Church in his country, will travel to the Vatican in June to meet Pope Francis, the Vatican said on Friday.
Trump says date, place set for North Korea summit
President Donald Trump on Friday said the date and location have been set for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, building suspense for the unprecedented talks, as South Korea said it would oppose a withdrawal of US troops from the area.
Israeli troops fire shots, tear gas at Gaza protesters, 1,100 Palestinians hurt
Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas at Palestinians who thronged the Gaza-Israel frontier and rampaged at a border terminal on Friday as part of a long-running protest, injuring about 1,100 people.
Hawaii on high alert after day of earthquakes, more lava fissures
Hawaii's Big Island was on high alert on Friday evening after the Kilauea volcano spent a day spewing lava into residential areas, forcing hundreds to evacuate, and a series of earthquakes, included a powerful tremor, shook the island.
Anti-conversion law in another Indian state could be used against churches, campaigners say
A seventh Indian state has enacted a law aimed at restricting people's freedom to convert from one religion to another.
Thy Kingdom Come: It's about evangelism, but not as you know it
Thy Kingdom Come has been designed so that everyone from the yells-bells-and-smells, more-Catholic-than-the-pope brigade to the light-bulb-changing, happiest of happy clappers can take part.
Otto Warmbier's mother Cindy speaks out on North Korea: 'You can't negotiate, you just have to shame them'
The parents of Otto Warmbier, the student who died following his imprisonment in North Korea, have spoken out against negotiations with the regime of Kim Jong Un.
UN guilty of 'overall failure to protect religious freedom', claims report
The United Nations is failing to protect religious freedom and guard against the rise in anti-conversion laws, a damning report launched next week claims.
CAR in national mourning as Christian-Muslim violence sees 24 killed, 170 injured
Three days of national mourning have been announced by the president of the Central African Republic (CAR) after an attack on a church in Bangui that killed 16 Christian worshippers, and subsequent violence that has seen eight more killed and 170 injured. The Archbishop of Bangui condemned and lamented the ongoing sectarian violence in the country.
May the Fourth be with you: Faith, the Force and the spirituality of Star Wars
May the Fourth be with you, because yes, it's Star Wars day. What might be the spiritual insights of this pop-culture phenomenon?
'Keep them in the skies': How do we pray when the odds are against us?
I loved the romance of Northolt Airfield, especially as it was home of the Polish Spitfire aces during the war.
Japan's 'hidden Christian' persecution sites recommended for World Heritage status
Twelve sites connected to the persecution of Japanese 'hidden Christians' in the Edo period (1603-1867) have been recommended for World Heritage status by THE United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Paul Ryan backs down in spat with Catholic House chaplain Patrick Conroy
US House speaker Paul Ryan has found himself in a battle with the House chaplain, Patrick Conroy, after it emerged Ryan forced him to resign.
Why is the Bible different from other ancient literature?
Three new ancient Israelite psalms have been deciphered in Egypt. It's a fascinating discovery.
'Sing a new song': The ancient psalms recovered from an Egyptian papyrus
Two new Jewish psalms dating to before the eighth century BC have been discovered on an Egyptian papyrus, granting a unique insight into the religious life of the Israelites.
Ministry cancels conference fearing California bill will gag Christian views on homosexuality, sexual identity & purity
A ministry based in Colorado has decided to cancel student conferences that were supposed to take place in California due to a pending legislation aimed at restricting attempts to change a person's sexual identity.