Africa

• One survivor as 20 killed in South Sudan plane crash(BBC) - Only one person has survived a plane crash in South Sudan, which killed 20 oil workers who were on board, the government said. The plane, which was heading to the capital, Juba, crashed three minutes after take-near the oil fields in Unity State on Wednesday morning, said Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol. Among the victims are five foreign nationals: two Chinese, one Indian, and two Ugandan crew members. The 15 other victims were all South Sudanese. The cause of the crash has not been determined, but authorities said they are investigating.
• Rwanda-backed rebels seize key town in DR Congo (BBC). Rebel forces backed by Rwanda have captured the town of Masisi in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to various reports. This is the second town seized by the M23 group in as many days in the mineral-rich North Kivu province. The group has taken control of vast swathes of eastern DR Congo since 2021, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Angola has been attempting to mediate talks between President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame. But these broke down last month.
• Nurse dies as Uganda confirms new Ebola outbreak (BBC) - Uganda's ministry of health has confirmed a new outbreak of the Ebola virus in the capital, Kampala, with one reported death. The victim was a 32-year-old male nurse whose symptoms included "high fever, chest pain, and difficulty in breathing" and "bleeding from multiple body sites". He died of multi-organ failure on Wednesday at Mulango National Hospital, located in the city's central business district. This marks Uganda's eighth recorded Ebola outbreak since the first infection was documented in 2000.
• Nigeria military kills 16 civilians in air strike 'mistake' (BBC) - At least 16 civilians in Nigeria's north-western Zamfara State have been killed in a military air strike, apparently after being mistaken for criminal gangs. Residents told local media the victims were members of local vigilante groups and civilians defending themselves from armed gangs notorious for kidnapping people for ransom. The strikes targeted militant gangs in Zurmi and Maradun areas and the state governor, Dauda Lawal, offered his condolences to the community. The military has acknowledged conducting air strikes, which it said had dealt "a decisive blow to bandits terrorising villages in the area".
• Emerging Islamic Extremist Group Kills Christians in Northern Nigeria - 1/15/2025 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) — A newly emerging Islamic terror group, Lakurawa, has once again unleashed violence in Northern Nigeria, targeting Christians and advancing their agenda of establishing an Islamic caliphate in the region. In the latest attack, the Lakurawa terrorists invaded a construction site in Gumki village, Arewa County, Kebbi state, killing three Christians employed by a leading telecommunication firm. The victims were reportedly installing a surveillance mast for the Nigeria Immigration Service when the attack occurred. Conflicting reports have surfaced regarding the identities of the victims. While police reports identify them as employees of Airtel, local sources insist they were staff of the Nigeria Immigration Service. Medical personnel at the Sir Yahaya Specialist Hospital confirmed that three of the deceased were Christians serving in immigration roles.
• Suitcases of 'cocaine' found in Sierra Leone embassy vehicle (BBC) - Sierra Leone has recalled its ambassador from neighbouring Guinea after seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine were found in an embassy vehicle. On Monday, Guinean authorities impounded a vehicle belonging to Sierra Leone's embassy and detained its occupants on suspicion of possessing "substances suspected to be cocaine", Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba said. "In light of this serious development, the government has urgently recalled Sierra Leone's ambassador to Guinea, Ambassador Mr Alimamy Bangura, to Freetown to provide a full account of the incident," he added. The recalled envoy was not in the car and is not under arrest, the minister said.
• Dead bodies seen in videos from South African mine (BBC) - Disturbing videos have emerged showing the dire situation at a disused gold mine in South Africa where scores of illegal miners have reportedly been living underground for months.They have been there since police operations targeting illicit mining started last year across the country. In one of the videos, which the BBC has not independently verified, corpses wrapped in makeshift body bags can be seen. A second shows the emaciated figures of some miners who are still alive. A long-delayed rescue operation, that last week a court ordered the government to facilitate, is continuing for a second day after beginning on Monday.
• Boko Haram’s Latest Attacks Displace Thousands of Christians in Nigeria - 1/24/2025 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) — Boko Haram is escalating attacks on Christian communities in Chibok, Borno state, displacing more than 4,000 Christians in recent days. In a series of coordinated raids, Boko Haram targeted the Christian villages of Njila, Banziir, Shikarkir, and Yirmirmug, burning homes, torching churches, and killing five people.During the most recent attack on Monday, terrorists descended on Shikarkir and Yirmirmug in the early morning, displacing more than 1,500 residents. Eyewitnesses reported that Boko Haram militants targeted Christians during these raids, intimidating them and demanding they convert to Islam or face death. The violence destroyed Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa, a church, and the loss of livestock, food supplies, and livelihoods.
• Nigerian Church Leader Killed During Worship Service - 1/30/2025 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) — Yomi Adetula, a respected 54-year-old leader of the Celestial Church of Christ, Eagle Parish, in Ogun state, Nigeria, was shot during a morning service on Sunday, Jan. 19, by gunmen reportedly affiliated with a cult group targeting Christian communities. The community admired Adetula for his devotion to prayer and community service and for serving as a commander in the Ogun State So-Safe Security outfit. Eyewitnesses recounted a distressing scene as three attackers entered the church and fired upon the congregation
• Chinese nationals arrested with gold bars and $800,000 cash in DR Congo (BBC) - Three Chinese nationals have been arrested with 12 gold bars and $800,000 (£650,000) in cash in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials say. The gold and money was hidden under the seats of the vehicle they were travelling in, according to Jean Jacques Purusi, the governor of South Kivu province. He said the operation to arrest the men had been kept secret after the recent release of another group of Chinese nationals accused of running an illegal gold mine in the area. Eastern DR Congo has abundant reserves of gold, diamonds and the minerals used to make batteries for mobile phones and electric vehicles.
• Ethiopia villagers flee volcanic activity 'in panic' (BBC) - Hundreds of people in a rural part of Ethiopia, 165 km (100 miles) north-east of the capital, Addis Ababa, have been leaving their homes in panic as a nearby volcano has been showing signs of a possible eruption, a local chief told the BBC's Afaan Oromoo service.The smoke coming from Mount Dofan that began around 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Thursday "has a fiery plume and it's very high," Sultan Kemil said. In a video posted by the Ethiopian Geological Institute on its Facebook page steam and debris can be seen shooting out from the mountain. In recent weeks, there have been more than a dozen seismic events around Awash Fentale - an earthquake-prone area of Ethiopia's Afar region.
• Pastors kidnapped in northern Nigeria set free (The Christian Post) - Two church pastors kidnapped in northeastern Nigeria have been released, Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) leaders said. The Rev. James Kwayang and the Rev. Ishaku Chiwar of the EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria) were kidnapped by terrorists from church premises in Mbila-Malibu town, Song County, Adamawa state on Dec. 29, 2024, said the Rev. Daniel Mbaya, EYN president, in a statement from the denomination spokesman Mbursa Jinatu. “As we celebrate the safe return of these two dedicated servants of God, we are reminded of the power of collective prayer and support,” Mbaya said, adding that church leaders expressed appreciation for the prayers of members of the church and other Christians following their Jan. 5 release.
• Sudanese authorities arrest, torture 7 displaced Christians (The Christian Post) - Intelligence agents of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) on Jan. 14 arrested and tortured at least seven Christians in Shendi, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of Khartoum, sources said. The members of the Sudanese Church of Christ had sought refuge in areas controlled by the SAF from the military fighting in Khartoum, but upon arrival in Shendi, River Nile state, they were arrested by personnel from Military Intelligence, according to the Sudanese Christian Youth Union. Military Intelligence agents accused the Christians of supporting the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and receiving stolen money, with the Christians denying both allegations. The youth union asserted that the false accusations were an excuse to arrest the Christians, and an attorney following the case said authorities tortured them into confessing

Asia + Middle East

• Myanmar Junta Continues Bid for Legitimacy Amid Dramatic Territorial Losses - 1/2/2025 Myanmar (International Christian Concern) — In an informal consultation with representatives from Thailand, China, India, Laos, and Bangladesh earlier this month, junta leaders from Myanmar indicated that plans for a national election in 2025 are continuing apace. While analysts have largely panned the planned elections as a meaningless exercise meant to whitewash the junta’s undemocratic seizure of power in 2021, some of Myanmar’s neighbors seem ready to accept the elections as legitimate. Speaking to the media after the consultation, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa touted the junta’s assurances that it would invite international election observers, conduct a census, and register parties in the leadup to the election.
• Official Faces New Allegations of Attempted Religious Conversions - Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh is facing new allegations that she is attempting to convert Muslims and establish Malaysia as a Christian nation. Seven reports were recently filed at the Dang Wangi police headquarters following calls by several nongovernmental organizations for the Home Ministry to ban her book, “Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey,” citing national security concerns. Yeoh previously faced accusations of Christian evangelism in July 2024. Dang Wangi Police Chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman confirmed the receipt of the police reports and stated that investigations are underway.
• Acting Government in Syria Announces Religious Changes to Curriculum - 1/6/2025 Syria (International Christian Concern) — In a recent announcement on social media, Syria’s Ministry of Education published a series of proposed amendments to the national curriculum that some analysts have criticized as moving the education system toward a more fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. “After reviewing the amendments,” Syrian journalist Hussam Hammoud said last Wednesday on X, “it’s clear that, aside from removing signs of the criminal Assad regime, the remaining changes have a distinct religious tone.” Others, pointing out that most of the amendments have yet to be implemented, suggest that the proposals may be more benign.
• Local Government Approves Plan for Warehouse to Become Church - 1/6/2025 Indonesia (International Christian Concern) — Acting Mayor of Cirebon, Agus Mulyadi, recently approved a permit to build a church in the village of Pegambiran in the Lemahwungkuk district of Cirebon. In November 2024, several residents rejected the original plan to build the church. However, after intensive dialogue, villagers became more accepting. Mulyadi said the church will use an abandoned warehouse. He admitted that he had communicated with community leaders to reduce resistance from residents.
• Indian Christians Petition President, Prime Minister - 1/7/2025 India (International Christian Concern) — Nearly 400 Christian leaders and 30 church groups have written a letter to Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for urgent action to address the rising violence and systemic challenges that India’s Christian community is facing. In a letter dated Dec. 31, 2024, these leaders and groups cited data saying that the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) recorded more than 720 incidents targeting Christians until mid-December last year, while the United Christian Forum (UCF) recorded 760 incidents until the end of November 2024. More than 14 attacks against Christian gatherings were also reported during the 2024 Christmas season. Indian Christians are estimated to make up 2.3% of the total population.
• Under-the-Radar Threats: Religious Extremism Threatens Christians in Southeast Asia - 01/09/2025 Southeast Asia (International Christian Concern) – Although Christian persecution is pervasive in Brunei, Laos, the Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Indonesia, the enormous suffering endured by Christ followers in these countries is largely unreported. Religious nationalism, the influence of communism, and the political landscapes of these nations all contrib­ute to the persecution of Christians throughout the re­gion. The plight of the persecuted in these nations, how­ever, often goes unnoticed compared to other countries in the region, largely due to suppression of the press and China and North Korea’s on­going difficulties con­tinually dominating the news. According to Report­ers without Borders, a press freedom watch­dog group, 209 jour­nalists were killed, de­tained, or disappeared from 2014 to 2024 in Indonesia, Laos, Ma­laysia, the Maldives, and Myanmar.
• 20 Christians Remain Incarcerated in Pakistan - 1/10/2025 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) — An International Christian Concern (ICC) analysis of data from the United States Commission on Religious Freedom (USCIRF) found that 20 Christians have remained behind bars in Pakistan for a total of 134 years for the crime of blasphemy. USCIRF is a U.S. governmental commission that monitors religious freedom rights abroad. Due to the secrecy surrounding many foreign governments, USCIRF maintains that “it is difficult to obtain, confirm, and verify comprehensive information about all victims. It is also impossible to capture all incidents of victimization.” Between 2002 and 2023, the Christians were detained or imprisoned in separate cases for alleged crimes, including “insulting the Prophet Muhammad,” a crime punishable by death under Pakistani law, “desecrating the Quran,” and “intending to outrage religious feelings.” All 20 remain incarcerated to this day.
• Chhattisgarh Follows Uttar Pradesh’s Lead with Proposed Change to Anti-Conversion Law - 1/16/2025 India (International Christian Concern) — The central Indian state of Chhattisgarh is set to replace its existing anti-conversion law with a new one like Uttar Pradesh’s draconian anti-conversion law to make it difficult to change one’s religion. The proposed law calls for strict punishment for those who conduct “forced conversions.” Media reports have discussed the virtues of the proposed law, stating that, at present, there is no such procedure in Chhattisgarh in which the process of conversion can be given legality. At the request of a follower of a particular religion, people accept that religion and, by adopting their method of worship, start calling themselves followers of that religion.
• Malaysian Government, JAKIM Allegedly Coercing Students to Convert to Islam - 1/16/2025 Malaysia (International Christian Concern) — Recent reports have surfaced alleging that the Malaysian government, in collaboration with the Islamic institution JAKIM, is employing tactics to pressure non-Muslim students into converting to Islam during university orientation programs. These allegations raise serious concerns about religious freedom, coercion, and the rights of individuals to make informed decisions about their faith.
• Church Established in 1968 Finally Gets Certificate of Ownership - 1/17/2025 Indonesia (International Christian Concern) — A church in East Jakarta, Indonesia, is getting a home after 56 years without one. The Pasundan Christian Church (GKP) Congregation of Kampung Tengah recently received a certificate of ownership from Nusron Wahid, the minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN). The certificate handover on December 25, 2024, marked the end of the congregation’s long journey in obtaining legal certainty for the land they use as a place of worship. As officially recognized landowners, the congregation, established in 1968, can conduct worship more calmly and comfortably.
• India’s Supreme Court Sides with Deceased Pastor’s Son in Fight for Right to Christian Burial - 1/21/2025 India (International Christian Concern) — The Supreme Court of India (SCI) on Jan. 18 reprimanded authorities in Chhattisgarh for not assisting in the burial of a Christian in a tribal village in the state’s southern province of Bastar. A bench of two SCI judges, while expressing surprise over the fact that the body of Pastor Subhash Baghel had been in a mortuary since Jan. 7, said they found it inexplicable that state authorities couldn’t help in the burial and sought an explanation. Their statements came as the SCI heard an appeal filed by Ramesh Baghel, the pastor’s son and member of the Mahra caste. His appeal challenged an order of the Chhattisgarh High Court that rejected his plea to bury his father’s body in a burial area in his village designated for Christians.
• Prominent Christian Artist Fei Xiaosheng Arrested in China - 1/22/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — As he prepared to leave the country earlier this month, Chinese authorities arrested 55-year-old Fei Xiaosheng, a well-known Chinese artist, musician, and committed Christian. Fei, known through the Songzhuang Artists Village collective, where he organized performances and festivals, is detained at Beilin Detention Center in Beijing. A few years ago, authorities detained Fei for 40 days after he publicly supported Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and independence from China. His arrest is the latest in the communist government’s crackdown on artists whose work and views are seen as potentially subversive.
• 71-Year-Old Pastor Arrested for ‘Anti-State Propaganda’ - 1/23/2025 Vietnam (International Christian Concern) — Pastor Nguyen Manh Hung, 71, was arrested on Jan. 16 for a Facebook post that criticized Vietnam’s communist government. Authorities charged Nguyen with promoting “anti-state propaganda,” a charge that carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Police reportedly cut off the power to the pastor’s home, entered the home, and arrested the pastor. Officers also confiscated documents, laptops, and phones. Authorities detained Pastor Nguyen’s son and interrogated him for several hours but released him later that night. Authorities have harassed Pastor Nguyen several times in the last 15 years. But he has continued to publicly challenge corruption and human rights abuses from the communist government, including appearing in 2015 before a U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee investigating violations of religious freedoms in Vietnam.
• Indonesia’s Minister of Religion Prepares ‘Curriculum of Love’ for Teachers - 1/23/2025 Indonesia (International Christian Concern) — Indonesian Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar recently announced a new program called the “Curriculum of Love,” a new guideline for religion teachers that promotes tolerance and respect of different religions. Nasaruddin made the announcement during the DKI Provincial Government’s Christmas event at Convention Ancol, North Jakarta, on Jan. 17. “Currently, many religious teachers teach that their religion is the most correct, while others are considered wrong or heretical,” he said. “What would happen if children were taught hatred in a very pluralistic country like Indonesia?”
• Christian Husband, Wife First to Be Convicted Under Anti-Conversion Law - 1/27/2025 India (International Christian Concern) — A Christian evangelist couple in India was convicted on Jan. 22 for the mass conversion of Dalit community members under Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law. This is the first time that such a conviction has occurred in India. The convicted couple was deemed culpable under section 3/5 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act. The couple, Pastor Jose Pappachan and his wife Sheeja Pappachan, were found guilty of forced religious conversions and were sentenced to five years of imprisonment with a fine of Rs 25,000 each (about USD 300). A special court in the Ambedkar Nagar district known for redressing offenses against socially disadvantaged castes like the Dalits convicted the Christian couple.
• Israel sends report to UN on 'brutal' treatment used by terrorists against hostages in Gaza (FOX NEWS) - In a new report by the Israeli Ministry of Health, recently submitted to the United Nations, hostages who were freed from Hamas captivity described how they were subjected to unimaginable suffering. Among the chilling testimonies, two children revealed they were bound and beaten throughout their captivity, with scars and marks of trauma evident on their bodies. Others reported deliberate burning with heated objects, leaving permanent injuries. Women detailed horrifying sexual violence, including assaults at gunpoint and forced undressing in front of captors. Men also endured sexual abuse, prolonged starvation, severe beatings, and torture involving branding with hot metal.
• Freed Israeli hostage speaks out for first time, says she has 'returned to my life' following Hamas captivity (FOX NEWS) - One of the three Israeli hostages released by Hamas is speaking out after spending nearly 500 days in captivity, saying that she has "returned to my life." In a post on Instagram, Emily Damari, 28, also wrote, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, I'm the happiest in the world just to be." Damari is a dual Israeli-British citizen who lost two fingers during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities. She was said to be in stable condition on Sunday after being freed from the Gaza Strip.

Australia

• 13 charged over alleged conspiracy to import more than two tonnes of drugs in Australia’s largest cocaine bust (news.com.au). The Australian Federal Police has charged 11 men and two juveniles over an alleged conspiracy to import 2.34 tonnes of cocaine into Australia by sea. Police say the cocaine seized from an alleged transnational organised crime syndicate has an estimated street value of about $760m. The operation took place about 18km off of Fraser Island on Queensland’s east coast.
• NSW Police investigate anti-Semitic graffiti at Maroubra, Sydney (news.com.au). A home near a Jewish primary school is among the latest targets in a spate of anti-Semitic attacks sweeping Sydney. Graffiti reading “f**k the Jews” and other anti-Semitic messages was discovered scrawled on a house near a Jewish primary school in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra on Thursday morning. The graffiti is written onto a residential property on Hannan Street, next to the Mount Sinai College and close to a childcare centre that was firebombed last week. Anti- Semitic messages were also scrawled at the Westfield Eastgardens shopping centre in Sydney’s east. NSW Police told NewsWire it was investigating multiple anti- Semitic graffiti attacks on Thursday morning.
• 14 Pentecostal sect members convicted for death of 8-year-old girl denied lifesaving insulin (The Christian Post) The parents of an 8-year-old girl, her adult brother and 11 other members of a small, tongues-talking Pentecostal sect in Toowoomba, Australia, were convicted of manslaughter Wednesday for causing her death by withholding lifesaving insulin needed to treat her Type 1 diabetes because of their religious beliefs. In a nearly 500-page verdict, Queensland Supreme Court Justice Martin Burns convicted 8-year-old Elizabeth Rose Struhs’ father, Jason Richard Struhs, 53; her mother, Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, 49; and her brother Zachary Alan Struhs, 22; ofmanslaughter for her Jan. 7, 2022, death. Also convicted of manslaughter are Loretta Stevens, Therese Stevens, Andrea Stevens, Camelia Stevens, Acacia Stevens, Alexander Stevens, Sebastian Stevens, Keita Martin, Lachlan Schoenfisch and Samantha Schoenfisch..
• Australian police find explosives for possible antisemitic attack (BBC) Authorities in Sydney are investigating whether explosives discovered in a caravan were intended for an antisemitic attack. The explosives could have caused a 40m-wide blast and "significant damage,"police said on Wednesday, adding that the threat was contained.
  A note was found in the caravan that displayed antisemitic messages, investigators said. This is the discovery of a potential mass casualty event, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said
• Australian feared dead in captivity is still alive, Russia says (BBC). The Australian government has been told by Moscow that one of its citizens in Russian captivity is still alive. Oscar Jenkins, a 32-year-old teacher, was captured last year while fighting for Ukraine. "The Australian government has received confirmation from Russia that Oscar Jenkins is alive and in custody,; Foreign Minster Penny Wong said in a statement on Wednesday. Earlier, there were reports that Mr. Jenkins had been killed while in captivity, with the Australian government citing ;grave concerns for his welfare.

Europe

• Christian Prayer App ‘Hallow’ Banned in Europe - 1/29/2025 Europe (International Christian Concern) — Alex Jones, CEO and Co-Founder of the Christian prayer app Hallow, took to X (formerly Twitter) yesterday, announcing that the European Union (EU) would no longer allow its citizens access to the app. Jones explained that “over-regulation” targeting all religious apps would make it impossible for Hallow to be available in the EU. This news comes shortly after China removed Hallow from its app store in July 2024. In his post, Jones expressed his heartbreak over the news as Hallow was in the works of expanding its content to Polish, French, Italian, and German audiences. Since its launch in December 2018, Hallow has seen more than 18 million downloads across 150 countries, making its worldwide reach and influence significant.
• Death by dehydration: Family of Christian woman speak out after hospital removes nutrition tube (The Christian Post) - The family of a Christian woman who was removed from life support despite their objections is condemning the decision as a violation of her wishes. Her children say her religious convictions and right to life were disregarded by a court order. Hyacinth McIntosh, 54, was removed from life support and denied hydration against her wishes and beliefs, her family has said, according to the U.K.-based group Christian Concern. A Court of Protection ruling last November authorized McIntosh’s ventilator, feeding and hydration to be withdrawn, leading to her death on Dec. 25, 2024. Legal documents state that McIntosh had been in a coma since May, when she experienced a heart attack followed by severe brain damage.
• Vatican opens door to letting gay men pursue the priesthood in Italy (The Christian Post) - The Vatican has given its blessing to a document suggesting that those with same-sex attraction can pursue the priesthood in Italy. The Italian Episcopal Conference, the group of Roman Catholic bishops in Italy, approved a document at its 78th General Conference in 2023 titled "The formation of priests in churches in Italy. Guidelines and standards for seminaries." The Vatican's Office of the Dicastery for the Clergy granted a decree on Dec. 8, enabling it to go into effect shortly thereafter.
• Man jailed for 30 years for Charlie Hebdo meat cleaver attack (BBC) - A man has been jailed for 30 years for attempting to murder two people with a meat cleaver outside the former Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo in 2020. Zaheer Mahmood, 29, from Pakistan, attacked and badly wounded two employees of the Premieres Lignes news agency, days after Charlie Hebdo had republished cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. He was unaware Charlie Hebdo had moved offices to a secret location after 12 people were killed there in a gun attack claimed by al-Qaeda following the original publication of the cartoons in 2015. Mahmood was convicted of attempted murder and terrorist conspiracy. He will be banned from France when his sentence is served.
• Man who burned Quran 'shot dead in Sweden' (BBC) - A man who sparked violent protests after burning the Quran has been shot dead in Sweden. Salwan Momika was killed in an apartment in Södertälje, Stockholm, on Wednesday evening, prosecutors told the BBC. Unrest broke out after Mr Momika set fire to a copy of Islam's holy book outside Stockholm Central Mosque in 2023. Stockholm police said in a statement that five people had been arrested after a man in his 40s was shot dead overnight.

North America

• Small plane crashes into Philadelphia neighbourhood, causing explosions (FOX NEWS) - A small plane has crashed into several buildings in north-east Philadelphia, setting homes and vehicles ablaze, and reportedly injuring people on the ground. Multiple people were aboard the plane when it crashed on Friday evening, officials said. Emergency crews have rushed to the scene during evening rush hour, and are appealing for the public to stay away from the crash site. It is unclear what led to the crash, who was aboard the plane or if there are any survivors.
  
• Nearly 30 bodies recovered, no survivors expected in DC plane crash (FOX NEWS) - DC Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly announced in a press conference on Thursday that following a commercial airplane's collision with a military helicopter, nearly 30 bodies had been recovered so far. Donnelly added that authorities do not believe there are any survivors from the crash. "We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter," he added. "Despite all these efforts, we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation." "The district office of the medical examiner has the lead on reuniting these bodies and these people, with their loved ones," Donnelly continued. "And we will continue to work to find all the bodies and collect them. and reunite them with their loved ones."
• First American hostage to be released from Gaza, Hamas says (FOX NEWS) - American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, is set to be released on Saturday as part of Israel and Hamas' ceasefire deal. He is the first of the American citizens taken on Oct. 7, 2023, to be released by the terror organization as part of this ceasefire deal. Hamas says that the hostages to be released alongside Siegel are French-Israeli citizen Ofer Calderon and Yarden Bibas, the father of the two youngest hostages, Kfir and Ariel Bibas.
  Bid to remove charitable status from religious groups draws ire of Evangelicals in Canada (The Christian Post) - The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has raised concerns about recommendations presented to the Canadian government calling for the removal of charitable status to religious charities and anti-abortion organizations.The potential negative impact not only on the religious sector but the many people it serves would be immense, the group warns. Details are buried within hundreds of recommendations made in a Finance Committee report tabled in the House of Commons on Dec. 13, 2024, which is part of a consultation process before the next federal budget.
• Florida man arrested for allegedly calling for Trump assassination on Facebook; Secret Service investigating (FOX NEWS) - The Secret Service is investigating after a Florida man was arrested in West Palm Beach and charged with calling for the assassination of President Donald Trump on Facebook. Shannon Depararro Atkins, 46, of West Palm Beach, was arrested after allegedly threatening the life of the president, West Palm Beach Interim Police Chief Tony Araujo confirmed during a press conference Saturday. Atkins is charged with felony intimidation, drug possession and smuggling contraband in a county detention center, according to jail records.
• Missouri man sentenced in attempted White House attack with U-Haul truck (FOX NEWS) - A Missouri man is facing nearly a decade of jail time after attempting a 2023 attack on the White House with a rented box truck. Sai Varshith Kandula, 20, of St. Louis, was sentenced Jan. 16 in U.S. District Court to eight years in federal prison for an attempted attack on the White House with a rented U-Haul truck May 22, 2023. The attack "aimed to overthrow the democratically elected government of the United States in order to replace it with a dictatorship fueled by Nazi ideology," according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, D.C.
• Student admits to releasing toxic gas in dorm, forces evacuations hours after FBI terrorism questioning (FOX NEWS) - A Utah State University student was arrested after authorities say he contaminated his dorm with hydrochloric acid gas, forcing mass evacuations, just hours after being questioned by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. Joshua Peter Jager, 20, was arrested Thursday night and is charged with causing a catastrophe recklessly and disorderly conduct, according to an indictment. USU authorities responded to a fire alarm just before 7:45 p.m. Thursday at Mountain View Tower and found the entire first floor covered in a vaporous substance, later found to be hydrochloric acid gas, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in 1st District Court.

South America

• Cuban Pastor Released After More Than 3 Years Behind Bars - 1/22/2025 Cuba (International Christian Concern) — Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo gained his freedom from a Cuban prison on Friday after serving three and a half years in jail for protesting the communist nation’s human rights violations. His release is part of a mass pardon agreement and incremental release of 553 prisoners, a deal brokered by the Vatican. Cuban authorities detained Rosales Fajardo, pastor of Monte de Sion Independent Church in Palma Soriano, Cuba, on July 11, 2021, after he joined thousands of Cuban citizens in voicing concerns about the regime’s treatment of its people. Hundreds were reportedly detained as a result of the demonstrations.  According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Rosales Fajardo was given a seven-year sentence, down from eight, in May 2022 after being convicted on charges of criminal incitement, assault, public disorder, and disrespect.
• Dad ‘kept 7 kids, wife captive for 20 years’ (news.com.au) - A father has been arrested after allegedly keeping his wife and seven children captive in a crumbling house for two decades. The 52-year-old allegedly raped them repeatedly, forced abortions, and buried the fetuses in the family’s garden. The horrifying ordeal unfolded in the small town of Novo Oriente, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the Sun reports. Authorities were alerted after one of the man’s daughters, in a desperate bid for freedom, drugged him with sleeping pills and managed to escape.
• At least 80 people killed in northeast Colombia as peace talks fail, official says (NPR) - More than 80 people were killed in the country’s northeast over the weekend following the government's failed attempts to hold peace talks with the National Liberation Army, a Colombian official said. Twenty others were injured in the violence that has forced thousands to flee as Colombia's army scrambled to evacuate people on Sunday, according to William Villamizar, governor of North Santander, where many of the killings took place.
• Guatemalan forces arrive in Haiti to fight gangs (BBC) - A contingent of 150 Guatemalan soldiers has arrived in Haiti, tasked with helping to restore order amid the chaos wrought by armed gangs. A first group of 75 soldiers arrived on Friday and another 75 on Saturday, all drafted from the military police, according to Guatemala's government. A state of emergency has been in place across the Caribbean nation for months as the government battles violent gangs that have taken control of much of the capital Port-au-Prince. The forces are in Haiti to boost a United Nations-backed security mission led by Kenya that has so far failed to prevent violence from escalating.
• Number of internally displaced people in Haiti tripled in 2024 (BBC) - The number of people internally displaced by gang violence in Haiti has tripled to more than one million, the United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Tuesday. The situation is particularly dire in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where displacement has risen by 87% between 2023 and 2024, IOM figures show. Gangs control almost the entire city, leading to the collapse of the remaining health services and triggering food insecurity. More than 5,600 people were killed in gang violence in Haiti last year alone.
  Landslides kill at least 10 in Brazil's Minas Gerais state (BBC) - At least 10 people have died after landslides swept through two cities in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, state officials have said. The Bethania neighbourhood in the city of Ipatinga was the worst affected by the mudslides, which were triggered by torrential rain. The mayor's office said that 204mm (8in) of rain fell in Ipatinga on Sunday morning. Landslides following torrential rains are not uncommon in the rainy season, with neighbourhoods precariously built on steep hillsides the worst hit.
• Second Protestant church leader assassinated in Colombia (The Christian Post) - A second Protestant church leader was assassinated in Colombia, marking another deadly attack on Christian ministry in the region. The victim was shot multiple times after leading a religious service. Iván García, a 28-year-old Protestant church leader, was fatally shot six times, including twice in the head, after leading a religious service in northern Colombia last Wednesday, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported Tuesday. The attack occurred as García, his 14-year-old stepdaughter, and six others walked along a rural, unlit road following a spiritual celebration at the People of God Christian Vision Church.