• China Relentlessly Removes Crosses from Churches, Threatens to Demolish Hundreds More

  Government officials have authorized the removal of crosses from more than 130 Chinese Christian churches in the Zhejiang province. The government has demolished or partially destroyed hundreds of church buildings in the region, claiming that they have violated building codes.

• Sudanese Death Row Mother Meriam Ibrahim Freed at Last, Honored by Pope Francis Before Departing for America

  Meriam Ibrahim and her husband met with Pope Francis in the Vatican Thursday after being escorted from Sudan by the Italian minister for foreign affairs. Ibrahim’s husband is a United States citizen, and her family plans to fly to America after their stay in Rome.

  

• Oklahoma Teenager Charged with Sexually Abusing Kenyan Orphans during Mission Trips

  Matthew Durham is being charged with engaging in sexual activity with several young children in an orphanage during recent trips to Kenya.

  

• Dead Body of Fugitive Owner of Sunken South Korean Sewol Ferry, Cult Leader Found

  The body of Yoo Byung-eun, owner of the company which operated the Sewol ferry in South Korea and cult leader who was charged with embezzlement and tax evasion, was recently identified after being found lying dead in an orchard in Suncheon, South Korea.

  

• Obama Bans Anti-Gay Employee Discrimination in Federal Government, Gives No Exemption for Religious Organizations

  President Obama amended two executive orders Monday morning which will make it illegal for the federal government and its contractors to discriminate against their employees on the basis of gender identification. CBS News reports that the orders do not give exemption for religious organizations; however, such entities are allowed to exclusively hire employees who share their faith.