Latest Religion News
Bill ending religious vaccine exemption likely to pass House
The Connecticut House of Representatives on Monday was expected to pass a contentious bill that would end the state's long-standing religious exemption from immunization requirements for schools, beginning with the 2022 school year. Democratic House Speaker Matt Ritter of...
Ohio capital city leaders call for protests to stay peaceful
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Politicians, religious leaders and community activists in Ohio's capital city called Monday for protests to remain peaceful as a verdict nears in the trial in the death of George Floyd. The plea for calm also came as Columbus experiences record...
Sudan repeals Israel boycott law amid normalization efforts
CAIRO (AP) — Sudan on Monday abolished a decades-old law on boycotting Israel, part of efforts to establish normal ties with the Jewish state. A bill was approved at a joint meeting of Sudan's ruling Sovereign Council and Cabinet that annuls the 1958 law. The law had...
Massachusetts residents 16 and older eligible for vaccine
BOSTON (AP) — Nearly 2 million Massachusetts residents are newly eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Beginning Monday, anyone 16 years old and older who lives, works or studies in Massachusetts can receive the vaccine. On Saturday,...
Suspect arrested after fire at Cape Girardeau church
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — A Cape Girardeau man was charged Monday with a hate crime after a fire destroyed a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints church in the city, officials said. Christopher Pritchard, 45, was also charged with second-degree arson, burglary...
Albanian man with knife wounds 5 at mosque in Tirana
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — An Albanian man with a knife attacked and wounded five people Monday at a mosque in the capital, police said, as investigators tried to determine a motive for the attack. Rudolf Nikolli, 34, entered the Dine Hoxha mosque in downtown Tirana about...
Group urges UN to probe China for crimes against humanity
KASHGAR, China (AP) — A human rights group appealed to the United Nations on Monday to investigate allegations China's government is committing crimes against humanity in the Xinjiang region. Human Rights Watch cited reports of the mass detention of Muslims, a crackdown...
Egypt: 3 militants involved in Christian's slaying killed
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt police killed three suspected militants allegedly involved in the slaying of a Coptic Christian man kidnapped more than five months ago in a restive part of Sinai Peninsula, the Interior Ministry said Monday. Security forces exchanged fire with...
Radical Islamist party frees 11 Pakistani police hostages
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — An outlawed Pakistani Islamist political group freed 11 police a day after taking them hostage in the eastern city of Lahore amid violent clashes with security forces, the country’s interior minister said Monday. Supporters of the hard-line...
Bangladesh court allows police to question Islamist leader
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A court in Bangladesh on Monday allowed police to continue to question an influential leader of an Islamist group that led violent protests against last month’s visit by India’s prime minister to the Muslim-majority nation. Lawyers said...
