On July 8th, dozens of local residents had gathered to protest a Coptic church in the Upper Egyptian village of El-Tal El-Qibliya. As the demonstration escalated, the mob threw stones and shouted insults at church members. Several Christians were injured in the attack, and both the church building and the priest's vehicle sustained damages.
Police carried out coordinated raids on multiple house churches in the city of Yueyang, Hunan Province, on July 11th. Numerous church members were taken into custody for interrogation. During the detainment, the authorities collected fingerprints, DNA samples, voice recordings and written statements.
The American-based ministry, Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), was recently added to Russia's list of "undesirable organizations." This decision creates serious risks for CEF workers in the country, as well as for the churches and organizations currently using the ministry's materials.
