Two Catholic priests who had been convicted and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison were pardoned and freed from a Belarusian labour camp on November 20th. State media claimed that the church leaders, who were granted clemency by President Alexander Lukashenko, had been "convicted of serious crimes against the state, as well as other crimes."
A pastor in Liberia is facing ongoing legal challenges following a dispute with Muslim community members over his ministry activities. According to a local source, the situation began in 2023 when Pastor Sylvester led two individuals to faith in Christ. Following their conversions, he has been accused by opponents of preaching against Islam, praying loudly, and playing musical instruments early in the morning.
In November 2014, Deacon Jang Moon Seok (also known by his Chinese name, Zhang Wen Shi) was kidnapped in China while ministering in the town of Changbai, which is located near the country's border with North Korea. Following his abduction, the church leader was transported to North Korea where he was subsequently sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
Just before midnight on November 7th, two improvised explosive devices were thrown at St. Mary's Cathedral in Dhaka. One exploded near the front gate, while the other landed inside the church facility. Thankfully, the second one failed to detonate within the building and no injuries were reported. Despite the attack having occurred only hours before an important event was scheduled to take place – involving the attendance of hundreds of people from across the country – the gathering went ahead as planned.
