United States of America

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN/BERLIN (BosNewsLife)-- Iranian-born American Pastor Saeed Abedini was expected to receive medical attention in Germany on Sunday, January 17, after he was released by Iran following more than three years of imprisonment in what his wife said were harsh circumstances. Naghmeh Abedini told reporters that after she learned Saeed Abedini was released early Saturday, January 16, she woke their two children saying: "Daddy is coming home."

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TEHRAN/VIENNA (BosNewsLife)-- Iran on Saturday, January 16, released Iranian-born American pastor Saeed Abedini along with Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and two other Americans who had been held in Iranian prisons

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist WASHINGTON/ROME (BosNewsLife Columns)-- We are to learn much more about the current state of Christian persecution from an innovative three-year global research project, and – no surprise – the early findings are distressing. But amidst the gloom are some significant rays of hope.

By BosNewsLife Americas Service WASHINGTON, USA (BosNewsLife)-- Most Americans agree with the presidential candidates of both parties in calling Islamic State group atrocities against Christians in the Middle East "genocide," according to a poll by the Catholic Knights of Columbus (KofC) order and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee and Martin O'Malley have all called the situation genocide.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent WASHINGTON, USA (BosNewsLife)-- Christians will find little comfort in the U.S. State Department’s recently released International Religious Freedom Report. It confirms what many Christians already knew: The new phenomenon of non-state terrorism has supplanted oppression by government to become the main threat to religious freedom.

By BosNewsLife Americas Service WASHINGTON/CHARLESTON (BosNewsLife)-- U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday, June 18, that the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal in Charleston, South Carolina, would "rise again" after nine people were killed there by a white gunman, but he also suggested it was time for a fresh debate on gun control in his nation.

By BosNewsLife Americas Service CHARLESTON, USA (BosNewsLife)--U.S. police say they have detained shooting suspect Dylann Roof who allegedly killed nine people during a prayer service at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the oldest black churches in the nation. Roof, 21, was taken into custody in North Carolina, BosNewsLife monitored.

By BosNewsLife Americas Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos and local reporters CHARLESTON, USA (BosNewsLife)-- American security forces searched Thursday, June 18, for a white man who opened fire during a prayer meeting inside a historic evangelical black church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine people, including the pastor. The overnight shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church was described as a hate crime by authorities.

By BosNewsLife News Center TRIPOLI/ROME/WASHINGTON (BosNewsLife)-- Italian police say they have detained 15 Muslims who allegedly threw 12 Christians from an overcrowded migrant boat after they expressed faith in Jesus Christ. Vatican Radio, citing survivors, reported that the Christians had been praying for their lives during during a recent crossing from Libya.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist LOS ANGELES, USA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- As a child growing up in Syria, Sargon Saadi  loved making home movies with his brother and cousins. It led eventually to his decision to travel to the U.S. to study filmmaking at Columbia College Chicago - famous for its arts and media programs - and then to move to the heart of the movie world, Los Angeles, where he has worked as a cinematographer on many films. But something happened while he was living in America...