Azerbaijan’s major religion is Shia Islam. Churches developed in the wake of the Soviet Union’s dissolution. The economy is dependent on oil and gas, but corruption and an authoritarian government have impeded economic…

After Tehran admitted shooting down an airliner killing 176 people, thousands protested across Iran’s streets against the government, calling for heads to roll. Those marching toward Azadi Square were met by police in…

For the first time since 1890 the full Pakistani Pashto Bible will be printed. The translation is in the major Yousafzai dialect of Pashto. Up to now missionaries and evangelists and the underground…

Despite a call by the Iraqi parliament for the withdrawal of its forces, the USA stated it has no plans to do so, even though a draft letter signalling a pull-out was sent…

Many believe the US killing of Qasem Soleimani (plus four senior commanders and an Iraqi militia leader) risks causing Iraq instability. The USA believed the men were organising radical tactics against it, describing…

Qasem Soleimani was named head of Iran's elite paramilitary Quds Force in the late 1990s. He then became widely known for expanding his country's regional influence by bolstering Shiite proxy forces around the…

In a rare move, police stepped in to stop Muslims attacking Amir Masih, a Christian sanitation worker, after he was falsely accused of ‘blasphemy’. The charges were dropped immediately after police investigations found…

On Christmas Eve British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert started an open-ended hunger strike in protest at being sentenced to ten years on espionage charges. She wants, at the very least, to be moved from…

France, Germany, and Britain have told the UN's secretary-general that Iran has developed a ballistic-missile system capable of delivering a nuclear weapon in violation of the Security Council resolution. A letter from those…

South China’s Morning Post editor prophesied: ‘There is no Happy New Year ahead for Hong Kong, just endless protest chaos for the foreseeable future. Get used to it because nothing is changing, nobody…