December 13, 2016 Malaysia crowns new youthful king Malaysia's new king, a 47-year-old state sultan, ascended the throne Tuesday, becoming one of the youngest constitutional monarch in the Southeast Asian nation's history.
December 13, 2016 Blasphemy trial of Indonesian capital's governor begins The minority Christian governor of the Indonesian capital, who is on trial for alleged blasphemy, sobbed in court on Tuesday as he recalled the role of Muslim godparents in his childhood and said he would never intentionally insult Islam.
December 13, 2016 Egypt mourns 25 Christians killed in church explosion Egyptians are holding prayers for 25 Christians killed the day before at a church next to the city's main Coptic cathedral in what was one of the deadliest attacks on the religious minority in recent memory.
December 12, 2016 Bishop: Christians face double discrimination in Middle East Bishop on Christian threat in ME
December 12, 2016 Attorney General: Hate crimes are stain on America's "soul" Attorney General Loretta Lynch says hate crimes tear at the fabric of American communities and are a stain on our "nation's very soul." Lynch spoke Monday at a mosque in Virginia amid a large spike in hate crimes targeting Muslims.
December 12, 2016 Pope urges new culture of nonviolence for world politics Pope Francis is calling for a renewed culture of nonviolence to inform global politics today, saying military responses to conflicts only breed more violence.
December 12, 2016 Amid rise of nationalistic sentiments and women's rights criticism, Sharia law under fire in UK Supporters of Shariah courts say they are nothing more than arbitration panels - authorized to apply Islamic law and teachings to matters such as divorce and inheritance. Critics, however, argue that the courts are overstepping their bounds and represent a dangerous erosion of national jurisprudence, culture and even sovereignty.
December 12, 2016 Rights groups blast sentence against Bahrain Shiite activist Human rights groups are sharply criticizing a Bahraini appeal court's ruling upholding a nine-year prison sentence against the country's leading Shiite opposition figure.
December 12, 2016 Pakistanis attack mosque of religious minority Pakistani officials says thousands of Sunni Muslims marking the Prophet Muhammad's birthday have attacked a mosque belonging to the Ahmadi religious minority, wounding several people.
