A church pastor and three other Christians were killed in Sudan on Monday (Jan. 23) when suspected Islamic extremists shot them to death, an area source said.

Pakistan’s lower house of parliament has passed legislation to make the country’s blasphemy laws stricter even as their blatant misuse again came to light in a threat to falsely charge a Christian woman.

 Five Christians were killed on Jan. 17 in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state, while a church leader in the southeastern state of Enugu said Christians there were “under siege.”

Suspected Fulani herdsmen killed five Christians early Sunday morning (Jan. 22) in northeast Nigeria, following the slaughter of 12 Christians on Friday (Jan. 20) in the country’s Middle Belt, sources said.

Muslim militants were suspected in the bombing of a Protestant church baptism service in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that killed at least 14 worshippers on Jan. 15, officials said.

A church in Indonesia on Jan. 8 was prohibited from holding a Sunday service in front of a city hall building, where it had gone after losing its prior worship venue in a mall, sources said.

Terrorists attacked a church service in northwestern Nigeria on Sunday (Jan. 15), shot and wounded the pastor and kidnapped 25 congregation members, sources said.

His voice shaky, Saleem Masih said his family has been living in fear since Nov. 29, when his son was arrested on false accusations of blasphemy – which can carry the death penalty in Pakistan.

A Roman Catholic priest in northwest Nigeria was burned to death before dawn on Sunday (Jan. 15) when assailants set his parish living quarters ablaze and wounded an assistant priest, sources said.

A 37-year-old father of four was killed on Jan. 2 after participating in a Christian-Muslim debate in eastern Uganda at which 13 Muslims put their faith in Christ, sources said.