Author: Mike Bain/cvnznews.com

Kuwait’s first church has been formally elevated to the status of a Minor Basilica, marking a significant milestone for the country’s Christian community and for churches across the Gulf region. The designation was announced during a service held on Friday at the Our Lady of Arabia Church in Al-Ahmadi. The ceremony was led by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, who was visiting Kuwait for the occasion. Minor Basilica status is granted by the Vatican to churches recognised for their historical and spiritual significance, architectural character, or pastoral role. The elevation makes the Al-Ahmadi church the…

Pastor John Isaac and his wife have been working in the slum community of Vijayawada City for the last 10 years, sharing the Word with children and young people and doing what they can to give them a vision and a hope for the future grounded in the Christian faith. Although India is now the fifth biggest economy in the world (per GDP), slums are still a reality and they are home to millions of people. There are many government and church-based programmes trying to raise standards of living and lift people out of the grinding poverty that has blighted…

Free, weekly 5Ks are changing lives—and the reasons go far beyond fitness. Suppose you’ve been curious about parkrun but haven’t taken the leap, or you’re wondering why thousands of people show up every Saturday morning for a timed 5K. In that case, this research reveals the powerful draw of these community events. Researchers conducted a systematic review analyzing why people participate in parkrun, the global network of free, weekly, timed 5K events. They found participation is driven by far more than just exercise goals. Key motivations included social connection and community belonging, the welcoming and non-competitive atmosphere, improved mental health…

Mount Maunganui is grappling with heartbreak and uncertainty after a major landslip tore through the Beachside Holiday Park around 9.30am on Thursday, burying parts of the popular campground under tonnes of debris. Six people remain unaccounted for, including two teenagers—the youngest just 15—while authorities continue to scour the unstable site into the night. For some families, hope is slipping away. Pauanui man Jared Pender told RNZ that his relative, who had been urging campers to evacuate moments before the hillside collapsed, is now among the missing. The family received a devastating update at 10am Friday. “We were told it’s pretty…

Southland is poised for a significant economic lift, with the Government confirming a $3.1 million loan to launch a major industrial subdivision near Gore. The funding, delivered through the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF), was announced by Associate Minister for Regional Development Mark Patterson, who described the project as a “transformational opportunity” for Eastern Southland. The development covers 43 hectares and is a 50/50 partnership between Ngāi Tahu iwi authority Hokonui Rūnanga and Robertson Transport Limited. For years, the Gore District has faced a shortage of large industrial lots — a constraint that has limited business expansion and regional growth. Patterson…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that New Zealand’s 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday, 7 November, continuing the now‑established practice of announcing the date early to give voters and political parties certainty. Luxon framed the announcement as part of a broader narrative of recovery and renewal, arguing that the country has “turned a corner” under his Government. He highlighted falling inflation — down from over 7 percent under Labour to 3 percent — and easing interest rates as evidence that economic conditions are improving. Business confidence, manufacturing growth, and strong export performance were also cited as signs…

New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner has announced a formal Inquiry into the cyber‑security breach affecting Manage My Health Limited, marking one of the most significant privacy investigations since the early days of the Privacy Act. The decision, released Wednesday afternoon, invokes section 17(1)(i) of the Act — the same mechanism used in past high‑impact cases such as the 2012 ACC privacy scandal, when thousands of personal files were mistakenly emailed to the wrong recipient. Historically, inquiries of this nature have shaped national expectations around data stewardship, often prompting legislative or industry‑wide reforms. Commissioner Michael Webster said the scale and sensitivity of…

By Morning Star News  SURABAYA, Indonesia (Morning Star News) – Muslims in West Java, Indonesia demonstrated against a Christian revival worship service on Jan. 6 attended by a staff member of an official in the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Carrying banners and a truck full of loudspeakers, Muslims from the Bandung City-based Ahlus Sunnah Defenders group protested the service of the Indonesian Evangelical Reformed Church (Gereja Reformed Injili Indonesia, GRII), at the FX Surdirman Grand Ballroom in Bandung, capital of West Java Province. “Today we took to the streets because Christians under the leadership of Stephen Tong were holding a 2026 religious service,” a representative…

Disgraced pastor Sam Collier has been restored to ministry for a second time, following accusations by his ex-wife that he was a serial adulterer through most of their marriage, and revelations that he was allegedly blackmailed by a transgender prostitute he was paying for sex. Sam Collier is the lead pastor of Christian Cultural Center (CCC), a small church in Atlanta. Several months ago, the former Hillsong pastor underwent a restoration process following a 2023 divorce from his wife over alleged unfaithfulness. While things were quiet for a while, his former wife, Toni, began making the rounds on social media…

Alistair Begg is the senior pastor at Parkside Church near Cleveland, Ohio and is perhaps best known for his syndicated radio program, Truth for Life. He has authored and coauthor of several books, including Preaching for God’s Glory, Name above All Names, and the Christian Manifesto. With a reputation as a sound teacher, he can occasionally be found on the conservative preaching circuit, and is a speaker at the upcoming Shepherds Conference alongside John MacArthur and Steve Lawson. During a recent program of Truth for Life, Begg offers a scenario where a Christian woman called in saying that her grandson is about to marry a…

By Tré Goins-Phillips Medically assisted suicide in Canada reached a record high in 2023, according to a report from the United States’ northern neighbor. Government data from Canada found, in 2023, medically assisted suicides in the country soared to every 1 in 20, accounting for 15,343 — or 4.7% — of deaths last year. That marks a 15.8% spike from the year before. Those who took their lives via medically assisted suicide used Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program, which has overseen the deaths of 60,301 people since it became legal in 2016. Health Canada describes MAID as a “health service that allows someone…

By Billy Hallowell An organization that provides Bible programming to public school children is suing a Washington state school district, alleging officials are improperly targeting its Christian program. Joel Penton, CEO of LifeWise Academy, told CBN News his organization allows parents to opt-in for their kids to go off-site during lunch, recess, and other non-essential periods from public schools during the day. Children are then given Bible lessons before returning to their respective schools. LifeWise, which launched in 2019, operates in hundreds of schools and is independently funded. It’s a Released Time religious instruction program, made legal in 1952, when the U.S.…

 by Billy Hallowell In a world of lies, David Hoffman is on a mission to deliver truth. Hoffman, author of “Relationships Over Rules: 7 Principles to Lead Gracefully and Love Generously – Harnessing the Power of Relationships to Overcome Your Past and Embrace Your Future,” is a successful business and family man today — but his journey didn’t start out that way. “The world tells us all these rules of what you can’t do,” he told CBN News, citing some of the lies he was tempted to believe. “I grew up Jewish, so I can’t be a believer … I was…

US President Donald Trump will deliver a speech in Davos on Wednesday where he is also set to have meetings with European leaders to discuss Greenland. All eyes will be on Davos on Wednesday afternoon as US President Donald Trump is set to deliver a speech, hours after doubling down on his bid to acquire Greenland saying that there is “no going back”. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Freredirksen, and her counterpart in Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, are taking the threat seriously, with both saying on Tuesday that they “cannot rule out” a US military intervention. Europe is trying to close ranks…

Iran’s president warned on Sunday that a strike on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the equivalent of an “all-out war” against the country, while blaming the United States and its allies for the “hardship and difficulties” facing citizens of the Islamic Republic. “If the people of Iran face hardship and difficulties in their lives, one of the main reasons for it is the longstanding enmity and inhumane sanctions imposed by the United States government and its allies,” Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in Farsi on X, adding that “any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war…

The story of Noah’s Ark is one of the most well-known Bible stories and has been retold in songs, children’s storybooks, cartoons and films. Many people think they know the story; however, there are many things we simply do not know. This is the story … What is an ark? The story of Noah and his ark is found in Chapters 6, 7 and 8 of the book of Genesis. The word “ark” comes from the Latin arca, meaning a box or chest. The same word is used of the basket in which Moses was put, called an “ark of bulrushes” (Genesis…

Macron’s Davos address comes as Trump published messages showing the French leader’s confusion over Greenland and his proposal to hold a G7 meeting in Paris on Thursday that would include Russian representatives on the margins. Europe “should not hesitate to deploy” tools at its disposal to protect its interests, French President Emmanuel Macron said in his address at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, amid diplomatic fallout from private messages made public and escalating trade threats from Donald Trump in the run-up to the US president’s own highly anticipated speech. The French president, wearing aviator glasses in front of an…

Opinion: Mike Bain Across the Western world, a quiet but decisive shift is reshaping the religious landscape. Sociologists call it the rise of the “Nones”—people who, when asked about their religious affiliation, tick the box marked none of the above. They are not necessarily atheists. Many still pray. Many still believe in God. Some even read Scripture. But they no longer identify with a church, a denomination, or a formal Christian tradition. This movement is now one of the fastest‑growing “religious” categories in the world. And while New Zealand has not seen the same dramatic surge as the United States…

EDITORIAL New Zealand has drifted back to work after the summer break, sunburnt, distracted, and dangerously complacent — as if the world politely paused while we were at the beach. It didn’t. And while we were busy chasing perfect weather and perfect Instagram angles, one story cut through the haze: water safety. Again. The same warnings. The same recklessness. The same funerals. The same excuses. Let’s stop pretending this is accidental. It’s not ignorance anymore. It’s not bad luck. It’s a national epidemic of arrogance. Every summer, the warnings are shouted from every platform we have — and every summer,…

Pharmac will begin funding the drug nitisinone for New Zealanders living with the rare metabolic disorders tyrosinemia type 1 and alkaptonuria from 1 February 2026, shifting the treatment from its current case‑by‑case approval pathway to full listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule. The move is expected to benefit around 10 people nationwide in the first year of funding. Pharmac’s Acting Manager of Pharmaceutical Funding, Claire Pouwels, said the decision would significantly streamline access for patients and clinicians. “This decision will make it easier for people living with these rare conditions to access nitisinone,” Pouwels said. “It will also make it easier…

The latest World Watch List from Open Doors is not merely an annual report–it is a global alarm bell. According to the nonprofit’s newly released findings, 388 million Christians worldwide now live under high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. That is more than one in seven believers across the globe, and the highest number ever recorded. Behind that staggering figure are stories of churches burned, families displaced, believers surveilled, imprisoned, beaten, or killed–often simply for gathering to pray. Open Doors CEO Ryan Brown described the trend as both expanding and intensifying. Persecution is not only spreading to…