Peace

A new report on the state of Christians living in the Holy Land aired on CBS' "60 Minutes" last weekend has stirred controversy among some Christian and Jewish groups that have blasted the report as unfairly portraying Israel as an oppressor of Middle East Christians.

CBS' Bob Simon conducted the new report seeking to refute that Muslim discrimination is driving force for the mass exodus of Palestinian Christians from the Holy Land. He argued that it has been Israeli settlements and the policies of Israel that have forced Christians out of the Holy Land.

Today Christians make up 1.5 percent of the population of Jerusalem but just in 1967 had constituted five percent of those living in the holy city, according to the report. more >>

Church groups have urged Sudan and South Sudan to exercise "maximum restraint" in the simmering dispute between the two over their oil rich border region.

South Sudan gave way on Friday to international pressure to withdraw its forces from the Heglig oil field just over the border in Sudan.

Both nations are claiming rights over the oil rich region of Abyei, the border of which has not yet been demarcated. It is accepted internationally that the region falls within Sudanese territory. more >>

The Jerusalem Prayer Banquet, to be held in New York City next month and feature former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as a guest speaker, promises to offer attendees a new perspective on the importance of Jerusalem for people of all faiths.

The event was organized by Eagles' Wings, a global mission community with a network of supporters in Germany and Jerusalem founded by its executive director Dr. Robert Stearns.

"The mounting crisis in the Middle East makes this the most important Jerusalem Banquet we have ever hosted," Stearns, also an expert on Israel-Christian relations, explained in a press release. more >>

The list of nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize has been leaked, and at the top of contenders is former president Bill Clinton.

Clinton is passionate about his humanitarian efforts, even leading several initiatives in order to improve the quality of life of everyday civilians. In 2005 he founded the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in order to "convene global leaders to create and implement innovate solutions to the world's most pressing challenges."

In addition to the CGI, he is the head of the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative, Clinton Development Initiative, and the Clinton Climate Initiative. He has worked hard in order to improve relations among the U.S. fellow countries, including North Korea. In 2009 he helped secure the freedom of two American reporters. more >>

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reached out to Muslims in Nigeria to join them in ending the reign of terror by Islamic militant group Boko Haram.

Apostle John Eche, the youth leader of the Niger State chapter of CAN, has asked Nigerians to rise up against Boko Haram, according to the Nigerian Tribune. Eche asked all well-meaning Nigerians, regardless of religious or political background, to join together in efforts to end the violence from the group.

Eche wants Muslims to take the lead in firing back at Boko Haram and all other forms of terrorism in Nigeria. He said that they will be backed at anytime by their Christian brothers. more >>

Talks between the U.S. and the Afghan Taliban reached the point of falter Monday when Taliban leaders refused to agree to Washington's demand for a ceasefire as terms of negotiating a prisoner swap.

According to Taliban sources, U.S. officials had previously indicated that a prisoner swap would precede the onset of long sought after peace talks, MSNBC reports.

Five senior Taliban insurgents are being held at Guantanamo Bay. The Taliban and its affiliate organizations are detaining three U.S. citizens in the Pakistan's North Waziristan. more >>