Aid to the Church in Need and its 330,000 donors world-wide are responding to the changing world of religious persecution.

NAIROBI, Kenya -- On the night of May 9, Edward Okello, an aeronautical engineer, died when a kitchen knife was plunged into his chest. Vigilance Shighi later said she did not know how the weapon hit her boyfriend, who had beaten her.

MAPUTO, Mozambique -- Greeted with full military honors, traditional dances and huge crowds lining the streets, Pope Francis arrived in Mozambique Sept. 4 at the start of a weeklong trip to Africa.

VATICAN CITY -- Rejecting violence, promoting interreligious harmony, caring for the environment and stamping out government corruption are expected to be high on the agenda Sept. 4-10 when Pope Francis visits Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius.

NAIROBI, Kenya -- A prominent African cardinal has called for restraint in Sudan, as the ruling junta cracks down on peaceful protesters in the capital city, Khartoum.

KIGALI, Rwanda (CNA) -- Some 200 Rwandans were blocked by national troops from crossing the border with Uganda to attend a pilgrimage in the neighboring country on Monday.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Helping children who lost their parents when a pair of cyclones hit Mozambique is among the most difficult work in the aftermath, an aid worker said.

NAIROBI, KENYA - More than two million people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi have been affected by a cyclone that has killed more than 700 people, with hundreds still missing in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

OTTAWA – The run-up to a general election in Nigeria has triggered concerns about growing violence and an increase in Christian persecution, said the national director of Nigeria’s Pontifical Mission Society.