Sochi, May 16, Interfax - It is necessary to take into account the opinion of residents on the construction of St. Catherine's Church in Yekaterinburg; local residents should be polled, and the interests of both supporters and opponents of the project should be respected, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced two men to death and eight others to between three years and life in prison over an attack on a church and Christian-owned shop in Cairo that killed 10 people.

French lawmakers on May 10 approved a controversial law for restoring Notre Dame within five years, after the famous Paris cathedral sustained major fire damage last month.

Pope Francis has issued new rules obligating priests and nuns to report incidents of abuse or cover-ups to church authorities, saying, "The crimes of sexual abuse offend Our Lord, cause physical, psychological and spiritual damage to the victims and harm the community of the faithful."

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University hosted an international conference on Buddhist chaplaincy and faith-based social services from 4–5 May. The conference was co-sponsored by the International Center of Chinese Buddhist Culture and Education in the US and the International Center for Buddhist Studies at Renmin University in Beijing.

From cleaning up relatives' graves and sharing food with the poor to holding colourful torch-lit street parades, millions of Indonesians are getting ready to welcome the holy month of Ramadan in the world's populous Muslim-majority country.

Sri Lanka has banned about 200 Muslim clerics as a security operation and investigation continue into the Easter Sunday massacre that killed more than 250 people.

Authorities in Poway say they are reviewing social media of 19-year-old suspect to establish motive behind deadly shooting.

It comes as intelligence suggests the chance of assaults on churches by Isis fanatics is at an "all-time high".

The Society for the Promotion of Buddhism, known in Japanese as Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK), has awarded McMaster University C$1.2 million (US$891,000) to establish a Numata Visiting Scholar Program in Buddhist Studies. The grant comes as the Department of Religious Studies at McMaster University, based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is experiencing heightened interest in its Buddhist Studies program.

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Executive Committee in Kon Tum held on April 30 a meeting on UN Vesak 2019 at its office based in Hue Chieu pagoda.

Days after a spate of suicide attacks on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka that killed over 250 people, the Islamic State affiliate group has issued a direct threat to carry out attacks in India and Bangladesh. According to a report by The Times of India, the ISIS has appointed Abu Muhammed al-Bengali as a new 'emir' (chief) in Bangladesh.

Bhutan on Thursday held a grand opening ceremony to launch the Third International Conference on Vajrayana Buddhism in the capital Thimphu, presided over by the prime minister of Bhutan, Lotay Tshering. Titled “Techniques in Vajrayana Buddhism” and running until 20 April, the forum brings together more than 30 speakers from Bhutan and around the world, along with a similarly global lineup of dignitaries, guests, and attendees to present, examine, and discuss traditional and contemporary approaches to practicing Vajrayana Buddhism in the 21st century.

Pope Francis laments the Easter Sunday attacks on several churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, which killed at least 207 people and wounded more than 450 others.

From 13-14 April the Center of Buddhist Studies (CBS) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) hosted an international conference titled, “Buddhist Values and Economics: Investing in a Sustainable Future.” The conference, sponsored by GS Charity Foundation Limited, drew speakers and workshop presenters from across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The conference addressed a wide range of perspectives, from academic analysis of early Buddhist texts and interpretations of wealth to contemporary applications of Buddhist values for business leaders and investors.