NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) Church leaders are pressing the Kenyan government to scientifically test herbal medicines that are growing in popularity, concerned that HIV/AIDS patients are widely using the medicines and potentially putting their lives at risk. By Fredrick Nzwili.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) After the screening of a controversial video, Islam has emerged as one of the main themes of a global gathering of Catholic bishops. By Alessandro Speciale.

WASHINGTON (RNS) An established interfaith group is in danger of disintegrating as major American Jewish groups and prominent mainline Protestant churches differ over U.S. aid for Israel -- a long-standing argument that the group was established, in part, to diffuse. By Lauren Markoe.

NEW DELHI (RNS) Leaders in Bhutan have announced a nearly six-month ban on all public religious activities ahead of the upcoming election, citing the Buddhist nation's constitution, which says "religion shall remain above politics.'' By Vishal Arora.

JERUSALEM (RNS) The Anti-Defamation League has withdrawn from an Oct. 22 national Jewish-Christian interfaith meeting to protest a letter from Protestant participants that urged Congress to rethink U.S. funding to Israel. By Michele Chabin.

TUNIS, TUNISIA (RNS) Increasingly, critics say, free expression -- a cornerstone of Tunisia's 2011 revolution -- is under attack. A string of incidents has fueled an intense debate about the role of religion, artistic expression and women's rights in this once staunchly secular North African country. By Elizabeth Bryant.

ASSISI, Italy (RNS) Some 6 million visitors come to this hillside town every year -- and the biggest draw is the legacy of its most famous native son, St. Francis, who remains a figure of unmistakable relevance to many of today's most pressing social concerns. By Francis X. Rocca.

(RNS) President Obama's forceful speech at the United Nations on Tuesday contained the outlines of what is emerging as his administration's religious doctrine. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) Members of the Syrian opposition generally want a democratic government that protects the rights of minorities, though many also want a constitution based on Islam, according to a recent survey. By Oren Dorell.

(RNS) If we have the courage and wisdom to learn the backstory of our religion and others, we can begin to transcend the vicious cycles in which we are now stuck, spinning. By Brian McLaren. 

(RNS) Muslim and Coptic Christian leaders in the U.S. are pledging not to let a spate of violent protests in some 20 Islamic countries derail recent efforts to improve the sometimes troubled relations between the two communities. By Omar Sacirbey.

WASHINGTON (RNS) A National Geographic investigation shows how the demand for religious articles such as carvings, beads and amulets in the Philippines, Thailand and China fuels illegal ivory trade. By Jeanie Groh.

BEIRUT (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday (Sept. 16) took the unusual step of directly appealing to Arab countries to find "workable solutions" to the conflict in Syria and tensions throughout the Middle East. By Alessandro Speciale.

(RNS) Whether U.S. foreign policy has helped create a political environment where radicals are struggling to remain relevant, or emboldened extremists to act out, is a matter of disagreement. By Oren Dorell.

RNS) The Coptic Christian bishop of Southern California blasted the Copts who made and hyped an anti-Muslim film that has sparked protests across the Muslim world. By Daniel Burke.