Globe Trot: Pope and patriarch unite against persecution

POPE FRANCIS: The pontiff ended a visit to Turkey with a pointed call for Muslim leaders—political, religious, and academic—to condemn Islamic terrorism. During the trip, the pope prostrated himself before the patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Bartholomew I. Stressing their newfound unity, Bartholomew said, “Today’s persecutors of Christians aren’t asking themselves which church their victims belong to.”

PAKISTAN: Accusations of blasphemy are soaring in Pakistan and can now include spelling errors by children or throwing away a card bearing the name “Muhammad.”

JAPAN: Moody’s downgraded Japan’s credit rating, reflecting the tough spot for the government, which has delayed an increase in the national sales tax as the country heads into recession.

AFGHANISTAN: Saturday’s attack in Kabul on a compound used by an American nongovernmental organization killed not only a South African pastor and his two children, but also members of Afghanistan’s fragile Christian community.

QATAR: Hours after their acquittal in the 2013 death of their adopted daughter, Americans Matthew and Grace Huang remain stranded at the Doha airport. Officials are refusing to allow their departure following the bizarre twists of the two-year case.