The head of the Russian Orthodox Church says Vladimir Putin's time as Russia's leader has been a "miracle," as the prime minister met with religious leaders as part of his election campaign for president.

The leading religious leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia have called for a withdrawal of snipers from the front lines in the disputed breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh to stop bloodshed amid more reported casualties in the conflict zone.

The US Conference of Catholic bishops has issued a Freedom of Information Act request to the Obama administration in order to find out th erationale for demanding that Catholic hospitals provide sterilization and abortion.