Report: ‘Growing Persecution of Christians in North America, Europe’
Devoted Christians in Europe and North America are increasingly among those being persecuted for their faith in Christ, a rights report shows.
Cuba
Raul Castro resigns as Communist chief, ending era in Cuba
Raul Castro said Friday he is stepping down as head of Cuba’s Communist Party, ending an era of formal leadership that began with his brother Fidel and country’s 1959 revolution.
Israeli scientists grow fully formed mouse fetuses outside the womb
Israeli scientists are claiming a major breakthrough as they have been able to take mouse embryos from their mothers and grow them outside the womb into fetuses with fully formed organs, the Times of Israel (ToI) reported Wednesday. Prof. Jacob Hanna of the Weizmann Institute of Science said this development “could be relevant to humans.”
Cuban Pastor arrested for leading “illegal” church released after 10 days
Pastor Karel Parra Rosabal, who was arrested and detained for 10 days in Cuba on the grounds that he leads an “illegal” church, has been released and told that all charges against him have been dropped, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Pastor Parra Rosabal leads the unregistered Fuego y Dinámica Apostolic Church in Jobabo, Las Tunas: the Cuban government refuses to recognize and register Apostolic churches.
International advocacy group calls for immediate release of Cuban pastor detained on “trumped-up charges”
The international Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) human rights organization has called for the immediate release of a pastor who is in custody in Cuba on what the group says are “trumped-up charges.” Cuban pastor Karel Parra Rosabal was arrested in Las Tunas on January 12 apparently because of his involvement with the Apostolic Movement, a network of independent churches that the Cuban government refuses to register, rendering them effectively illegal.
Pompeo hits Iran, China, Cuba in last-minute sanctions push
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday imposed sanctions on three of his primary targets — China, Iran and Cuba — in a last-minute push aimed in part at boxing in President-elect Joe Biden.
Cuba re-added to U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism
The outgoing Trump administration, in one of its last foreign policy acts, is putting Cuba back on the official list of state sponsors of terrorism, reversing an Obama-era decision that aimed to normalize diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the communist island.
‘Church Destroyed In Cuba, Christians Detained’
A group of Pentecostal Christians in Cuba’s second-largest city is without a place of worship after security forces reportedly destroyed their church and detained believers.
Cuban government authorities demolish Assemblies of God church building and block other churches from opening
Government officials in Cuba have demolished an Assemblies of God church building and are preventing other churches from opening again after COVID-19 measures were lifted, Morning Star News reported Sunday. The Cuban government claimed the building was demolished to lay piping for a cement plant, but such infrastructure would have required the destruction of local homes and the relocation of residents: none of this has happened.
Iran, Venezuela Look To ‘Deepen’ Ties
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Venezuela at the start of a Latin American tour that will also take him to Cuba and Bolivia.
China, Russia Among Rights Abusers Elected To UN Human Rights Council
China and Russia were among 15 countries elected to the UN Human Rights Council on October 13, drawing sharp criticism from rights groups and the United States over their abysmal human rights records.
Vice President Pence Praises Late Christian Missionary Kayla Mueller
More details emerged about a young Christian missionary killed in Syria after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence dedicated Wednesday‘s vice-presidential debate to her.
China, Russia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia on Track to be Ushered Back Onto UN Human Rights Council
The United Nations has confirmed the names of most of the candidates running for seats on the U.N. Human Rights Council in elections tentatively set for next week, and the expected return of the likes of China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Cuba will draw attention once again to the justification given by the Trump administration in 2018 for its decision to withdraw.
As China, Cuba, Saudis Line Up For UN Human Rights Council Seats, Democrats Want to Rejoin Too
At a time when the Chinese Communist Party is eyeing another three-year term on the U.N. Human Rights Council, a pledge in the Democratic Party’s draft 2020 platform for the U.S. to return to a body plagued by the presence of rights-abusing regimes is drawing some criticism.
Sahara Dust Cloud Looms Over Cuba, Caribbean and Florida
A massive cloud of Saharan dust darkened much of Cuba on Wednesday and began to affect air quality in Florida, sparking warnings to people with respiratory illnesses to stay home.
Senator Rubio chosen as acting Intelligence Committee chairman
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio will serve as acting chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday, after Senator Richard Burr announced he would step aside from the position during a federal investigation of his stock trades.
Group of Pastors in Cuba share Gospel through face masks
A group of pastors in Cuba is sharing the gospel message during the coronavirus pandemic by having Scriptures written on face masks to wear and give out as they minister. Fox News learned of this outreach from Vernon Brewer, the CEO and founder of the World Help Christian humanitarian aid organization.
Cuban Christian journalist interrogated for reporting the news
A Cuban journalist reporting on abuses against Christianity in Cuba was recently taken in for questioning by authorities, who accused him of being a CIA agent and threatened his mother and two-year-old son.
U.S. Senator Sanders Ends Presidential Bid
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, the socialist democrat who pledged to lead a political revolution into the White House, has ended his presidential bid. He left the race after his once-strong lead in the Democratic primary evaporated as the party’s establishment lined swiftly up behind rival Joe Biden. The Vermont senator’s announcement came as a setback for many young people supporting Sanders. But it cleared a significant hurdle for Biden, who is now the expected Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in a general election overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes between Cuba, Jamaica
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck between Cuba and Jamaica Tuesday afternoon, with shaking reported as far north as Miami.