EU Condemns Belarus President’s Inauguration Amid Violence
The European Union said Thursday it doesn’t recognize Alexander Lukashenko as the President of Belarus after being sworn in for a sixth term during a secret ceremony.
Police
Appeal Hearing Of Pakistani Couple Sentenced To Death For Blasphemy
A Pakistani Christian couple was to face a court Thursday after spending six years in prison waiting for an appeal against their death sentence for “blasphemy”, trial observers said.
Christian watchdog says abduction of Coptic Christian women and girls in Egypt is a “bane”
A Christian watchdog group has published a report describing the widespread trafficking and abduction of Coptic Christian women and girls in Egypt as a “bane”, CBN News reports. Coptic Solidarity released its report “Jihad of the Womb: Trafficking of Coptic Women & Girls in Egypt” last Thursday. The report will be submitted to United Nations agencies and the US Office for Trafficking in Persons.
Barr identifies New York City, Seattle, and Portland as ‘anarchist jurisdictions’
Attorney General William Barr identified New York City, Seattle, and Portland as three cities that have “permitted violence and destruction of property to persist” following President Trump’s executive order on limiting federal funds to “anarchist jurisdictions” in the United States.
Bulgaria Jails Two Men Over Bus Bombing Killing Israeli Tourists
A Bulgarian court sentenced two Islamic militants to life imprisonment without parole over a 2012 bus bombing that killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver in an attack blamed on Lebanon’s Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah.
Belarus Famed Grandmother Detained At Protests
Mass protests were held for the sixth straight Sunday in Belarus following the detention of a grandmother, who became a symbol of resistance against longtime President Alexander Lukashenko. As many as 100,000 people rallied in Minsk amid mounting pressure on Lukashenko to step down and allow fair and free elections.
Belarus Opposition Leader Tsikhanouskaya Speaks At Tense U.N. Council Debate
Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has spoken to the United Nations Human Rights Council despite Belarussian efforts to prevent her and other critics from giving speeches. During Friday’s turbulent session of the Geneva-based U.N. body, she demanded that the country’s authorities end violence against protestors and organize a free and fair presidential election.
New survey: Christians are less motivated to address racial injustice this year than last year
While the police killing of George Floyd sparked a nationwide and international conversation about racism and its effects, a new survey has found that practicing US Christians are less likely to acknowledge racial injustice this year (43%) than they were in 2019 (46%). Moreover, there was an increase in the percentage of those who said race is not a problem in America at all (19% in 2020, up from 11% in 2019), Barna reports.
Vandalism and looting in 2020 will cost insurance industry from $1 billion to $2 billion in claims
It is estimated the insurance industry will have to pay between $1 billion and $2 billion in claims related to vandalism and looting that followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25, Axios reports.
Hungary’s Anti-Migrant Orbán Keeps Borders Closed Amid Coronavirus
Hungary’s fiercely anti-migration Prime Minister Viktor Orbán says his nation is facing “a second wave of coronavirus infections” and will keep its borders closed to most foreigners, despite European Union concerns about that decision.
Study: Up To 95 Percent Of 2020 U.S. Riots Are Linked To Black Lives Matter
Contrary to corporate media narratives, up to 95 percent of this summer’s riots are linked to Black Lives Matter activism, according to data collected by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). The data also show that nearly 6 percent — or more than 1 in 20 — of U.S. protests between May 26 and Sept. 5 involved rioting, looting, and similar violence, including 47 fatalities.
Pastor of Miami church shot and killed in cross-fire
Gregory Boyd, senior Pastor of New Birth Harvest Outreach Ministries Churches of Deliverance in Florida, was shot and killed at a shopping area in Northwest Miami-Dade on Thursday last week, CBN News reports. Pastor Boyd is believed to have been caught in crossfire after a gunfight broke out between two groups of men at The Village Flea Market and Mall.
Pastor threatened for sharing his view on homosexuality is told by police he should not offend the LGBT community
A British pastor who received threats of violence from LGBT supporters, including a threat to burn down his church, was recently told by local police that he could be breaking the law by expressing his view of homosexuality on social media, CBN News reported on September 8. Pastor Josh Williamson of Newquay Baptist Church in Cornwall, southern England, was advised by police that he should keep his views to a “safe environment” and not offend the LGBT community.
Mexican journalist who reported on Cartel has been found beheaded
The beheaded body of a Mexican journalist was found near a railway track in Veracruz, Mexico last week: local police believe Julio Valdivia Rodriguez was assassinated for reporting on a local cartel. This was the fifth known killing of a journalist in Mexico this year, the Washington Examiner reports. Ten journalists were killed in Mexico last year.
Pennsylvania judge sets bail for accused rioters at $1M each
Several individuals accused of rioting in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, after the police shooting of Ricardo Munoz have had their bail set at $1 million.
Report: ‘India Sees ‘Horrific Attacks’ Against Christians’
An advocacy group reports “horrific attacks” against minority Christians in India at a time when critics claim the government is turning the country into a full-fledged Hindu nation.
Belarus Detains Dozens Of Pro-Democracy Protestors Opposing President
As talks were underway between the Vatican and Belarus, reports emerged that Belarusian authorities detained dozens of pro-democracy protesters.
California Governor Changes Sex Offender Law
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has signed legislation granting judges the discretion to decide whether to immediately place a man who has anal or oral sex with a minor aged 14-17 years old on a sex offenders register, the Hill reports. The SB 145 bill expands on an existing law that already grants judges the discretion to decide whether a man who has vaginal intercourse with a minor aged 14-17 years old should be immediately placed on a sex offenders list.
LA Sheriff to politicians: emphasize trust in justice system
The Los Angeles County sheriff on Monday criticized elected officials, sports figures and civic leaders for “fanning the flames of hatred” as America grapples with racism and police brutality, saying they instead should emphasize trust in the criminal justice system.
Protesters blocking ambushed LA deputies’ hospital is ‘new low,’ shows ‘lack of humanity’: police chiefs
Protesters blocking the hospital entrance where two Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies who were shot in an ambush are being treated is a “new low,” Detroit Police Chief James Craig said alongside a panel of other police chiefs from across the nation on “Fox & Friends” Monday.