Wedding pics: Actress Chacha Eke weds movie director Austin Faani

Fast rising Nollywood actress, Charity 'Chacha' Eke, married her longtime boo, script writer & movie director, Austin Faani on Saturday June 1 in Asaba, Delta State. Happy married life to them.

FBI Makes Changes to Not Offend Muslims

The FBI has removed material that may be offensive to muslims from its anti-terror training guidelines.

A report from "Judicial Watch" shows that materials linking the Muslim Brotherhood to terrorism or profiling terrorists as young male immigrants of Middle Eastern appearance" are now gone.

The FBI called such references "unsuitable in the current political context."

An independent group of subject matter experts reviewed the FBI's training curricula on counter terrorism.

The group recommended the removal of presentations and curricula on Islam from FBI offices around the country.

Sweden Grants Iran Christian Reza Jabbari Asylum

The Swedish government has decided not to deport Reza Jabbari, an Iranian Christian facing possible prison and torture in Iran.

Jabbari was given permanent residency on Monday by Sweden's migration board.

The Swedish government had previously ordered Jabbari to be deported despite his Christian testimony.

Jabbar's pastor, Cai Berger, says CBN News's story about Jabbari's situation changed the political climate for Christian refugees seeking asylum in Sweden.

Here's an excerpt from the letter Pastor Berger sent to our CBN News team:

This is truly a great day and first and foremost I wish to give thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For His grace, support and comfort through all of this; in opening the right doors and getting us in connection with all the right people! Further, a special thanks to Reza's lawyer Lars Gagnér and his wonderful help and support. To Kassim, who made the program for Sweden's Radio International; who got the Directors of Legal Affairs to state the obvious, but for Reza and many converts the necessary words for all of us to work with. It has provided us with tools in this struggle I can't imagine we can see the benefits of yet. 

A very warm and heartfelt thanks and God bless to CBN; Steve Little, Gary Lane, Dale Hurd and Damien Cooney in particular - but, all of you known and unknown brothers and sisters at CBN. You really got this case to make it around the world, and you got Sweden's maltreatment of converts to be known and put immense pressure on the Migration board in Reza's case. I think what you did and especially the program Dale and Damien shot in Stockholm have changed the climate, and put Sweden's churches on the offensive when it comes to the issues of converts from Muslim countries. You have won many friends among us. Keep up you're wonderful work in Christ!

 

A warm thanks to the Council of Churches in Sweden. You have done a tremendous work in changing the views of the Migration board. On the convert issue Bengt Sjöberg, you have been working tirelessly for converts and deserve so many thanks for this, also you paved the way for many more. A special thanks to Bengt Sandqvist for you're constant "harassment" of the Migration board. We now pray that will get results for our friend Eddie Sajedi as well, which I know is you're first task in this struggle for converts. 

Thanks also to the following newspapers: Sändaren, Världen idag, Hemmets Vän, Aftonbladet and Dagens Nyheter. You have all written about Reza to a larger or lesser extent. It has all been invaluable. Thank you and God bless to all the blogs around the world for support and prayers. You made a huge contribution in showing ignorant Swedish authorities how big an issue question this really is. 

You are too many to mention by name here, but none of you are forgotten. From my special place in heart - friends and family: Thanks for all you're efforts in helping, supporting and cheering on: You're super! At last, but sure not the least - to my church, Tenstakyrkans Missionsförsamling: You have supported and cared for Reza, prayed for him and allowed me the time to focus so much on this. You're the best! Once again; Thank you Jesus for these great news today!

U.S Airforce removes Christian Art painting.

An artist whose painting was removed from an U.S. Air Force dining hall says the Pentagon is censoring Christian art.

Ron Dicianni's painting is called "Blessed are the Peacemakers" and references the scripture Matthew 5:9. It was part of a collection to honor the heroes who responded to the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

The painting was removed from Idaho's Mountain Home Air Force Base less than an hour after a complaint from Mikey Weinstein, the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

This is the same organization leader called religious proselytizing "a national security threat" in a private meeting with Pentagon officials last April.

The artist's son, Grant DiCianni, told Fox News, "On its face, this seems like nothing short of a clear anti-Christian agenda."

Grant DiCianni is also president of Tapestry Productions.

"It appears that the Air Force and the Pentagon have undertaken a dangerous war to rid the military of anything that points to Christ and that needs to be brought to light," he said.

Perfect for a Palace: Find Testifies to David's Royalty

JERUSALEM, Israel -- When Eilat Mazar realized she'd discover an ancient structure near Jerusalem, she turned to the Bible to help explain what she'd found. She learned that this new discovery supports the biblical accounts of King David and his son Solomon.

Second Samuel 5:11 says the Phoenician king Kiram "sent messengers to David and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons, and they built David a house."

"So it's a palace/fortress well built for good reasons, which is probably the palace that Hiram built for king David," Mazar speculated.

"We know its date, which is around 1000. That is around the time of King David. The Phoenician style of construction is quite emphasized. The Phoenicians are great builders as we learn from our excavations in Phoenician sites," she said.

Inside, the team found more evidence of royalty, from ancient seals used by court officials, to a variety of carved ivory utensils -- too expensive for a regular home, but perfect for a palace.

Mazar explained the "major part of the structure is still hidden and needs to be excavated." She believes "what we have in hand is less than a quarter."

A New Discovery

Across the street from the City of David, Mazar is directing another dig. She told CBN News just outside the Temple Mount she found more royal ruins. This time from David's son Solomon.

In 2010, excavations revealed a giant wall more than 220 feet long and almost 20 feet high. Mazar said this is the city wall described in 1 Kings 3, which says that Solomon built "the wall all around Jerusalem." It connected David's old city with Solomon's new temple. 

"And we can really say that the biblical description of King Solomon building the wall of Jerusalem around suits so well what we see (in the ruins).This is the only place that a fortification line is needed. It's surrounding that area; it connects to the Temple Mount. It's everything that fits the biblical story," Mazar argued.

Critics were quick to dispute Mazar's conclusion, but she had carbon dating on her side. Pottery shards found at the ground floor dated to the 10th century B.C. when Solomon was king.

"Sometime in the late 10th century, early 9th century, the king of Jerusalem built a most highly skilled fortification that indicated it's a strong regime, centralized, with great abilities. But then, we have this biblical story that tells about King Solomon doing the same thing. So, he did, and then like, 50 years later, some other king did the same thing?"

She suggests this is enough evidence for crtics to stop "fighting against the Bible." Mazar claims, "The reality is that a sophisticated fortification was built by King Solomon." And what has been discovered is "only part of it," a very big part.

Inside the wall were more clues pointing to King Solomon. 1 Kings 4:7 says that he had "12 governors who provided food for the king and his household." And inside the gate Mazar's team found evidence of their work: jar handles with seals inscribed "to the king" and large clay jars for storing grain.

Mazar believes they came from the royal bakery. 

"On one of the vessels, there is an inscription, an incision in ancient Hebrew saying "lazar ha'o" to the minister that was in charge of the "o." That's probably the ophim, in Hebrew, which is bakery," she said.

But Mazar's hunt for the house or David isn't over yet. Next on her agenda is another royal palace. This time she'll be looking for the house of King Solomon."

"Whatever I'll be able to add and contribute to the excavation of Jerusalem, this is my huge privilege. There is only one Jerusalem in the world. But it's not like I'll start or end anything. We are only at the beginning of it and it's going to be generations to come," Mazar predicted.

Pastor Saeed's Wife Pleas with Human Rights Council

The wife of the American Christian Pastor, Saeed Abedini, jailed and tortured in Iran for his faith, pled her case before the UN Human Rights Council Monday.

Naghmeh Abedini joined Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice to urge the panel to defend the persecuted church, specifically asking the member states to take more action on her husband's behalf.

Pastor Saeed Abedini was sentenced to eight years in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison on account of his Christian faith. He has been abused physically and suffers from internal bleeding. The prison leaders have refused to allow him to be treated for his injuries.

According to the Christian Post, in a letter written from prison in March, Pastor Saeed said:

"My hair was shaven, under my eyes were swollen three times what they should have been, my face was swollen, and my beard had grown. The nurse would also come to take care of us and provide us with treatment, but she said in front of others 'in our religion we are not supposed to touch you, you are unclean. Baha'i (religion) and Christians are unclean!' She did not treat me and that night I could not sleep from the intense pain I had."

On Friday, Sekulow told the Council that Naghmeh "represents the face of how Iran's persecution of Christians truly has a worldwide impact."

On the ACLJ's website he wrote, "I implored the nations represented on the Human Rights Council to stand up for the most basic of human rights - the right to peaceably assemble in exercise of one's religious beliefs - and urge Iran to release Pastor Saeed Abedini."

Iran's failure to apply the strict test of necessity and proportionality when reviewing whether to impose a restriction on an assembly, has resulted in a "severe violation of his (Saeed's) basic right to peaceful assembly and religious freedom," Sekulow said. "This violation must be addressed in order that the intersection between rights of religious expression and peaceful assembly may be reinforced as a cornerstone upon which peace may be established." 

Despite a call by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in March for Saeed's "immediate" release, Naghmeh has said she's been "disappointed that this great country is not doing more to free my husband - a U.S. Citizen." She said she expected more from her government.

More than 600,000 people around the world have signed a petition for Saeed's release.

Israeli Family Donates Kidney to Palestinian Child.

JERUSALEM, Israel -- A 10-year-old Palestinian youngster can look forward to a whole new life thanks to a highly skilled Israeli medical team and a Jewish family who believes every life is worth saving.

The donor's family, Avi and Sarit Naor, said it didn't matter who got their son Noam's kidneys because "the most important thing is that more children will not have to continue getting kidney dialysis." 

On Sunday, a team of specialists transplanted a kidney from the toddler, who had suffered irreversible brain damage from a two-story fall. A day after the surgery, the young Palestinian recipient was doing very well.

"He's doing fine, recovering well," Dr. Efrat Harlev, deputy to the CEO of Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva, told CBN News.

One family's unspeakable tragedy gave new life to another child who has been kept alive since age 3 by dialysis treatments administered at Jerusalem's Sha'are Zedek Medical Center.

Schneider's is the only hospital in Israel doing pediatric transplants. A committee under the Ministry of Health keeps a detailed list of patients in need of any kind of organ transplant.

"In Israel, that means everyone who is an Israeli citizen, Jewish or Arab, is eligible," Dr. Harlev explained.

"In order to receive a donor organ, careful check is made to ensure a good match immunologically," she continued. "Only if there is no match in Israel, just like in this case, we turn to the Palestinian Authority for a suitable recipient." 

Dr. Harlev said Israeli doctors often know the Palestinian children who need help.

"Usually we know these children because there's a lot of cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, especially with regard to pediatric patients," she said, something people often don't know about.

"Usually when you hear about Israel, it's about the conflict we're experiencing," Dr. Harlev said. "But what we'd like people to know is there is tremendous collaboration between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, especially with regard to the pediatric population."

And, she emphasized, it's not a "one-sided effort."

"We are working together to give better care to these children," Dr. Harlev said. "It is an effort that is above and beyond any conflict between Israelis and Palestinians."

The recipient's father said he didn't have words enough to thank the family who saved his son's life.

"We've been through many years of suffering when my son was on dialysis and his life was in danger," he said. "We are grateful for the donation and hope, God willing, the couple will be blessed enough to have another child."

Imprisoned Chinese Pastor near Death

It's life and death struggle for an imprisoned house church leader in China.

Gong Shengliang once led an underground house church movement of more than 50,000 people called the South China Church.

In 2001, the government convicted him of rape, arson, and leading a cult.

Even though many witnesses later recanted their testimony, he remains in jail.
    
In a recent report in Christianity Today, Gong's daughter says he is near death after years of torture and neglect.

She wrote a public letter to Chinese President Xi Jingping requesting her father's release and medical treatment.

According to a Christianity Today report, she wrote, ""(My father's) life is in grave danger.... Accordingly, we have asked for his release on bail for urgent medical treatment. But, again and again, our petitions have been completely ignored, without any reasonable response. It is very urgent for my father to have immediate medical treatment, otherwise he will either die soon while imprisoned under false pretense or remain severely disabled for the remainder of his life."

The Bush Administration intervened in his case in 2001 and was able to get his death sentence reduced to life in prison.

'Shocking' Report Out on Christians Killed for Faith

The Vatican representative to the United Nations says 100,000 Christians around the world are killed every year for their faith.

In an address to UN Human Rights Council this week, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said, "Credible research has reached the shocking conclusion that an estimate of more than 100,000 Christians are violently killed because of some relation to their faith every year."

"Other Christians and other believers are subjected to forced displacement, to the destruction of their places of worship, to rape and to the abduction of their leaders," he said.

Silvano said many of these attacks take place in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.