The government of Nicaragua banned at least 18 Christian groups from operating within the country as persecution from the Latin American nation’s regime worsens.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide said in a report published last month that they were able to identify 15 Protestant groups and 3 Roman Catholic groups stripped of legal status in 2025.

“Affected institutions were schools, religious radio and television outlets, and faith-based charities, including Lutheran World Relief and Food for the Hungry,” the group said.

The Independent Fundamentalist Baptists were also stripped of their legal status.

After revoking legal status, the government has in some cases taken their property.

One religiously affiliated school was allowed to operate for nine months after having its status revoked, with leadership told it would eventually be turned into a state school.

But the premises were instead used as a police station.

A Protestant nonprofit had the perimeter of their headquarters sectioned off with yellow tape, and leaders were told that the buildings and its contents thereafter belonged to the attorney general.

Any group deemed disloyal to the Nicaraguan regime faces repercussions in the country.

Christian leaders also experience severe consequences.

Some have been “questioned about the content of their sermons, prayers, and other teaching.”

“Threats were regularly reported in retaliation for statements or other forms of expression perceived as critical of the government,” Christian Solidarity Worldwide said.

In some cases, Nicaraguan Christians have been arbitrarily stripped of their citizenship upon leaving the country.

Jalder Hernandez, a Roman Catholic priest, was visiting the United States last year when he was told in an email from the airline that he would not be allowed to board the plane, and that any questions he had could be directed to the government of Nicaragua.

A journalist and Protestant pastor who wrote about religious issues faced similar expulsion.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide therefore recommended in their report that citizenship should be restored “to all those, in and outside the country, from whom it has been arbitrarily removed.”

They also suggested that the regime “reinstate the legal status of all civil society organisations which have been arbitrarily made illegal,” including by unfreezing their bank accounts.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Nicaragua Bans Several Christian Groups As Persecution Worsens appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

After an attack targeted at Christians rocked the nation of Syria, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders within the country restricted worship on Easter to inside churches only.

According to a report from The National, assailants on motorcycles carried out an attack in late March in Suqaylabiyah, a city in western Syria.

They fired guns, damaged storefronts, and smashed cars as citizens were forced to hide — an attack which followed the expulsion of two Sunni villagers who allegedly entered the town and harassed a woman.

The inhabitants of the village are largely Greek Orthodox.

After the attack, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox authorities said in a statement that “the Patriarchs extended their blessings and greetings to the faithful, while directing that celebrations be limited exclusively to prayers within the churches.”

On the eve of Palm Sunday and Holy Week, in the ancient Christian town of Suqaylabiyah, Syria, groups of armed Islamists are attacking Christian shops, homes, and churches. The Al-Qaeda/ISIS-aligned Syrian government is encouraging these attacks and has been a catastrophic… pic.twitter.com/TPHukOiLx6

— Iraqi Christian Foundation (@iraqschristians) March 28, 2026

“With deep concern and a sense of responsibility, the Patriarchs addressed the challenges facing Syria that threaten the country’s shared coexistence between Muslims and Christians,” the statement said.

“They emphasized the urgent need to control unregulated weapons and to maintain security and stability. They also stressed the importance of safeguarding the dignity of all citizens without exception.”

The statement added that “this must be grounded in the principles of citizenship, equal rights and duties, and respect for both personal and public freedoms.”

That means Syrian Christians cannot enjoy marching bands and egg hunts in the streets — traditions which usually mark the resurrection of Jesus in their country.

Easter for western Christians was on April 5, and eastern Christians will celebrate the holiday on April 12.

BREAKING:

Armed attack on the Christian city of Suqaylabiyah in Hama, Syria.

HTS-aligned residents of Qalaat al-Madiq were seen attacking properties belonging to the Christian population in Suqaylabiyah.

They also targeted a statue of the Virgin Mary in the city.

The attack… pic.twitter.com/tEm1C6mdbX

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 27, 2026

Christians in Syria have faced heightened persecution since the end of Bashar Al Assad’s regime at the end of 2024.

Assad was an Alawite — an offshoot of Shia Islam — meaning that religious minorities were treated relatively better under his governance.

The population of Suqaylabiyah has declined from 20,000 to 16,000 after the new Sunni Muslim government took over, which prompted Assad loyalists in the town to flee.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Syrian Christians Forced to Subdue Prayers Amid Persecution Threats appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Sound can’t travel through space.

But on the Orion spacecraft, which carried Artemis II astronauts around the moon, at least one Christian song was playing inside the capsule.

Christian singer-songwriter TobyMac revealed on Facebook that “Good Morning,” a song he wrote with the late singer Mandisa, woke up the astronauts on the sixth day of their mission.

The chorus of the song says, “You give me strength, you give me just what I need, and I can feel the hope that’s rising in me, it’s a good morning.”

TobyMac said that it was “an honor” that the song was played in the heavens — and that his deceased friend in the highest heaven would be honored as well.

He said of Mandisa, who passed away in 2024, “I know she’s smiling up there right now!”

Also on day six, the four Artemis II astronauts heard the voice of the late Jim Lovell, who piloted the Apollo 8 mission which orbited the moon in 1968.

He recorded the message last year before passing away from cancer at 97 years old.

“Hello Artemis II! this is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell,” he said in the message, per a report from CBS News.

“Welcome to my old neighborhood. When Frank Borman and Bill Andrews and I orbited the moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity’s first up close look at the moon and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world,” he added.

“I’m proud to pass that torch on to you as you swing around the moon and lay the groundwork for missions to Mars, for the benefit of all. It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view.”

But TobyMac and Mandisa were not the only Christian artists to cross paths with the astronauts amid their journey.

The Christian Post reported that the National Anthem was sung at the launch ceremony by Christian singer Anne Wilson.

Wilson likewise reflected on the moment via social media.

“What an incredible honor it was to sing the National Anthem at the Artemis II launch!!! This moment feels so full circle for me,” the 24-year-old wrote.

“There was a time in my life when I dreamed of becoming an astronaut,” she continued. “After walking through deep loss in my family, my path changed in ways I never expected. And yet, standing here now, getting to be a small part of something so historic, I’m just overwhelmed by God’s goodness.”

“He writes stories far greater than we could ever imagine, and I’m so grateful to be living in His,” she concluded.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Artemis II Crew Woke Up to This Christian Song One Morning During Their Journey appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Florida authorities announced that they recently conducted an enforcement crackdown for commercial trucks, resulting in 176 drivers being removed from service — and a few dozen immigration arrests.

Over the course of four days, Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies examined over 3,300 vehicles, according to a report from WKMG.

They observed many safety issues and tried to resolve them.

“The most dangerous things we see are cracked brakes and broken airlines,” Major Tom Pikul of Florida Highway Patrol told the outlet.

“If there is an air release in a brake line, they have no brakes.”

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass meanwhile said that authorities came across serious identification issues.

“Some of the driver’s licenses that we would find wouldn’t even have a name on the CDL — literally no name,” he revealed.

The enforcement action resulted in dozens of arrests — including 35 drivers on criminal charges and 42 on immigration violations.

Florida agencies put about 10 percent of the drivers they inspected out of service.

That level marked an uptick from past enforcement efforts.

The operation comes as state and federal authorities draw attention to the dangers of unqualified foreign truck drivers — some of whom are illegal aliens, and some of whom have limited English proficiency or familiarity with traffic laws.

In one recent example, a video from Florida Highway Patrol showed a semitruck moving across lanes on Interstate 75 — prompting several other drivers to call the police.

WOFL reported that the driver blew a 0.27 — seven times the legal alcohol limit for commercial drivers — during a breathalyzer test.

They even found alcohol in the front seat.

The driver lives in New York but originally comes from Uzbekistan, and body camera footage indicated that he had limited understanding of English.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently issued a final rule banning “unqualified foreign drivers from obtaining licenses to drive commercial trucks and buses.”

“For far too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing systems — wreaking havoc on our roadways. This safety loophole ends today,” he said in a statement.

“Moving forward, unqualified foreign drivers will be unable to get a license to operate an 80,000-pound big rig. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are putting the safety of the driving public first. From enforcing English language standards to holding fraudulent carriers accountable, we will continue to attack this crisis on our roads head on.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Florida Cops Pull Dozens of Truck Drivers from Roads – Including Illegal Aliens With ‘Literally No Name’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey was seen street preaching after the team waived him for remarks against an LGBT celebration.

Ivey said during a video stream on Instagram that the NBA’s decision to promote “pride month” was indeed a celebration of “unrighteousness,” according to a report from ESPN.

“The world proclaims LGBTQ, right?” Ivey asked his audience.

“They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA does, too. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it on the streets. Unrighteousness,” he added.

After being barred from playing for the rest of the season, a video of Ivey street preaching went viral on social media.

The basketball player was heard on a microphone quoting from the Sermon on the Mount, citing Jesus’ reminder that “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

A group of apparent fellow street preachers were in the background, holding a large sign that said “Jesus died for you; God loves you and wants to save you from your sins.”

The sign called on readers to “repent of sin; believe the gospel; obey Jesus.”

The video was originally posted on TikTok but was shared on other platforms.

The recently fired Chicago Bulls player Jaden Ivey street preaching this evening.

h/t Kendrickatwater on TT pic.twitter.com/70D0o7DZzg

— Protestia (@Protestia) April 5, 2026

Ivey has been lauded by various Christian leaders for his faithfulness in standing against homosexuality and transgenderism.

Josh Howerton, an evangelical pastor in Dallas, Texas, commended Ivey for refusing to bow down to the LGBT movement — even though his decision has cost him — referencing accounts of Daniel and his friends in the Old Testament, who refused to participate in the false worship of Babylon.

“To understand what just happened to NBA star Jaden Ivey, all we have to do is go back to Daniel in the Bible. Obey God rather than men,” Howerton said.

Howerton added in a post on X that other Christians are likely to face temptation when they take stands for righteousness and against cultural evils.

To every Christian within the sound of my voice: This is 1000% what’s going to happen to you the moment you start living boldy by your convictions.

Now is the time to answer the question: Whose team do you care most about being a star on? pic.twitter.com/lBobbPT1fZ

— Josh Howerton (@howertonjosh) April 7, 2026

“To every Christian within the sound of my voice: This is 1000% what’s going to happen to you the moment you start living boldly by your convictions,” the pastor wrote.

“Now is the time to answer the question: Whose team do you care most about being a star on?”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post NBA Player Jaden Ivey Seen Street Preaching After Stand for Biblical Marriage appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.