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Cruz clashes with Nigeria over his claims 50,000 Christians killed since 2009 in religious violence
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FIRST ON FOX: A diplomatic battle is being waged between leading Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Nigerian government officials. The Texas senator has warned he will hold officials accountable for the reported «mass slaughter» of tens of thousands of Christians in Nigeria. The officials say Cruz is lying, with one claiming that despite even the pope publicly calling out the killings, there is religious harmony in the country.
Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian, according to international Christian advocacy group Open Doors International’s 2025 World Watch List (WWL). An estimated 48% of the population is Christian. But of the 4,476 Christians reported killed worldwide in WWL’s latest reporting period, 3,100 – 69% – were in Nigeria.
WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO SURGE IN CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION CRISIS ACROSS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, which he said would target officials «with powerful sanctions and other tools.» (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
On Saturday, the spokesperson for Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu told a Lagos newspaper that Cruz should «stop these malicious, contrived lies» over the murders.
In response, Cruz, the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, told Fox News Digital, «Nigeria’s federal government and a dozen state governments enforce blasphemy laws in their criminal and sharia codes, and they ignore or facilitate mob violence targeting Christians.»
On Friday, the Nigerian minister of information, Mohammed Idris, spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital, rejecting Cruz’s claims of Christian massacres in his country. «The Nigerian government rejects that. This is certainly not true,» he said.
In reaction, Cruz told Fox News Digital that the killings «are the result of decisions made by specific people, in specific places, at specific times. The United States knows who those people are, and I intend to hold them accountable».
Pope Leo XIV condemned the killings of up to 200 people in Yelewata community in Nigeria on June 13, 2025. (Associated Press)
Cruz said, «Since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 20,000 churches and Christian schools have been destroyed. These atrocities are directly linked to the policies of Nigerian federal and state officials. They are the result of decisions made by specific people, in specific places, at specific times – and it says a great deal about who is lashing out now that a light is being shone on these issues.»
On Friday, Cruz posted on X: «Officials in Nigeria are ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists. It’s time to hold those responsible accountable.» He went on to refer to a new bill he has introduced in the Senate: «My Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act would target these officials with powerful sanctions and other tools.»
FEARS REMAIN THIS EASTER THAT CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA ARE BEING ‘WIPED OUT’ BY MUSLIM EXTREMISTS
This drew an immediate response from Nigerian presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga. Interviewed by the Nigerian Daily Post the next day, Onanuga demanded, «Senator, stop these malicious, contrived lies against my country. Christians are not targeted. We have religious harmony in our country.»
Idris told Fox News Digital that Cruz’s comments are «very misleading. This is not true. This is not the reflection of what is on the ground. I mean it’s false where you say over 20,000 churches have been burned. It’s also false if you say 52,000 (Christians killed), where did he get those numbers from? I think this is absolutely absurd. It’s not supported by any facts whatsoever. The Nigerian government rejects that. No Nigerian officials will willingly, deliberately indulge in the act of siding with violent extremists to target any particular religion in this country. This is absolutely false.»
Idris also stated, «Nigeria is a multi-faith country, meaning that it’s a country that has multiple religions. We have Christians, we have Muslims, we even have those who don’t believe in any of these two religions. Nigeria is a very tolerant country. The government of Nigeria is committed to ensuring that there is religious freedom in this country, but we do have extremist organizations in this country.»
Members of St Leo Catholic Church hold a procession to mark Palm Sunday in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, on April 13, 2025. (Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images)
Idris continued, «It’s unfortunate sadly, that some of these extremists have killed a number of Christians and a number of Muslims almost everywhere where this violent extremism has support. So it’s (the accusation by Sen. Cruz) not true. We find that to be very unfortunate. It’s despicable, it’s not right. This is absolutely false to say that there is a calculated or a deliberate attempt to kill a particular religious group, is not correct and we find that really very, very unfortunate.
POPE, STATE DEPARTMENT CONDEMN LATEST MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS BY ISLAMIST MILITANTS IN NIGERIA
Open Doors’ Natalie Blair says independent data from Nigeria shows «Christians can be targeted by radical extremists, and radical extremists can also kill Muslims who do not conform to their radical ideology.» But Blair, a senior member of Open Doors Advocacy team, told Fox News Digital, «Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) have explicitly and repeatedly declared Christians as targets. And many victims have told us that when Fulani militants attack they don’t just shout ‘Allahu Akbar’, (God is Great), they yell, ‘We will destroy all Christians.’
Blair added: «According to the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, data of civilians killed – exempting out the military and terrorist deaths – in northern Nigeria is unequivocal: more Christians are killed by the extremists than Muslims – if you are a Christian you are 6.5 times more likely to be killed than a Muslim. This does not make the suffering of a Muslim less significant, it just makes it less likely.» President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently told a Nigerian newspaper that Sen. Ted Cruz should «stop these malicious, contrived lies» over the killings. (Ton Molina/Getty Images) Bishop Wilfred Anagbe’s Makurdi Diocese is almost exclusively Christian. But the constant and escalating attacks by Muslim Fulani militants led him to testify at a congressional hearing in March in Washington, saying there is «a long-term Islamic agenda (in Nigeria) to homogenize. The population has been implemented over several presidencies through a strategy to reduce and eventually eliminate the Christian identity of half of the population all over Nigeria. These terrorists are going about on a jihad and conquering territories and renaming them accordingly.» CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Idris was dismissive of the bishop’s congressional testimony: «Let me say that the bishop’s position is an extreme one. It’s not true. The Nigerian government has debunked that in the past.» Funerals for some 27 Christians who were reportedly killed by Islamist Fulani tribesmen in the village of Bindi Ta-hoss, Nigeria. (Courtesy: Christian Solidarity International (CSI)) Open Doors’ Blair, with access to Nigerian villagers, responded, «We must listen to the voices of those who have experienced the violence firsthand. People on the ground do not trust that anyone will pay for these violent crimes. This is because they have seen hundreds of suspects arrested over the years and then most of them released, having never been charged or brought to trial.» Blair concluded, «The right to life, guaranteed under Section 33 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, is meaningless unless the state acts decisively to punish those who violate it. The ongoing culture of impunity will only result in more bloodshed and continue to erode public trust in the rule of law.»
africa,christianity religion,persecutions,terrorism,ted cruz,national security
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Ataque a la caravana presidencial en Ecuador: el Gobierno denunció un intento de asesinato contra Daniel Noboa
El presidente de Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, fue atacado este 7 de octubre mientras encabezaba una caravana oficial en la provincia de Cañar, donde tenía previsto anunciar y supervisar obras de agua potable y alcantarillado, según informó la Presidencia. El Ejecutivo indicó que un grupo de personas lanzó piedras y disparos contra los vehículos del convoy en el cantón Tambo, cuando la comitiva se dirigía hacia el estadio local para participar en el evento oficial.
Pese al ataque, el mandatario logró llegar a su destino y cumplió con toda la agenda prevista, que incluyó la entrega del sistema de alcantarillado de Sigsihuayco, la supervisión de los avances de la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales y la firma de un convenio para construir un nuevo sistema de alcantarillado en Quilloac. Las inversiones suman más de USD 6 millones y beneficiarán a cerca de 26.000 habitantes de la zona, de acuerdo con la Secretaría de Comunicación.
La ministra de Energía y Ambiente, Inés Manzano, confirmó en declaraciones a la prensa que el Gobierno presentó una denuncia por tentativa de asesinato contra el presidente de la República. “A las 2:41 de la tarde presentamos la denuncia por tentativa de asesinato en el cantón Tambo, cuando el presidente se aprestaba a participar en el evento. Aparecieron alrededor de 500 personas que lanzaron piedras y también hay signos de bala en el carro del presidente”, afirmó. Pese a esta última declaración la Policía ha indicado que los atacantes “procedieron a lanzar piedras contra los vehículos de la caravana presidencial”.
Manzano precisó que cinco personas fueron detenidas en el lugar y que serán procesadas por terrorismo. “Esto no lo vamos a permitir. Ecuador dice sí a la paz, sí al trabajo. Estas clases de manifestaciones violentas no son las que el país necesita en un momento de progreso y desarrollo”, agregó.
“El presidente está bien, sigue con su itinerario y no permitirá que actos de violencia frenen su trabajo por el país”, sostuvo Manzano. Según la funcionaria, la audiencia de flagrancia para los detenidos se instalaría esta misma tarde.
El ataque se produjo en medio de un clima de tensión política y social marcado por las movilizaciones convocadas por la Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (Conaie) contra el fin del subsidio al diésel, que ya cumplen su tercera semana.
Aunque las autoridades no atribuyeron directamente el ataque a la organización indígena, Manzano aseguró que “las comunidades ancestrales no están involucradas”, sino que “son células criminales las que están provocando estos actos de terrorismo”. Añadió que no se debe generalizar la responsabilidad sobre todo el movimiento indígena y mencionó que existen dirigentes con denuncias previas por terrorismo.
Desde la Presidencia, el comunicado oficial describió el hecho como una acción de “grupos desestabilizadores que obedecen órdenes de radicalización” y que “intentaron impedir, por la fuerza, la entrega de una obra destinada a mejorar la vida de una comunidad”. La Secretaría de Comunicación afirmó que todos los detenidos serán procesados por los delitos de terrorismo e intento de asesinato y aseguró que “no lograron detener al Gobierno Nacional”.
Durante su discurso en Cañar, Noboa se refirió directamente al ataque y lo vinculó con sectores que, según dijo, buscan evitar reformas políticas en el país. “A diferencia de quienes no quieren una nueva Constitución, ni reducir el número de asambleístas, ni que los recursos públicos lleguen a la gente, nosotros buscamos el camino democrático. Hay quienes quieren mantener poder en unos pocos espacios y dañan la vida de la mayoría de ecuatorianos para conseguirlo”, manifestó el mandatario.
El Ejecutivo anunció que reforzará las medidas de seguridad del mandatario y que los responsables serán llevados ante la justicia. “Dispararle al carro del presidente, dañar bienes del Estado y atacar una obra pública no tiene nada de pacífico. Son actos criminales”, concluyó Manzano.
El ataque a la caravana presidencial en Cañar ocurre mientras el Gobierno busca retomar el control del orden público tras protestas y bloqueos en al menos cuatro provincias del país.
corresponsal:Desde Quito
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President Donald Trump issued a letter to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre, thanking them for their appeal to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
«Since the abhorrent events of October 7, 2023, that saw families ripped apart, children torn from their parents’ arms, and innocent people shot, killed, and raped, I have been resolved to returning all the hostages home, and ensuring the total destruction of Hamas so these horrific acts may never be repeated. These unspeakable scenes have been seared into our memories, and we will never forget,» Trump wrote.
«My entire administration has been touched by the fact that, through the unimaginable pain and suffering of spending two years not knowing where your loved ones are, you have continued telling their stories and advocating on their behalf.»
ISRAEL, HAMAS MEET IN EGYPT TO REVIVE TRUMP PEACE PLAN AHEAD OF OCT. 7 ANNIVERSARY
President Donald Trump meets with freed Israeli hostages Ohad Ben Ami and Raz Ben Ami, and Ilay and Leela David, the siblings of Evyatar David, who is still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. Sept. 2025. (The White House)
On Monday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a letter to the Nobel Committee, saying that after two years of suffering, they felt that Trump’s efforts brought them to a turning point. The group also acknowledged the number of hostages released since Trump’s inauguration, giving some families their loved ones and others «the dignity of burial and closure.»
«President Trump’s determination to bring peace made possible what many said was impossible. From the moment of his inauguration, he brought us light through our darkest times,» the forum wrote. «We are confident that he will not rest until the last hostage is brought home, the war has ended, and peace and prosperity are restored to the people of the Middle East.»
«In this past year, no leader or organization has contributed more to peace around the world than President Trump. While many have spoken eloquently about peace, he has achieved it. While others have offered empty promises, he has delivered tangible results that have saved countless lives,» the forum added.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES ISRAEL AGREES TO GAZA ‘INITIAL WITHDRAWAL LINE’ AS ‘3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE’ NEARS END
People lift a banner and portraits of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip since 2023, during a rally in Tel Aviv marking the second anniversary of the attacks by Palestinian terrorists, on Oct. 7, 2025. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)
It’s unclear whether Trump will win the prize, but that does not mean he has given up on achieving peace and ending the war.
Trump over the weekend urged the negotiators involved in the indirect talks to «move fast,» but he signaled that he viewed Hamas’ response as positive and called on Israel to «immediately stop the bombing of Gaza.»
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted the 20-point plan while in the U.S. last month. While Hamas said it was ready to release the hostages, it did not give a definitive answer on Trump’s plan.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the State Dining Room at the White House on Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (POOL)
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed Trump’s deal as «a historic opportunity to close this dark chapter, and to build a foundation for lasting peace and security for all.»
Chief negotiators from Israel and Hamas convened in Egypt on Tuesday as negotiations regarding Trump’s peace plan continued. An Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press that Hamas and Israel agreed on most of the first-phase terms, including the release of the hostages and the establishment of a ceasefire.
Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
donald trump,middle east,israel
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Alexander Vindman’s congressman brother leads off Dems boosting Jay Jones after texts: ‘Send a message’
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Democratic Virginia Rep. Yevgeny «Eugene» Vindman, twin brother of Trump impeachment figure Alexander Vindman, blasted out to his Twitter followers a call to vote for Democrats Jay Jones and Abigail Spanberger days after texts showed the former referenced killing Republicans.
Meanwhile, a House of Delegates candidate in conservative southside Virginia doubles and triples down on support of Jones amid social media pushback.
As Jones’ controversy and campaign unraveled over the weekend, Vindman, D-Va., took to X to issue comments standing behind the entire Democratic ticket.
«We’re just a month out from Election Day in Virginia. It’s time for our Commonwealth to send a message that we’re tired of Republican chaos,» Vindman wrote Sunday, two days after texts came to light showing Jones envisioning the murder of then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah.
YOUNGKIN SAYS DEMOCRAT AG CANDIDATE JAY JONES MUST ‘STEP AWAY IN DISGRACE’ OVER TEXTS ABOUT FORMER GOP LEADER
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., center, talks with Rep. Eugene Vindman, left, and his brother Alexander Vindman in Washington in 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Virginia «make a plan to vote — early if you can,» he said, adding «for» and the three X handles for gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, lieutenant gubernatorial nominee Ghazala Hashmi and Jones.
«Your voice couldn’t be more important this year,» concluded Rep. Eugene Vindman, who coincidentally holds Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger’s former seat.
The post got ratioed by critics, including one telling Vindman, «Nobody is voting for Jay ‘Two Bullet’ Jones.»
«Get lost,» the man wrote.
JAY JONES SAID IF MORE POLICE WERE KILLED IT WOULD REDUCE SHOOTINGS OF CIVILIANS, ACCORDING TO VIRGINIA LAWMAKER
Another respondent posted a meme image of the Harrison family from «Pawn Stars» speaking with a customer and the caption «We need to tone down the political violence rhetoric» – «Virginia Democrats: Best I can do is murder your children.»
A third posted the ubiquitous «Marked Safe From… Today» flag meme, with the caption «Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones.»
«Virginia — not for lovers anymore,» another wrote, referring to the Old Dominion’s famous 50-year tourism slogan.
Rep. Eugene Vindman’s brother Alexander Vindman was a key figure in then-Rep. Adam Schiff’s impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. Schiff defended then-witness Alexander Vindman in congressional hearings after Trump and other Republicans repeatedly condemned the former Ukraine-focused National Security Council staffer.
In Washington, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine also defended his support for Jones, saying he’s known the former Norfolk state delegate for 25 years.
«I think those statements were not in character, and he has apologized — I wish other people in public life would sincerely apologize for stuff,» Kaine said.
At the other end of Virginia, a Democrat running for a seat in Pittsylvania County and vicinity doubled and tripled down on her endorsement of Jones as the controversy continued.
YOUNGKIN PRESSES DEMS TO PUSH JAY JONES OFF VIRGINIA AG TICKET AFTER ‘BEYOND DISQUALIFYING’ MESSAGES SURFACE
Candidate Melody Cartwright, a former graphic designer at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, lambasted the delegate whom Jones had incidentally texted the invective to and vociferously defended the attorney generalship nominee.
Jay Jones «will defend Virginia’s rights, healthcare, and education. Stay the course,» Cartwright wrote on X, inscribing Jones’ handle.
«I stand with (Jay Jones) period. End of statement,» Cartwright wrote in a second tweet, both of which were lambasted by critics.
«Then you stand for a man who fantasizes about the murder of his political opponent’s children and wants to kill them, the parents, and piss on their graves,» replied former Energy Department staffer Matt van Swol.
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NASCAR’s Martinsville Speedway, seen here, is the anchor of Del. Eric Phillips’ district where he is running against Democrat Melody Cartwright. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Another critic said Cartwright’s comment wasn’t just a show of support but «an endorsement of an (expletive) death-obsessed lunatic.»
«No one is surprised. By you, by him, or by your entire party. It’s who you are,» wrote conservative figure Western Lensman.
Another reply included a one-second clip of conservative journalist Andrew Breitbart from his CPAC 2012 intro video, saying «War,» which had been one of the last appearances by the major right-wing figure before his death just days later. Breitbart’s stern-faced delivery of the singular word grew into a memorialization on the right in the time since; depicting the view that the left holds visceral hatred for the right.
Virginia Del. Eric Phillips, R-Martinsville, who defeated Cartwright last cycle and faces her again, told Fox News Digital it’s «not the Virginia way» to even entertain chatter in terms of what Jones referenced in his texts.
«It’s disturbing and disgraceful for my opponent to defend Jay Jones’ vile comments,» Phillips said of Cartwright.
«Standing with someone who talks about shooting colleagues in the head, harming their children, and desecrating graves is indefensible,» Phillips added.
«Anyone who excuses or embraces that kind of hate has no business asking to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates.»
In a separate tweet, Cartwright also bashed Virginia Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chester, who originally had shared Jones’ texts with the National Review and Fox News Digital.
virginia governor race,virginia,democrats,elections,donald trump,trump impeachment inquiry
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