Month: April 2026

The era of privacy is officially over in the “New Hong Kong,” and if you’re an American traveling abroad, you are now a target for the Communist-controlled regime.

According to a recent warning issued by the U.S. Consulate, Americans entering or even transiting through Hong Kong could now face criminal charges simply for refusing to unlock their phones or provide passwords to authorities.

Under newly updated enforcement rules tied to Hong Kong’s sweeping National Security Law, police now have the authority to demand access to personal electronic devices, including phones and laptops, on the spot.

And here’s the catch:

• Refusing to comply is now a criminal offense
• Penalties include up to one year in prison and fines of roughly $12,000+ USD
• Providing “false or misleading information” could lead to even harsher prison sentences up to 3 years

This applies to everyone, residents, tourists, business travelers, and even passengers just passing through the airport.

The U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macao issued the following alert:

On March 23, 2026, the Hong Kong government changed the implementing rules relating to the National Security Law. It is now a criminal offense to refuse to give the Hong Kong police the passwords or decryption assistance to access all personal electronic devices including cellphones and laptops. This legal change applies to everyone, including U.S. citizens, in Hong Kong, arriving or just transiting Hong Kong International Airport. In addition, the Hong Kong government also has more authority to take and keep any personal devices, as evidence, that they claim are linked to national security offenses.

Actions to Take:

• Contact the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong & Macau if you are arrested or detained.
• Visit Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to enroll in the updated STEP to set your preferences and continue receiving alerts and messages from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
• Encourage friends and family traveling or living internationally to enroll in STEP. Travelers may choose to sign up for alerts for individual trips or to receive alerts long-term for specific countries where they or their loved ones are visiting or residing.
• Follow the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs on social media (@travelgov) as well as the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate .

Chinese officials have already lashed out at the U.S. for issuing the warning, accusing Washington of “interfering” in Hong Kong’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong authorities insist the new rules are necessary for “national security.”

The post Americans Traveling to Hong Kong Will Now Face ARREST for Refusing to Hand Over Phones, Laptops, and Passwords appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

President Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, released on Friday, asks Congress to spend $152 million to reopen Alcatraz as a “state-of-the-art secure prison facility.”

The President has long embraced tough lock-up conditions for violent criminals “as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”

Last May, President Trump called the Bureau of Prisons to reopen the original Alcatraz off the coast of San Francisco to house the “dregs of society.” He said in a Truth Social Post, “We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.

The historic facility is known for being surrounded by ice-cold water, strong tidal currents, and, sometimes, Great White sharks, making escape nearly impossible. Mob boss Al Capone was once housed in the famed former federal prison, which is now a tourist attraction and museum.

The President’s latest request, which will ultimately require congressional approval, reads, “For years, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has housed violent criminals in crumbling detention facilities. Building on a $5 billion investment secured in the President’s WFTC, the Budget further invests in BOP to ensure competitive pay, safe working conditions, and an end to longstanding correctional officer shortages. Within this level, the Budget also affirms the President’s commitment to rebuild Alcatraz as a state-of-the-art secure prison facility, providing $152 million to cover the first year of project costs.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) slammed the President’s proposal on Friday, calling the idea “stupid” and demanding its rejection.

“I will work with my colleagues in the Congress to use every parliamentary and budgetary tactic available to block this lunacy,” she declared.

The Trump Administration’s budget proposal is absurd on its face and should be rejected outright.

Rebuilding Alcatraz into a modern prison is a stupid notion that would be nothing more than a waste of taxpayer dollars and an insult to the intelligence of the American people.

Alcatraz is a historic museum that belongs to the public, and San Franciscans will not stand for Washington turning one of our most iconic landmarks into a political prop.

At a time when communities are demanding real investments in public safety, this Administration is pushing a cartoonish throwback that does nothing to address the challenges facing working families.

I will work with my colleagues in the Congress to use every parliamentary and budgetary tactic available to block this lunacy.

The Trump Administration’s budget proposal is absurd on its face and should be rejected outright.

Rebuilding Alcatraz into a modern prison is a stupid notion that would be nothing more than a waste of taxpayer dollars and an insult to the intelligence of the American people.… pic.twitter.com/xPpBr6a5Yb

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 3, 2026

The post JUST IN: Trump’s Budget Requests $152 Million to Reopen Alcatraz as “State-of-the-Art Secure Prison” – Pelosi LOSES IT appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The weak border policies from previous Democrat regimes continue to have deadly consequences for innocent American citizens.

As the Springfield Daily Citizen reported, 18-year-old Yefry Archaga was taken into custody on Tuesday in Webb City, Missouri, and charged with first-degree murder after killing a 15-year-old teenager named Miles Young last month.

Archaga is Honduras. He is listed in jail records with an active immigration detainer (Hold for ICE). He is reportedly originally from Honduras.

Archaga also reportedly has ties to gangs in the area.

Another suspect, 18-year-old Praize King, was previously arrested and charged with first-degree murder as well.

According to Ozarks First, a juvenile suspect arrived at a Springfield residence on March 12 with Archaga, two juvenile witnesses, and another underage suspect to discuss how to lure Young into a trap. The juvenile suspect believed Young was responsible for the victim’s death in a homicide case last year.

Then, the group put their plan into motion that day.

Ozarks First reported:

The juvenile allegedly met up with Archaga, two juvenile witnesses, and an adult suspect before meeting with Young, driving around Springfield. The young suspect in the statement reportedly discussed “setting up” Young, later arriving at an apartment to retrieve a second vehicle.

Archaga sat in the second vehicle as the suspect drove him and the two witnesses, as the juvenile suspect drove the other vehicle, described as a black Mercedes, which was planned to pick up Young.

When the juvenile suspect arrived at the residence, Young was with another juvenile witness, while speaking on the phone with another juvenile witness. The two witnesses reportedly told Young not to go with the juvenile suspect, thinking it was a “set up,” due to the suspect not liking Young.

The witnesses reported to law enforcement that the juvenile suspect blamed Young for the death of a victim in a 2025 homicide case.

The juvenile suspect then drove Young toward West Maplewood Street and then stopped while the adult suspect blocked the road.

Young fled the vehicle in panic and was chased by Archaga, who was wearing a ski mask and carrying a Glock-style pistol. Young was then shot multiple times and fell to the ground.

Young reportedly begged for his life, saying, “I just don’t wanna die.” Archaga then fired the fatal shot.

Greene County deputies and Emergency Medical Services rushed to the scene and tried to save Young’s life before taking him to Cox South Hospital. The boy was later pronounced dead from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Archaga is currently in the Greene County Jail and is being held without bond.

The post HORROR: Gang-Affiliated Illegal Alien Lures 15-Year-Old Missouri Boy into Trap and Guns Him Down as He Begs for His Life appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

On Friday it was reported that President Trump is considering further changes to his Cabinet after firing Pam Bondi as Attorney General.

President Trump has fired two high-level officials over the last month.

Trump fired Bondi as US Attorney General on Thursday and fired Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary.

The President reportedly fired Bondi over her handling of the Epstein files and dissatisfaction with her leadership.

Kristi Noem was fired after she spent $200 million on an ad contract and lied to Congress and claimed it was with Trump’s approval.

According to Politico and the Washington Post, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer may be on the chopping block.

President Trump may make further changes to his Cabinet ahead of the midterms, just in case the Republicans lose the Senate.

On Saturday, CBS News reported that Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, will be promoted.

And Stanley Woodward, currently the number 3 at the DOJ will be demoted.

CBS News reported:

President Donald Trump is likely to make leadership changes involving two more top roles at the Justice Department, sources told CBS News on Saturday.

The changes are most likely to affect Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, the No. 3 official at the Justice Department and Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.

Senior officials have discussed promoting Dhillon to one of the top department roles, while demoting Woodward, the sources added. It was unclear if final decisions had been made yet.

The discussions of a possible promotion for Dhillon come shortly after Mr. Trump ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this week, after frustrations that she had not aggressively pursued criminal charges against his political enemies.

The Washington Post also reported about the next Cabinet shakeup.

“After ousting two of his highest-profile Cabinet members from their posts, President Donald Trump is considering making more changes to his administration’s top leadership, according to advisers — a decision that would accelerate the once-slow pace of his second-term staff departures,” WaPo reported.

Breaking news: After ousting two of his highest-profile Cabinet members, President Trump is considering making more changes to his administration’s top leadership, according to advisers, accelerating the once-slow pace of his second-term staff departures. https://t.co/FDYJE4ct0y

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 4, 2026

The post JUST IN: Trump Impending Leadership Changes May Affect Two More Top Roles appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

German fighting-age males are getting an early taste of the military escalation on the old continent.

We have been reporting here on TGP how the Euro-Globalist ‘leaders’ in Europe have been pushing their countries through a military buildup not seen since the end of the Cold War.

But it did take us by surprise just how fast Germany escalated their military service rules into draconian demands.

It has now been reported that German men ‘of fighting age’ must now ask the Bundeswehr for permission to leave the country for more than three months.

NEW – Germany now requires all men between the ages of 17 and 45 to obtain permission from the military before leaving the country for more than three months. pic.twitter.com/xqthQSkBoI

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) April 4, 2026

BREAKING: Germany imposes strict new travel rules, all men aged 17–45 now need military permission to leave the country for more than 3 months. pic.twitter.com/b7T0p5wt2r

— War Radar (@War_Radar2) April 4, 2026

The Telegraph reported:

“The government has introduced a new military service scheme this year that stops short of conscription but requires men born from 2008 onwards to take a medical exam and fill in a survey about their fitness for service.

It has emerged that a clause in the law also requires men aged between 17 and 45 to obtain a permit from the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, before leaving the country for extended periods.”

Germany is tightening oversight of potential conscripts.

Men aged 17–45 must now notify and obtain permission from the Bundeswehr for long-term travel abroad, as part of efforts to build a registry “in case of need,” the Defense Ministry said. pic.twitter.com/wHSkrOYalT

— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) April 4, 2026

“The purpose of the new rule in Germany is to restrict the movements of men of fighting age in the event of a national crisis such as a war, which may require emergency conscription.

The rule says: ‘Male persons who have reached the age of 17 must obtain permission from the responsible career center of the German armed forces if they wish to leave the Federal Republic of Germany for more than three months’.”

BREAKING: Germany now requires all men aged 17 to 45 to obtain permission from the military (Bundeswehr) before leaving the country for more than three months. pic.twitter.com/0yYRaYDdzN

— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) April 4, 2026

Read more:

Whitewashed by the MSM, Ukrainian Nazi Fighters From Azov Regiment Sentenced in Russian Military Court

The post POWDER KEG EUROPE: German Men Now Have to Ask the Army for Permission to Leave the Country for More Than Three Months appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

In a stark reminder of how far some religious practices diverge from church teaching, Catholic devotees in the Philippines continue nailing themselves to crosses each Good Friday despite decades of official condemnation from church leaders who call the brutal ritual a dangerous misinterpretation of faith.

Graphic Ritual Defies Church Authority

Seven Filipino devotees were nailed to wooden crosses in San Pedro Cutud village, Pampanga province, during the annual Good Friday crucifixion reenactment. Among them was Maryjane Sazon, a 39-year-old beauty salon worker and one of the few women participants, who grimaced as villagers dressed as Roman centurions drove sterilized nails through her hands and feet. The participants remained on crosses for approximately five to ten minutes before being removed, their wounds treated as thousands of spectators watched the graphic display of devotion.

Decades of Persistence Despite Official Condemnation

The Philippine Bishops’ Conference has condemned these crucifixion reenactments since the 1960s, calling them penitential practices that should not be encouraged. Church officials describe the ritual as a gory display that misinterprets authentic Catholic faith, recommending alternatives such as Red Cross blood donations. Yet the church lacks enforcement power over these folk traditions in rural villages, where the syncretic blend of Catholicism with pre-colonial superstitions has deep roots. This represents a troubling erosion of religious authority, where official doctrine is openly disregarded in favor of sensational displays that prioritize spectacle over genuine spiritual devotion.

Economic Motives and Tourist Spectacle

The crucifixion ritual has become a significant tourism draw for Pampanga’s impoverished communities, attracting thousands of visitors annually and generating revenue for struggling villages north of Manila. Local organizers coordinate the event, which has evolved from individual acts of penance beginning in the 1950s-1960s into an organized spectacle. The most prolific participant, Ruben Enaje, a sign painter who began in 1985 after surviving a construction accident, has undergone the nailing more than 32 times. Participants claim they seek atonement for sins, miracles for family members, or fulfillment of vows, with Enaje asserting he feels no pain due to faith.

Faith Versus Dangerous Superstition

While devotees justify the practice as imitating Christ’s suffering, the ritual raises serious concerns about the glorification of self-harm masquerading as piety. The penitents, often impoverished individuals seeking divine intervention for worldly problems, subject themselves to nail wounds and blood loss that risk infection despite sterilization efforts. This reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of Christian teaching, where salvation comes through Christ’s sacrifice alone, not through human attempts to replicate His suffering. For American conservatives who value genuine faith rooted in biblical truth and personal responsibility, this ritual exemplifies how religious practice can devolve into dangerous superstition when disconnected from proper theological guidance and authority.

The continuation of these crucifixion reenactments despite official church opposition demonstrates the limits of institutional authority in remote communities where tradition and economic incentives override doctrinal correction. As the practice enters its fifth decade with no signs of stopping, it remains a troubling example of how authentic religious devotion can be corrupted into harmful spectacle that serves tourism more than truth.

Sources:

Catholic devotees nailed to crosses on Good Friday in Philippines – Fox News

Philippines devotee nailed to cross for 32nd time in Good Friday crucifixion re-enactment – Hindustan Times

Crucifixion – Wikipedia

Dozens ignore warnings to re-enact crucifixion – The Independent (archived)

President Donald J. Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to deliver a final, bone-chilling warning to the radical mullahs in Tehran: Open the Strait of Hormuz now, or face total annihilation.

Trump has been playing nuclear-level chess with the Iranian regime ever since they tried to choke off one-fifth of the world’s oil supply in retaliation for America and Israel’s decisive strikes that left their military in ruins.

Back on March 21, Trump issued his first iron-fisted 48-hour ultimatum, warning that the U.S. would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants, starting with the biggest ones, if the Strait wasn’t opened “FULLY, WITHOUT THREAT.”

The regime responded with hysterical threats to wipe out Middle East water supplies and desalination plants, proving once again they are nothing but a bunch of apocalyptic fanatics who hate civilization.

Trump graciously extended the deadline by 10 days at Iran’s request to give them a chance to negotiate, setting a new drop-dead date for Monday, April 6.

But the ayatollahs have continued to play games, allowing limited oil to flow to everyone EXCEPT the U.S., Israel, and key Gulf allies while keeping the world on the brink of an energy crisis.

Now, with the extended deadline looming, President Trump is reminding the world, and especially the mad mullahs in Tehran, that his patience has limits.

“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

President Trump on Thursday posted a video of Iran’s B1 bridge in Karaj, the tallest bridge in the Middle East, being destroyed in an airstrike.

Trump posted the video on Truth Social, writing, “The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow! IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Read more:

WATCH: “We’re Going to Bring Them Back to the Stone Ages” – Trump Says Iran Strikes Will Continue and All Objectives Will Be Completed “Very Shortly”, Suggests He Will Let the Strait of Hormuz Reopen “Naturally”

The post ULTIMATUM: President Trump Issues Chilling 48-Hour Warning to Iran as Deadline Looms — ‘All Hell Will Reign Down’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Around the world, Christians are facing violence leading up to Easter and Holy Week. At the same time, globalist King Charles and socialist New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani have snubbed Easter.

On Palm Sunday, March 30, gunmen killed at least 30 people in Ungwan Rukuba, a predominantly Christian community in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, bringing the total death toll from three coordinated attacks that day to at least 53. Survivors identified the attackers as either Fulani militia or Boko Haram. The men arrived on motorcycles, wore uniforms resembling those of Nigerian security forces, and opened fire indiscriminately. No arrests have been made.

Two days earlier, on the night of March 27, armed groups attacked the predominantly Christian town of Al-Suqaylabiyah in Hama province, Syria, destroying homes, shops, cars, and churches and firing on the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented that a Christian cemetery in Tartus province was also attacked, with crosses smashed from tombstones. As a result, churches across Syria canceled or curtailed Palm Sunday observances.

In Pakistan, authorities in Islamabad ordered approximately 25,000 Christians living in the Rimsha and Akram Gill colonies to vacate within three days, offering no resettlement plan. Many of the residents, primarily sanitation workers and day laborers, had been relocated to those settlements by the government itself following the 2012 Rimsha Masih blasphemy case.

Christians in many countries will not be celebrating Easter this year because of ongoing violence. However, in the UK and U.S., two Christian-majority countries, some leaders are spurning the most sacred holiday of the year.

Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles will not issue an Easter message this year. As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, this is comparable to the Pope not issuing an Easter message.

He has spurned Easter, yet he issued a “Ramadan Mubarak” greeting on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, a Christian day of reflection, prompting complaints that there was no equivalent message marking the Christian observance. King Charles also used a State Banquet speech to acknowledge the Muslim president of Nigeria’s “sacrifice” during Ramadan, closing with “Eid Mubarak.”

In 2024, then-President Joe Biden held a Transgender Day of Visibility event at the White House on Easter Sunday. It included a drag show and provocative dancing.

This year, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a Good Friday statement that excluded the name of Jesus, referencing sacrifice, fasting, and faith but did not mention Jesus Christ by name. Breitbart reported that his full statement read: “Today, on Good Friday, we mark a day of sacrifice. Some New Yorkers will abstain from eating; others will spend hours without speaking.” He did not specify which New Yorkers would be observing Good Friday.

Mamdani, a practicing Muslim, posted in support of Transgender Day of Visibility, which fell on March 31 during Holy Week. Representative Brandon Gill responded: “Today is not about the sacrifice of anyone but the one who came to save us. Speak His name: JESUS!” Other Democrats followed a similar pattern of supporting Transgender Day of Visibility while not issuing statements marking Holy Week.

Kathy Hochul, governor of New York, issued a formal proclamation designating March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility and announced that 16 state landmarks would be lit pink, white, and blue in celebration. No Easter statement from her has surfaced in available search results. Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, also issued a proclamation designating March 31, 2026, as Transgender Day of Visibility in Michigan, with no Easter statement found.

JB Pritzker of Illinois, Wes Moore of Maryland, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Maura Healey of Massachusetts likewise had no Easter statements appearing in available search results. The Democratic Governors Association collectively issued statements consistent with party messaging.

President Trump, by contrast, issued a bold Christian message for Easter “Sunday, we proclaim with joy that Christ has risen, a new creation has been ushered in, and evil and death have been conquered forever through the unmatched power of God’s sacrificial love.”

The statement went on to say, “When Jesus Christ rose from His earthly tomb on Easter morning, He restored our grace, washed our sins, and reconciled humanity with God, fulfilling the ancient prophecy,” marking one of the most explicitly Christian Easter messages in years, with George W. Bush a close second. By comparison, Biden’s 2024 Easter message was just a few lines, more like an email. It spoke about hope, family, and resurrection, with only brief mention of Jesus.

The violence against Christians in Syria, Pakistan, Nigeria, and elsewhere continues and is escalating. Liberals and Democrats claim that there is no violence against Christians or that MAGA has made it up, but the violence is very real. So far, President Trump, when he deployed troops and launched strikes in Nigeria, is the only world leader to attempt to address the problem.

The post While Christians Suffer Attacks, King Charles, Zohran Mamdani, and Other Liberals Snub Easter appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Regional instability stemming from the Iran war, and the threat of Iranian missile and drone strikes, disrupted Christian observance of Holy Week across the Middle East, with churches in Iraq, Israel, and the UAE canceling or scaling back Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations.

The decisions were driven primarily by security concerns, as Iranian projectiles had struck or threatened areas near major Christian population centers, including Erbil and Dubai’s Jebel Ali district.

In Iraq, the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul called on the faithful to live the holy days in a spirit of faith, prayer, and fraternal solidarity, avoiding large gatherings and refraining from outward displays of festivity as an expression of solidarity with those suffering from the war and in order to preserve everyone’s safety.

The archdiocese limited holiday celebrations to church interiors and canceled the large annual Palm Sunday procession through the city’s streets, as well as the customary exchange of holiday greetings throughout the archdiocese.

The Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil canceled its annual Palm Sunday procession, which it had traditionally organized in cooperation with the apostolic churches in Ankawa. Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda told ACI MENA that security requirements drove the cancellation, which the faithful await each year with joy and eagerness, in order to guard everyone’s safety.

The archdiocese limited its activities to regular Masses, evening prayer, and the Way of the Cross, while canceling catechism classes for all age groups and youth meetings since the beginning of the war and the targeting of Erbil by Iranian missiles and drones.

The archdiocese also announced the postponement of the 2026 Ankawa Youth Gathering, which had been scheduled for March 18–21. Other dioceses and parishes across Christian towns and villages appeared to be moving in the same direction, canceling processions and confining celebrations to church buildings, though without formal announcements.

Qaraqosh, Ankawa, Al-Qosh, and other Christian towns and villages in Iraq have long organized large Palm Sunday processions. This tradition has only previously been interrupted under exceptional circumstances, including the years of forced displacement during the ISIS occupation of 2014–2017.

In Jerusalem, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Fr. Francesco Ielpo, the Custos of the Holy Land, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Palm Sunday, March 29. The Latin Patriarchate stated it was the first time in centuries that the Heads of the Church had been prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the site. Police cited wartime safety restrictions, noting that Jerusalem’s Old City lacks bomb shelters adequate for large gatherings and that Iranian missiles had struck near the church.

The traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives, which normally draws tens of thousands, was also canceled. Following international criticism from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, Prime Minister Netanyahu reversed the decision, ordering that Pizzaballa be granted full access to the church for the remainder of Holy Week.

The White House confirmed it had expressed concerns to Israel over the closure. Israeli police subsequently approved a limited prayer arrangement at the church. The Western Wall and Al-Aqsa Mosque remained under tight restrictions for the same period, affecting Jewish Passover and Muslim worship as well.

In Dubai, two Catholic churches, St. Francis of Assisi in Jebel Ali and St. Mary’s, canceled all masses following government directives, citing safety concerns. The Jebel Ali area had been struck multiple times by Iranian missiles and drones. St. Mary’s announced that Good Friday mass would be livestreamed on its YouTube channel. Despite the cancellations, some parishioners gathered outside the church compounds to pray.

Pope Leo XVI, in his Palm Sunday address at the Vatican, said he prayed for the Christians of the Middle East who were unable to fully observe the liturgies of the holy days. He held separate calls with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during Holy Week, urging peace and the protection of civilians.

Beyond the disruptions caused by the Iran war, sectarian violence broke out in the village of Nazlat Jalf in Minya Province, Egypt, after rumors spread online about a relationship between a 17-year-old Christian boy and a 16-year-old Muslim girl. Members of the Muslim community responded by attacking Christian homes and property. Authorities arrested two individuals, one Christian and one Muslim, for allegedly inciting the unrest online.

A government-backed reconciliation session subsequently imposed collective punishment on the Christian boy’s family, fining them one million Egyptian pounds and forcing them into exile from the village.

Critics, including political parties and activists, condemned the decision as unjust, arguing that such sessions deny proper legal process and disproportionately punish vulnerable groups, and called for a full investigation and enforcement of the law rather than informal settlements.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide also criticized the outcome, stating that reconciliation sessions frequently fail to deliver justice, punish victims, and do not address the root causes of sectarian tensions, urging Egyptian authorities to ensure equal treatment under the law and to protect the rights of all citizens regardless of religion.

Because of ongoing repression and violence, the Christian population of the Middle East has been in steady decline since the 1960s. Iraq has been particularly hard hit, with the population decreasing by 80% since 2017.

The post Easter and Holy Week Celebrations Canceled Across the Middle East appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The newspaper that refers to itself as “All the news that’s fit to print,” made national headlines after a humiliating error that must be seen to be believed.

On Friday, Steven Erlanger, The New York Times’ Chief Diplomatic Correspondent for Europe, wrote an article analyzing the potential consequences of Trump following through on his threat to withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

But take a look at the headline in the New York Times’s piece. Can you spot the mistake?

LOOK:

Does the @nytimes know what NATO stands for? pic.twitter.com/wvD1WxPOnN

— Sasha Issenberg (@sissenberg) April 3, 2026

Yes, The New York Times incorrectly refers to NATO as the “North American Treaty Organization” rather than its actual name.

How did the editors not catch this blunder from the ‘reporter,’ who obviously should have known better to begin with?

The Times later issued a correction, but it came after the error went viral on social media.

Social media users could not believe what they were seeing and mocked the paper.

BREAKING

The New York Times couldn’t decipher the acronym NATO.

The newspaper published an article with the headline: “A North American Treaty Organization without America?” However, NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
As a result, the newspaper was forced… pic.twitter.com/9pddzxl8C0

— Aleksey The Great (@aleksthgrt) April 4, 2026

HILARIOUS: The New York Times got EXPOSED and was forced to ISSUE a correction yesterday, not knowing what NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) stands for.

HEADLINE: “A North American Treaty Organization Without America?”

Correction: “A headline with an article on Friday… pic.twitter.com/FjsRpE9no0

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) April 4, 2026

Wow! NYT… THE New York Times made a mistake with the full form of NATO? pic.twitter.com/uHaWZULsLe

— Karthik (@beastoftraal) April 4, 2026

Somebody wanted to have a narrative/great headline and didn’t bother checking the facts. Been going around a lot lately.

— Blaine (@UmbertoJavier) April 3, 2026

The New York Times’ Chief Diplomatic Correspondent for Europe @StevenErlanger.

Yikes. https://t.co/nKSW2QSMih

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 3, 2026

President Trump also wasted no time responding to this humiliating error on Truth Social. He quipped that the Times’s hiring standards must have plummeted while calling it a “very interesting” mistake.

“The Failing New York Times, whose lack of credibility, and their constant Fake News attacks on your favorite President, ME, has caused its circulation to absolutely PLUMMET, referred to our severely weakened and extremely unreliable “partner,” NATO, as the North American Treaty Organization,” Trump wrote.

“The correct name is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – A very interesting mistake!” He added. “The hiring and educational standards have gone way down at the NYT. Bring back, “ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO PRINT” and, Make America Great Again!”

The post New York Times Mocked By X Users After Making a “Very Interesting” Mistake in Piece Discussing President Trump’s Threat to Leave NATO – Then Trump Responds! appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.