Christians living in fear of persecution, says CBCI president over detention and arrest of two Malayali nuns
'But the general atmosphere is one of fear,' he told reporters at Mount St Thomas, the Syro-Malabar Church headquarters in Kakkanad on July 28.
"The fact that these nuns were arrested on trumped-up charges of human trafficking is extremely alarming. They have also been accused of religious conversion. These actions by the authorities infringe upon the Right to Religious Freedom and amount to a gross violation of the Constitution," he said.
Mar Thazhath added that a section of the population continues to see Christianity as a foreign religion. He said the Chhattisgarh incident is a clear violation of minority rights and religious freedoms guaranteed by the country's secular Constitution.
'The Durg incident is just one among several recent episodes of persecution of Christians. There have been cases where priests were even denied the right to wear cassocks and move freely within the country.'
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Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
How an alleged Ponzi scheme targeting Republicans left investors and politicians reeling
A federal receiver is working to recover $140 million lost in an alleged Ponzi scheme that targeted conservatives and funneled money to Republican causes in Georgia and Alabama. The scheme, promoted by conservative pundits, promised high returns but left many investors with substantial losses. Investigations are underway, and some politicians are returning donations received from the scheme's operators. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A federal receiver is on the hunt to recover $140 million lost in an alleged Ponzi scheme that benefited some Republicans in the top ranks of their party in Georgia and Alabama. He's looking to claw back funds, including almost 1,000 political donations totaling more than $1 million, that often backed far-right Republican of these same politicians say they too lost money, but others left holding the bag for First Liberty Building & Loan are rank-and-file conservatives, swayed by talk show pundits who promoted it as an opportunity for Christians and "America First MAGA patriots.""I worked my whole life to build up savings and have a little bit of retirement so I could just live comfortably," said Michael Tinney, a 59-year-old real estate broker from Cedartown, Georgia. Tinney said he deposited $600,000 after hearing First Liberty pitched on shows hosted by conservatives including Erick Erickson, Hugh Hewitt and Charlie Liberty had promised returns up to 16% by making high-interest loans to businesses. Brant Frost IV, an evangelical powerbroker, touted "Wall Street returns for Main Street investors." But he skimmed $17 million for himself, his relatives and their affiliated companies, and loaned millions more that borrowers never repaid, a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit claims."We've got retired teachers, we've got retired businessmen, we've got retired ministers who have been part of this program as well as doctors, lawyers, everyone else you can imagine," his son, Brant Frost V, said in 2024. Tinney said the younger Frost drove to his office to secure his investment.'Substantial losses' to the investors According to a July 21 report from court-appointed receiver S. Gregory Hays, assets now include just $1.2 million in cash along with some Frost family real told The Associated Press it's too early to estimate how much money is recoverable, but he's moving to foreclose on collateral pledged by borrowers who defaulted, including a failed South Carolina factory. Hays also seized and plans to auction Brant Frost IV's Aston Martin sports car. A social media post celebrating that 2022 purchase is particularly scorned by angry Hays doubts he can get everything back."The investors are going to have substantial losses here," he and Alabama also are investigating. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urged politicians to return campaign cash. Hays said he's already received $110,000, plus a returned $20,000 charitable said on July 11 that he takes "full responsibility" and would "spend the rest of my life trying to repay as much as I can to the many people I misled and let down."But no criminal charges have been announced, and some Frost relatives retain influential positions in the Georgia Republican Party, whose chairman, Josh McKoon , has had the Frosts' political and financial support. McKoon said the party returned nearly $37,000 in Frost donations and he's "profoundly saddened that members of our conservative movement" lost of the money flowed both ways Campaign disclosures show First Liberty, the Frosts and associated companies contributed widely to Republican causes, including more than $700,000 in Georgia, $150,000 in Alabama and nearly $140,000 in Maine, where the Frosts spent $230,000 over multiple years renting a Kennebunkport vacation donations included $1,000 to former party chairman David Shafer's unsuccessful 2018 lieutenant governor campaign, and tens of thousands to the state party. Shafer pushed efforts to overturn President Donald Trump 's 2020 defeat in Georgia - leading to an indictment - now stalled on pretrial appeal - against Shafer, Trump and others.A company run by Shafer - Springwood Capital - says in a July 10 lawsuit that it lost $200,000 invested in First Liberty. Its attorney, Brent Herrin, said the company is "one of hundreds of defrauded investors." Herrin declined to confirm Shafer owns the company, but financial disclosures show Shafer in 2017 owned at least part of Springwood Capital's parent company. McKoon, who received $4,500 in Frost donations, handled Springwood Capital's incorporation papers. McKoon said he didn't lose any Grubbs, Georgia GOP first vice-chairman, said on a July 16 radio show that "a lot of Republican members ... were heavily invested."In Alabama, Republican state Auditor Andrew Sorrell says he and a political action committee he controls both lost money. He hasn't said how much he lost personally, but records show Alabama Christian Citizens PAC invested $29,000."The company had marketed itself through conservative channels as a 'patriotic' and 'Christian' investment opportunity," Sorrell said, adding he learned a "tough lesson."But Sorrell, now running for Alabama Secretary of State, also benefited: He pocketed $55,000 for his campaigns, while Alabama Christian Citizens and Sorrell's federal-level U.S. Christian Citizens PAC each got $12, words from pundits Erickson, an Atlanta-based syndicated radio host, once steered listeners to the Frosts. "They're active in conservative politics ... good Christian family. I have known them for years. They are wonderful people," he said in 2020."This is how we grow, this is how we fund our movement, and this is how we help out America First MAGA patriots," radio host John Fredericks said during a June 2024 interview with Brant Frost said the hosts made First Liberty sound "pretty credible." Now he calls their warm endorsements a "recipe for disaster," and is still waiting for did call the SEC complaint "disturbing" and "damning" during a July 16 show."I have talked to them many times, never had an inkling that any of that was going on," Fredericks said, adding: "They have to have their day to fight the charges."Holding onto power despite the critics Brant Frost V, accused Wednesday in a Georgia Ethics Commission complaint of illegally influencing elections, resigned from the state Republican committee Thursday and is resigning as Coweta County GOP chairman, McKoon said. Krista Frost , Brant Frost IV's wife, remains on the state committee and Brant Frost V's sister, Katie Frost, remains 3rd Congressional District GOP and some allies won party elections in June after a nominating committee led by Katie Frost endorsed them. McKoon's vanquished rival, David Cross, is contesting those results to the Republican National Committee , saying McKoon and the Frosts engaged in skullduggery. Cross, a financial adviser, says he first reported First Liberty's possible misdeeds to state authorities in 2024. Georgia Republican National Committeewoman Amy Kremer, whose daughter was among those defeated, demanded the Frosts' ouster."We cannot claim to be the party of law and order while turning a blind eye to financial crimes committed under the banner of Republican leadership," Kremer his part, Tinney has something else in mind: "My goal is justice at this point."
Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Zojila tunnel completion delayed by over 2 years, Nitin Gadkari tells Lok Sabha
The Zojila tunnel project, poised to be Asia's longest tunnel, around 13 km in length, in Jammu and Kashmir, is more than two years delayed. It is a crucial link to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Leh. Union Minister for Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the tunnel will now be completed by February 2028, when it was previously scheduled to be ready by September 29, 2026. Previously, the government has said the average travel time to cross the Zojila pass, which sometimes takes three hours at present, will come down to 20 minutes once the tunnel is ready. (PTI File) Union Minister for Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the tunnel will now be completed by February 2028, when it was previously scheduled to be ready by September 29, 2026. Previously, the government has said the average travel time to cross the Zojila pass, which sometimes takes three hours at present, will come down to 20 minutes once the tunnel is ready. 'The project has been delayed due to multiple factors, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a terrorist attack at the Sonamarg Tunnel Project, and extreme adverse weather conditions,' Gadkari said in a reply to J&K National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmed Larvi from Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. The total cost of the project is Rs. 6809 crore, out of which an expenditure of Rs. 3934.42 crore has been incurred so far, with current physical progress standing at 64%, the minister added. As part of his reply, Gadkari added a total of 1,141 individuals are currently employed in the project. Of these, 77% are from Jammu & Kashmir, and 28% of the overall workforce is from the Ganderbal district. These details emerge after the Z-Morh tunnel at Sonamarg, another crucial part of the all-weather road connection between Srinagar and Leh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in January. Currently, Ladakh does not have all-weather road connectivity with other parts of India. Both the Srinagar-Leh axis road and the Manali-Leh road are also subject to weather-related closures for five-six months of the year. The completion of the Zojila tunnel will not only be helpful in uninterrupted traffic flow between Srinagar and Ladakh for civilian purposes but also help military mobility and logistics support for deployed forces in the Ladakh sector.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Killing of 3 people in Billawar: Father of slain minor boy urges home minister, LG to deliver justice
Nearly five months on since a 13-year-old boy and his two uncles were found dead in a rivulet in Kathua's Lohai Malhar on March 8, the family on Friday requested home minister Amit Shah and lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha to deliver justice to them. The Jammu and Kashmir Police had spotted and retrieved the bodies of three civilians from a rivulet in the upper reaches of Lohai Malhar in Kathua district. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/ Representational image) 'On March 5 our people, including my 13-year-old son, my brother Yogesh Kumar and brother-in-law Darshan Singh had left home to attend a marriage function. Enroute, they were abducted and their bodies were found in a rivulet on March 8 in Lohai Malhar area,' Chamel Singh told reporters here. 'Till date no FIR has been registered by the police, no FSL report and medical report provided to me. We are awaiting justice,' he added. Singh sought to know who will provide justice to the families of the victims. 'I lost my son, my brother and brother-in-law, who has left behind four daughters and a son,' he said. 'I want to ask our home minister and LG where I should go for justice?,' he added. A day after the bodies were recovered from Ishu Nullah, Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh had termed the deaths an act of terror. 'The brutal killing of 3 youths by terrorists in Bani area of district #Kathua is extremely sad as well as a matter of great concern. There appears to be a deep conspiracy behind spoiling the atmosphere in this peaceful area,' he wrote on X. 'We have discussed this matter with the concerned officials. The Union home secretary is reaching Jammu so that the situation can be assessed on the spot. I am confident that it will be ensured that such incidents do not happen again and the confidence of the people remains strong,' he added. The Jammu and Kashmir Police had spotted and retrieved the bodies of three civilians from a rivulet in the upper reaches of Lohai Malhar in Kathua district. The bodies were spotted with the help of a drone. Security forces suspect that terrorists have been hiding in areas like Lohai Malhar, Machedi and Badnota. On July 8 last year, five soldiers, including a JCO, were killed and five others injured after armed terrorists ambushed an army truck in Kathua district's Badnota village in Billawar tehsil.
