NEWS WATCH: Future Gitmo Prisoners Unclear Despite Obama’s Plans
January 28, 2009By BosNewsLife Special Correspondent Rodney Drinnen reporting from the United States and Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent at BosNewsLife News Center
WASHINGTON D.C., USA (BosNewsLife) -- The future of hundreds of detainees in the United States prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, remained unclear Wednesday, January 28, despite President Barack Obama's promise to close the controversial facility for terrorism suspects.
TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Members of Iran's Christian minority requested prayers Tuesday, January 27, amid reports of massive arrests of Christians, including many former Muslims, rights investigators said. 
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)-- A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas was threatened Tuesday, January 27, when a bomb exploded on the Israeli side of the Gaza border killing an Israeli soldier and injuring three others, the Israeli army said.
WASHINGTON, USA (BosNewsLife)-- Schools in the American state of Illinois were pressured Monday, January 26, to abandon a moment of silence for prayer or reflection, after a judge ruled the practice was "unconstitutional" and "forced religion" upon minors. 
BAGHDAD, IRAQ (BosNewsLife)-- The leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, has appealed to Iraqi authorities to defend minority Christians, after police confirmed that the Christian owner of a car repair shop was killed, execution-style, in Mosul.
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Five Pakistani Christians who were detained and charged with "blasphemy" against Islam during April 2007 spend their first weekend in freedom Sunday, January 25, after they were freed from prison, but the news was overshadowed by reports of violence against believers, in which at two persons died died. 
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany has urged all political parties to urgently implement strict legislation against hate speech amid concerns over far right groups in the country. He made the comments over the weekend in Budapest at an international conference on combating racism in Hungary and elsewhere in Europe. 
NEW DELHI, INDIA (BosNewsLife)-- There was renewed concern Friday, January 23, over the situation of Christians in India as several remained detained on charges of "forcible conversion" and others recovered from injuries after Hindu militants attacked homes and prayer services, Christian rights investigators said.
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife) –- Humanitarian aid continued to flow into Gaza on Thursday, January 23, despite nearly a dozen mortar shells being fired towards Israel so far, officials said, and reports of a Jordanian convoy being attacked by suspected Hamas militants.
ASMARA, ERITREA (BosNewsLife)-- At least two detained Christians have died this month in Eritrea after a "long period of torture" in a notorious military prison camp, while the number of Christians jailed in the African nation because of their faith approaches 3,000, a well-informed Christian rights group said Wednesday, January 21. 