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PICTORIAL: Hollywood Actor Denzel Washington Gives Life To Christ, Baptized, Ordained

Published

8 months ago

December 23, 2024

Editor

Veteran Hollywood actor Denzel Washington has publicly committed his life to Christ and was baptized over the weekend.

The 69-year-old actor received baptism at Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ, located in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. In addition to his baptism, Washington was presented with a minister’s license, paving the way for him to be ordained in the future.

Reflecting on the milestone, Washington shared, “In one week, I turn 70. It took a while, but I’m here.”

During the service, Washington recounted a prophetic encounter from his youth. At 20 years old, while sitting in his mother’s beauty parlor, he met a woman named Ruth Green. “She said, ‘Boy, you are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people,’” he recalled.

“She wouldn’t even spell the word prophecy. My mother wrote the word prophecy…50 years later. Look at God. If He can do this for me, there’s nothing He can’t do for you. The sky literally is the limit and there’s no limit to the sky.”

“To God be the glory. Hallelujah!” Washington exclaimed.

“Anything I can do, I will do for this church, the Almighty. I just want to be in that number when the saints go marching in.”

According to Fox News Digital, Washington was baptized by Archbishop Christopher Bryant at Kelly Temple on Saturday. Bryant also celebrated the moment in a Facebook post, sharing photos and writing: “We celebrate the addition of Minister Denzel Washington into the clergy, having received his minister’s license in the Church of God in Christ today, in a truly uplifting moment,” the post read.

Washington, who stars in the upcoming Gladiator II, has been open about his faith but acknowledges the challenges of discussing religion in Hollywood.

“When you see me, you see the best I could do with what I’ve been given by my Lord and Savior,” Washington told Esquire. “I’m unafraid. I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

“See, talking about the fear part of it – you can’t talk like that and win Oscars. You can’t talk like that and party. You can’t say that in this town,” Washington added.

“I’m free now. It’s not talked about in this town. It’s not talked about. It’s not talked about. It’s not fashionable. It’s not sexy. But that doesn’t mean people in Hollywood don’t believe.

“There’s no such thing called Hollywood anyway. What does that even mean? That to me means a street called Hollywood Boulevard,” he wrote.

However, the actor isn’t sure how many other actors believe in God.

“It’s not like we all meet somewhere and discuss what we believe. So, I don’t know how many other actors have faith. I didn’t do any poll. How would I find that out? I mean, there’s no Church Actor Meetings I’ve been to.”

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Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

13 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

13 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

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US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

13 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”