Chen Guangcheng—the blind human rights activist who mounted a harrowing escape from his Chinese house arrest in April—arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday night with his wife and two children.

Cheering crowds greeted the self-educated attorney who had faced imprisonment and beatings for exposing thousands of forced abortions and sterilizations executed under China’s notorious one-child policy.

Chinese authorities released Chen and his family nearly three weeks after the activist eluded security guards at his home and arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. After weeks of tense negotiations, Chinese and American officials agreed that Chen and his immediate family could travel to the United States to study at New York University. …

When Chen arrived at the Newark airport, he limped from his injuries but smiled broadly for his supporters. He thanked those who pressed for his release, and told the crowd, “I want to tell everyone that no matter what environment you are in, no matter how difficult it is, we can accomplish anything we really want to achieve. Nothing is impossible if you persist.” …

For a full report on Chen’s activism, escape, and the ongoing battle for human rights in China, see “Blind justice” in the current issue of WORLD.

When delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) gather for their annual meeting in New Orleans next month, many expect a watershed moment: the election of the first black president in the denomination’s history.

Some expect an additional dynamic among the delegates called “messengers” in the denomination: serious discussions of a race-related controversy that has gripped the SBC since April. It’s a discussion that flows from a race-related controversy that has gripped the entire nation—the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida.

Fred Luter—longtime pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans—already serves as vice president of SBC. Many expect the African-American minister to win the denomination’s top spot overwhelmingly when the group meets June 19-20 in his hometown.

Luter’s election would be a significant milestone for the largest Protestant denomination in the country. Southern Baptists formed the denomination in 1854, partly to defend the practice of slavery. (The SBC apologized for its racist history in a 1995 resolution.)

But controversy could overshadow Luter’s historic bid: Richard Land—president of the denomination’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission—issued a lengthy public apology on May 9 for comments he made about the Trayvon Martin shooting during a March 31 broadcast of his radio program. … COMPLETE STORY >>

Read Jamie Dean’s complete Web Extra report.

From a heavily guarded hospital room in Beijing, human rights activist Chen Guangcheng sent a desperate message to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she arrived in the city for talks with the Chinese government. “We are in danger,” Chen told CNN on Thursday. “If you can talk to Hillary, I hope she can help my whole family leave China.”

Chen’s plea was the latest twist in a dramatic plot that began unfolding last week when the blind human rights lawyer—and one of China’s most well-known activists—escaped his arbitrary house arrest in Shandong Province. Chen had spent four years in prison and two years confined to his home after exposing the brutality of China’s forced abortions and sterilizations of thousands of women.

Now Chen and his family are exposed: After escaping house arrest and taking shelter in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for six days, Chen left American protection to seek medical treatment at a Beijing hospital. The attorney said he fears that he and his family face grave danger if they stay in China, and has asked to travel to the United States—perhaps even on Clinton’s plane when she leaves the country.

Whether Chen can leave China is a diplomatic quagmire with gritty implications. Fighting for Chen could compromise U.S. relations with China during a tense moment. But failing to defend the activist guarantees another kind of danger: compromising the human rights platform that American officials insist they uphold and the future of a human rights hero and his vulnerable family. For Chen, his plea to the United States is simple: “I want them to protect human rights with concrete actions.” … COMPLETE STORY >>

Read Jamie Dean’s complete Web Extra report.

GIZA, Egypt—Standing next to the Great Pyramid of Giza on the edge of a vast desert just outside Cairo is a jaw-dropping experience for more than one reason: The pyramids are immense and the crowds are few.

On a Tuesday morning visit to one of the most famous spots in the world, one tour bus and four vans sat in a nearly empty parking lot. No lines formed at the ticket counters. A bank of turnstiles sat unused, with a single worker running a metal detector for a handful of visitors trickling into the site.

This isn’t typical. Tour guides and locals say the pyramids are usually packed this time of year—like Disney World in June. But Egypt’s revolution and ongoing turmoil have dealt a critical blow to the tourism industry that comprises a major chunk of the country’s already-fledgling economy.

To those watching Egypt from the outside, it’s one of the less-noticed challenges facing a country with ever-mounting difficulties. But it’s a visible reality for Egyptians who depend on visitors to sustain their economy and wonder if the crowds will ever return. … COMPLETE STORY >>

Read Jamie Dean’s complete Web Extra report.

CAIRO—A first-time visitor to Egypt’s capital might be surprised by a simple discovery: Tahrir Square is smaller than it seems on television.

The famed site of the country’s remarkable revolution swelled with nearly 1 million Egyptians a little more than a year ago. The actual square seems better suited for a few thousand. Overflow crowds spilled into side streets during the 18-day revolution last February, closing roads and spreading the massive demonstration into surrounding neighborhoods until President Hosni Mubarak fell from power.

On Sunday night, the scene in Tahrir Square was far different: Only a handful of Egyptians milled around a patch of dirt at the center, hovering over small campfires and sitting in front of makeshift tents. (According to locals, the few who remain in the square full time are family members of protesters slain during the demonstrations.) The heart of the square remains mostly dark, with the military turning off streetlights after 6 p.m. to discourage locals from assembling at night.

Nearby, a dozen men surround a television playing scenes from the revolution repeated on a loop: The video features government crackdowns on protesters and angry Egyptians condemning the abuses. The men watch quietly, with some buying small bags of popcorn from a nearby street vendor.

But while Tahrir Square is more settled these days, Egyptians are still restive. Their jubilation over staging a protest that managed to topple a dictator has turned to frustration and anxiety over what comes next. … COMPLETE STORY >>

Read Jamie Dean’s complete Web Extra report.

After spending more than two years in an Iranian prison for refusing to recant his Christian faith, Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani may be facing final execution orders for apostasy against Islam.

Christian advocacy groups are reporting that Nadarkhani’s attorney is trying to confirm reports that an Iranian court has issued a final order—death by hanging—and that the pastor’s execution could be imminent.

The White House and the U.S. State Department issued statements on Thursday condemning Iran’s treatment of Nadarkhani and calling for his immediate release. Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ)—a Christian group that has followed Nadarkhani’s case closely—said the U.S. government’s strong statement “confirms our belief, and those of our contacts in Iran, that the government of Iran has issued the execution order for Pastor Youcef—an execution that could be carried out at any time.” … COMPLETE STORY >>

Read Jamie Dean’s complete Web Extra report.

When Xi Jinping visits the United States next week, the Chinese politician—set to become the communist nation’s next president—will have a full agenda, including visits to the White House, the Pentagon, a soybean farm in Iowa, and a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game in California.

Human rights groups hope that U.S. officials have another item planned for Xi: a frank discussion of human rights abuses in China, and a plea to release some of the most high-profile dissidents languishing in Chinese prisons.

Hudson Institute fellow Michael Horowitz said he’s helping with an effort to urge President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to press the cases of six Chinese dissidents during meetings with Xi at the White House next Wednesday. The effort includes asking leaders of religious and human rights groups, as well as members of Congress, to urge the Obama administration to call for the dissidents’ release. … COMPLETE STORY >>

Read Jamie Dean’s complete Web Extra report.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians poured into Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of a revolution that began exactly one year ago: The massive protests that began on Jan. 25, 2011, lasted 18 days, eventually drawing as many as 1 million people to the city center and ending the 30-year rule of dictator Hosni Mubarak.

The massive gathering on Wednesday began peacefully, though some worry that simmering angst with the ruling military leadership could turn peaceful demonstrations into confrontational protests. Police and military camped outside the square—a clear concession to those still angered over the deaths of at least 850 protesters last year. Mubarak remains on trial for allegedly ordering the military to kill demonstrators. He denies the charge.

The ruling military party—likely to remain in power until at least the end of presidential elections later this year—made other concessions to demonstrators: They announced they would pardon and release some 2,000 prisoners convicted in military trials.

The released prisoners included Michael Nabil, a Coptic Christian blogger jailed last year for insulting the military in his web postings. Press freedom watchdog group Reporters Without Borders reports that Egyptian officials continue to harass citizens critical of the government, adding that press freedom in Egypt is worse now than it was last year.

Meanwhile, the first freely elected parliament in decades held its first session on Monday, marking a dramatic change in Egyptian government: Though secular youth started the revolution last year, Islamic politicians dominated post-revolution elections, winning nearly 70 percent of the seats in parliament. … MORE >>

Read Jamie Dean’s complete Web Extra report.

COLUMBIA, S.C.—In a state famous for successfully predicting every Republican presidential nominee since 1980, the verdict came quickly on Saturday: The night belonged to Newt.

Less than five minutes after polls closed in South Carolina’s GOP primary, news outlets called the race: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich captured 40 percent of the vote, defeating Mitt Romney by 12 points and upending a Republican primary season that the former Massachusetts governor hoped to dominate.

In a packed meeting room at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Columbia, S.C., Gingrich supporters erupted in cheers as results rolled across flat-screen televisions. For the next hour, the room resembled a crowded bar: Songs like “Eye of the Tiger” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” blared over loudspeakers as jubilant supporters brandishing “Newt 2012” buttons cracked open beers and danced across the room.

When the cramped space grew hot and claustrophobic, voters like Tanya Warsheski seemed unfazed. Warsheski stood near the back of the room holding high a homemade T-shirt emblazoned with an eagle and the slogan: “Dump Obama.”

Despite national polls that indicate Romney would have a better chance of defeating President Barack Obama if the general election occurred today, Warsheski thinks Gingrich’s recent debate performances prove the former House speaker would be a better opponent. When it comes to Romney, her assessment comes quickly: “Mitt Romney is a Republican version of Obama.”

It’s a criticism that Gingrich had echoed in campaign appearances across the state, calling Romney “a Massachusetts moderate” and insisting that the former governor isn’t a conservative alternative to the president. But during his victory speech at the Hilton, Gingrich complimented his Republican opponents and assailed the president, posing the contest as a showdown between Gingrich and Obama.

But despite Gingrich’s general election tone, the race isn’t over. Indeed, by Saturday night, the contest represented a three-way tie: Earlier in the week, revised results showed that former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum had won the Iowa caucus. Romney captured the primary contest in New Hampshire, and now Gingrich has South Carolina. … MORE >>

Read Jamie Dean’s complete Web Extra report.

GREENVILLE, S.C.—If Rick Perry was delivering a swan song on Wednesday night at a pro-life GOP presidential forum in Greenville, S.C., it was a poignant farewell. Looking relaxed and sincere, Perry told the crowd of nearly 400 social conservatives and evangelicals packed into a hotel ballroom that when he thinks about unborn children endangered by abortion, “I think about Moses.”

Reminding the audience that the Israelite baby saved from infanticide by a Hebrew maid became the prophet that God used to lead Israel’s exodus from Egypt, Perry said, “And you look back on history at all of the incredible men and women who have impacted this world, and wonder if they had been born today. …”

The Texas governor told the crowd that America should examine itself for allowing more than 50 million abortions since 1973, and thanked pro-life activists for their efforts: “I’m just proud to be a foot soldier in your army.”

Less than 12 hours later, Perry became a foot soldier for someone else: GOP candidate Newt Gingrich. Perry announced he would drop his presidential bid at a press conference on Thursday morning, and threw his support to Gingrich.

That nod could provide a crucial boost for Gingrich’s race to overtake GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney in South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary on Saturday. The Real Clear Politics average of polls show the former House speaker trailing Romney by seven points in the Palmetto State. If Gingrich can grab a sizeable chunk of Perry’s remaining supporters, he could transform Romney’s lead into a tight race.

But Gingrich still has plenty of hurdles to overcome: A potentially damaging ABC News interview with his second wife, Marianne, is scheduled to air on Nightline Thursday night. And news on Thursday morning that Rick Santorum actually won the Iowa caucus—instead of Romney—could boost the former Pennsylvania senator in the socially conservative state. Santorum has trailed in recent polls, placing fourth behind Romney, Gingrich, and Ron Paul, but continues the kind of relentless campaign schedule in South Carolina that propelled him to eventual victory in Iowa. … MORE >>

Read Jamie Dean’s complete Web Extra report.