Elected

Londoners on May 5 voted to install Sadiq Khan as the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital. Khan received 57 percent of the vote as the Labour Party made decisive gains in London offices. Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith had pointed out that Khan, the son of immigrants from Pakistan, has appeared at events and conferences with Islamists and as a lawyer defended Muslim Brotherhood member Yusuf Al-Qaradawi. Khan now calls himself a moderate Muslim, but in a 2009 video he called moderate Muslims “Uncle Toms.” London today has more than 1 million Muslims.

Died

The case of two U.S. missionaries found dead in Jamaica at the beginning of May remains a mystery to Jamaican authorities. Harold Nichols, 53, and Randy Hentzel, 48, worked with the mission group Teams for Medical Missions, which provides free healthcare and other services. The two were riding their motorbikes on a rural road toward a housing-building project when they were killed. The Caribbean island has a high violent crime rate, but police have no suspect or motive. Hentzel leaves behind five children.

Awarded

Local authorities in China’s Henan province have awarded a house church leader the land of his destroyed church. Workers in a land dispute buried alive pastor Li Jiangong and his wife, Ding Cuimei, on April 14 for protesting the church’s destruction (see “Human Race,” May 14, 2016). Ding died, leading to two arrests. Bob Fu, president of China Aid, said international pressure helped get swift justice for the church. Authorities designated the land as a religious site on April 25, allowing the congregation to rebuild the church.

Resigned

The executive committee of the Liberty University Board of Trustees forced out its longtime chairman, Mark DeMoss, after DeMoss criticized Jerry Falwell Jr.’s endorsement of Donald Trump for president. Falwell endorsed Trump in January, and DeMoss criticized both Trump and the Liberty president in The Washington Post on March 1. DeMoss told Patheos blogger Warren Throckmorton that Falwell and others voiced “their disapproval of my speaking publicly about the subject.” Rather than remain a trustee, DeMoss left the board.

Reinstated

The Army reversed course on April 28 and reinstated a Special Forces soldier who confronted an Afghan child rapist. In 2011, Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland and Capt. Danny Quinn assaulted an Afghan Local Police commander who laughed when confronted about repeatedly raping a boy. Both soldiers faced discipline, leading Quinn to resign. Martland’s career had been in limbo, facing involuntary discharge. Iraq War veteran Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., led the public pressure to reinstate Martland. Martland and his pregnant wife plan to name one of their twin boys after Hunter.