Midday Roundup: Cuba lets Baptist church stay open

Commuted sentence. Cuban authorities have withdrawn plans to seize control of a large church in eastern Cuba after receiving extensive negative publicity. “You can stop telling the world about this church,” officials told Amado Ramírez Oliveros, pastor of Maranatha First Baptist Church in Holguín. Officials said they “reviewed the papers” and discovered the congregation’s building was not included on their list of churches to seize—indicating others may still be in a precarious legal position. Last month WORLD reported on Oliveros’ public plea for justice after Cuban authorities denied a building permit and informed the 82-year-old church they planned to seize of the property the Eastern Baptist Convention has owned since 1947. Cuban church leaders report some 100 other churches have endured threats of confiscation or destruction this year.

Terror in Kabul. The Taliban attacked the Afghan Parliament today as lawmakers gathered to nominate a new defense minister. A suicide bomb went off in front of the building, and six other people attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns, The Guardian reported. Police say they have killed all of the militants involved. A woman and child died in the attack, and dozens of people were injured.

Apprehended. In New Orleans, the suspect in another deadly shooting has been captured. After an intense manhunt, officials say they have Travis Boys, who is believed to have shot and killed a police officer while he was being transported to jail in handcuffs. Police are still trying to determine where Boys got the gun he allegedly used to kill Officer Daryle Holloway after his initial arrest Saturday.

Big winner. Golf phenom Jordan Spieth won the U.S. Open on Sunday at Chambers Bay in Washington state. The 21-year-old is now the youngest player to win both the Masters and U.S. Open, and he’s halfway to completing a “grand slam” by winning all four of professional golf’s major tournaments in the same year. The win gives more credibility to speculation that Spieth is the next Tiger Woods. Not since 2002, when Woods did it, has a player won both of the first two major tournaments in a calendar year.

Dino-domination. Dinosaurs continue to rule the box office. Jurassic World earned $102 million over Father’s Day weekend, making it the biggest seven-day opening ever in North America. Worldwide, the film is about to stomp its way to the $1 billion mark. Pixar’s Inside Out had a better-than-expected opening weekend, bringing in about $91 million in box office returns, according to Box Office Mojo.

WORLD News Group’s Kent Covington and J.C. Derrick contributed to this report.