Pope Benedict held the final Mass of his four-day visit to Spain Sunday and urged some 1.5 million young Catholics to spread the gospel and avoid trying to find faith on their own. The pontiff encouraged pilgrims from 193 nations, who gathered in Madrid for the World Youth Day, to do so even if they […]
Pope Tells 1.5 Million Pilgrims to Spread Gospel
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 4:40 pm (UTC-5)
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UN Human Rights Envoy Visits Burma
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 4:00 pm (UTC-5)
United Nations human rights envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana arrived in Burma on Sunday for a five-day visit to assess the human rights situation in the country. Quintana is scheduled to meet with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon on Wednesday. He last visited Burma 18 months ago, but was not allowed to see […]
Syrian Leader Defends Crackdown
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 3:40 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is defending his crackdown on political unrest and says criticism from Western countries means nothing to him. Mr. Assad made the comments in a lengthy interview with Syria’s state-run television on Sunday night. The United States, the European Union and other Western powers have said that Mr. Assad must go. The […]
Tropical Storm Irene Heads Toward Puerto Rico
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 3:35 pm (UTC-5)
The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is under a hurricane warning, as Tropical Storm Irene approaches from the east after dumping heavy rain on the Leeward Islands. A hurricane watch has been declared for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Forecasters say Irene, with sustained winds of up to 85 kilometers per hour, could become a hurricane […]
Syrian Leader Defends Crackdown
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 3:00 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is defending his crackdown on political unrest and says criticism from Western countries means nothing to him. Mr. Assad made the remarks in a lengthy interview with Syria’s state-run television on Sunday night. The United States, the European Union and other Western powers have said that Mr. Assad must go. The […]
Libyan Rebels Push to Tripoli
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 2:45 pm (UTC-5)
Libyan rebels have pushed to Tripoli after capturing a military base defending the capital, the stronghold of long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi. Reporters traveling with the rebels say they entered the western suburbs of Tripoli Sunday evening, just hours after overrunning the base 27 kilometers to the west. The rebel fighters hauled away truckloads of weapons […]
2 Afghan Officials, 4 Insurgents Killed in Afghanistan
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 1:45 pm (UTC-5)
Afghan authorities say gunmen have killed two local government officials in separate attacks in the country’s south. Officials say two assailants on a motorcycle shot and killed a prosecutor for the Gereshk district of Helmand province as he traveled to work on Sunday. Afghan security forces were searching for the gunmen, who fled the scene. […]
Chinese Police Probe Mass Kidnappings of Vietnamese Women
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 1:35 pm (UTC-5)
Official Chinese media say police are probing the suspected abduction of about 100 ethnic Vietnamese women who are missing in central China and may have been sold as brides to Chinese men. The China Daily describes the women as already married to Chinese men and said they were living in remote villages in Hunan province […]
Libyan Rebels Capture Military Base Near Tripoli
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
Libyan rebels have captured a military base defending Tripoli, the stronghold of long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi, while fighting is reported inside the city. News agency reporters say rebel fighters are taking weapons and ammunition from the base, 27 kilometers west of the capital. Rebels forces are pushing toward Tripoli from the town of Zawiya, which […]
Syrian Leader to Appear on National Television, Crackdown Continues
Posted August 21st, 2011 at 1:00 pm (UTC-5)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is scheduled to appear on national television Sunday night, amid global pressure to end a government crackdown on protesters. Syrian TV said it will broadcast a rare interview with Mr. Assad about the situation in the country. The station said the president also will discuss the process for political reforms and […]
