Three die in Jammu after Quran protests

JAMMU – Three people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Mendhar town were killed Wednesday following clashes between police and a crowd protesting the alleged desecration of the Quran in the US.

There were conflicting accounts of what led to the deaths in Mendhar, 210 km from here. While locals said the protesters died in police firing, …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Three die in Jammu after Quran protests.

Pope seeks to remind Britain about God amid indifference to visit and disgust over sex abuse

Pope travels to Britain amid indifference, outrage

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI takes his campaign to revive Christianity in an increasingly secular Europe to Britain on Thursday. He faces a daunting task in a nation largely at odds with his policies and where disgust over the church sex abuse scandal runs high.
Add to that centuries … Read more >>>.

Police fire warning shots to disperse anti-Quran-burning protest in Afghan capital

Police disperse anti-Quran-burn protest in Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan – Police have fired warning shots to disperse hundreds of stone-hurling Afghans protesting once-planned Quran burning in the U.S.
Up to 800 protesters gathered Wednesday at a square on the outskirts of Kabul chanting “death to America” and listening to fiery speeches from Muslim clerics demanding the ouster of …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

French Senate votes overwhelmingly to outlaw Islamic face veils

French Senate passes ban on full Muslim veils

PARIS – The French Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill banning the burqa-style Islamic veil in public, but the leaders of both parliamentary houses said they had asked a special council to first ensure the measure passes constitutional muster amid concerns its tramples on religious freedoms.
The Senate … Read more >>.

Organizers say they anticipate smaller crowds in Britain for visit of Pope Benedict XVI

Smaller crowds anticipated in UK for papal visit

LONDON – Smaller crowds than initially expected will attend events scheduled during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales said Tuesday.
Organizers now anticipate around 55,000 worshippers to gather for the beatification of Cardinal Newman Sunday in Birmingham, central …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Organizers say they anticipate smaller crowds in Britain for visit of Pope Benedict XVI.

As French Gypsies fight for remembrance of wartime internment, discrimination flares anew

French Gypsies recall forgotten wartime internment

MONTREUIL-BELLAY, France – It’s a thistle-tangled field behind a hedge of blackberries, with little to catch the eye but three surreal staircases that rise out of the parched grass and lead to nowhere.
Not much is left of the camp where thousands of French Gypsies were interned in this village in … Original article on : As French Gypsies fight for remembrance of wartime internment, discrimination flares anew.

Iranian diplomats’ defections signal fissures in Islamic Republic leaders over election unrest

Iranian defections hint at fissures over election

OSLO, Norway – The defection of a third Iranian diplomat in Europe hints at widening fissures within Iran’s government over its crackdown on protesters after the disputed 2009 election that kept hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power.
Farzad Farhangian, who quit his job as press attache at the Iranian Embassy … Original source on Gaea Times at : Iranian diplomats’ defections signal fissures in Islamic Republic leaders over election unrest.

Jhinda wants SGPC for Haryana

CHANDIGARH – Seeking a separate Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for Haryana, Jagdish Singh Jhinda, a Sikh leader from the state, is expecting full support from Haryana’s Sikhs.

Jhinda has set up a Sep 15 deadline to take over the Sikh shrines in Haryana from the Punjab-based SGPC that now manages them. He has accused the …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Jhinda wants SGPC for Haryana.

Iran releases detained American woman after more than a year in prison

Iran releases detained American woman
TEHRAN, Iran – An American woman detained for more than a year in Iran was released Tuesday on a bail of $500,000, according to state television, more than a year after she was jailed with two other Americans and accused of spying.

The announcement came days after conflicting statements by Iranian authorities …. Read the original article  : Iran releases detained American woman after more than a year in prison.

Pope Benedict XVI’s Visit Not Favored By Many

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (GaeaTimes.com)- As per the schedule Pope Benedict XVI will be making his first United Kingdom visit on Thursday, Sep 16. While thousands of pilgrims are expected to turn up to see the Pope, some sources report that a survey conducted by a reputed media source has found that only 14 … Original article on : Pope Benedict XVI’s Visit Not Favored By Many.

Iran’s state TV says US woman has been freed after more than a year in prison

Iran state TV says US woman freed from prison

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s English language state television reported Tuesday that American Sarah Shourd has been released after more than a year in prison.
“Iran has released US national Sarah Shourd,” flashed the red colored urgent banner on Press TV Tuesday.
Iran’s judiciary granted $500,000 bail for Shourd on …. Original source  : Iran’s state TV says US woman has been freed after more than a year in prison.