Akshaya Tritiya 2010 Brings Marriage Spree

NEW DELHI, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- The residents of Delhi should not expect the roads to be devoid of jams and vehicles on Sunday as the city will witness a massive 20000 weddings on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya 2010. The huge number of marriages are being held on that day as after it …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Akshaya Tritiya 2010 Brings Marriage Spree.

Palin tells anti-abortion group that ‘mama grizzlies’ will lead Republicans

Palin: ‘Mama grizzlies’ will take back US
WASHINGTON – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says “mama grizzlies” will punish Washington in November’s midterm elections.
Palin on Friday told an anti-abortion rights group that women will lead a Republican wave and stop the Democratic agenda. She also criticized President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.
Palin said female …. Original source  : Palin tells anti-abortion group that ‘mama grizzlies’ will lead Republicans.

No evidence German bishop sexually abused children

AUGSBURG – There is no proof that embattled German Bishop Walter Mixa sexually abused children, a prosecutor said Friday.

However, new evidence has emerged relating to allegations that he physically beat children in his care in the past.
Mixa, 69, who was Bishop of Augsburg, tended his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI last month, after admitting … Read more >>>.

Pope wraps up Portugal trip marked by admission of church guilt, bid to move beyond scandal

Pope’s Portugal trip a bid to move beyond scandal

PORTO, Portugal – Pope Benedict XVI wrapped up a trip to Portugal on Friday with an appeal to spread the faith, capping a pilgrimage marked by an explicit admission of church guilt in the clerical abuse scandal with a fresh bid to move beyond the crisis.
Benedict celebrated … Read more »».

Hasina assures better upkeep of Hindu temples

DHAKA – Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has assured better upkeep of Hindu temples and a discussion on amending law pertaining to property belonging to religious minorities.

She announced Wednesday the decision to develop the Kantajir Mandir in Dinajpur in the northern region as well as renovation and restoration of the ancient Dhakeshwari temple and …. Source article  : Hasina assures better upkeep of Hindu temples.

US seeks to pressure China on human rights while not ruining ties

US, China begin human rights talks
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration faces a delicate balancing act in human rights talks with China that began Thursday: It looks to pressure China to improve its treatment of its citizens while not angering a country that is crucial to U.S. international interests.
The two-day meeting in Washington also … Read more »».

Pope on Fatima pilgrimage decries abortion and same-sex marriage as insidious threats

Pope decries abortion, same-sex marriage at Fatima

FATIMA, Portugal – Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday called abortion and same-sex marriage some of the most “insidious and dangerous” threats facing the world today, asserting key church teachings as he tried to move beyond the clerical abuse scandal.
Benedict made the comments to Catholic social workers, health providers and …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Pope on Fatima pilgrimage decries abortion and same-sex marriage as insidious threats.

Supreme Court refuses to help legislator who holds court

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Thursday declined to interfere with the Allahabad High Court’s proceedings looking into allegations that a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator from Uttar Pradesh holds a parallel court and dispenses justice.

A bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar let the high court deal with …. Source article  : Supreme Court refuses to help legislator who holds court.

Israeli officials vow to build for Jews, demolish Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem

Israelis: No halt to east Jerusalem construction

JERUSALEM – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hawkish coalition partners vowed Thursday to keep building Jewish homes and demolishing unauthorized Palestinian homes in contested east Jerusalem – despite indications the Israeli leader has put the brakes on both.
The United States opposes both at this delicate time, when indirect talks between …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Israeli officials vow to build for Jews, demolish Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem.

Pope offers hope against suffering at outdoor Mass in Fatima

Pope offers hope against suffering at Fatima Mass

FATIMA, Portugal – Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday offered comfort to those enduring hardship, telling some 400,000 pilgrims at the Fatima shrine that suffering is not in vain.
The outdoor Mass was the centerpiece of Benedict’s four-day visit to Portugal and marked the anniversary of the day 93 years …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Turn from ‘death and terror’ to love of God, says Pope

FATIMA – Pope Benedict XVI Thursday urged humanity to turn away from selfishness, death and terror to the love of God, as he spoke at a gigantic open-air mass in Fatima.

“At a time when the human family was ready to sacrifice all that was most sacred on the altar of the petty and selfish interests …. Original source  : Turn from ‘death and terror’ to love of God, says Pope.

AP sources: US to join advisory group despite concern over possible anti-Israel bias

AP sources: US to join advisory group once shunned
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration is preparing to join an international advisory group that the U.S. has largely shunned due to fears it would adopt anti-Israeli and anti-Western stances, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
The officials told The Associated Press the administration plans to announce as early …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Deoband denies ‘fatwa’ against working women

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI – Darul Uloom Deoband, India’s foremost Islamic seminary, Wednesday denied it has asked Muslim women not to work along with men and said it only suggested that working women should dress “properly”.

“We had only given an opinion based on Sharia that women need to be properly covered in government and private offices,” …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Deoband denies ‘fatwa’ against working women.

Church is learning to live in global world, says Pope

LISBON – Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday declared the Catholic Church was in a process of learning how to live with “other truths” while continuing to proclaim the Christian faith.

“The church, in her adherence to the eternal character of truth, is in the process of learning how to live with respect for other ‘truths’ and for … Original source on Gaea Times at : Church is learning to live in global world, says Pope.

No ‘fatwa’ against working women, says Deoband

NEW DELHI – Darul Uloom Deoband, India’s foremost Islamic seminary, Wednesday denied asking Muslim women not to work along with men and said it only suggested that working women should dress “properly”.

“We had only given an opinion based on Sharia that women need to be properly covered in government and private offices,” said Maulana Adnan …. Read the original article  : here.

Austrian bishop questions celibacy, says married men should be allowed to become priests

Austrian bishop questions celibacy
VIENNA – An Austrian bishop who has disagreed with the Vatican in the past about needed reforms said in an interview published Wednesday that the Catholic church should drop its celibacy requirement for priests.

Eisenstadt Bishop Paul Iby told the Die Presse daily that it should be up to priests to decide whether … Read more »».

Pope recalls Portugal’s adventurous missionary past in urging rediscovery of Christian roots

Pope urges Portugal to rediscover Christian roots

LISBON, Portugal – Pope Benedict XVI recalled Portugal’s glorious past as a country of adventurers and missionaries who spread Catholicism around the globe in urging a rediscovery of its Christian heritage Wednesday – a key theme of his message to an increasingly secularized Europe.
Benedict met with members of Portugal’s …. Original article  : Pope recalls Portugal’s adventurous missionary past in urging rediscovery of Christian roots.