Pakistan asks Facebook to block ‘Draw Mohammed’ page, then will consider restoring service

Internet blockade in Pakistan continues
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan acknowledged the “suffering” caused by its bans on Facebook and YouTube, but said it would only consider restoring the websites if they take down pages considered offensive to Islam, the information technology ministry said Friday.

The government has asked both sites to block the offending pages and was expecting … Read : Pakistan asks Facebook to block ‘Draw Mohammed’ page, then will consider restoring service.

Web abuzz over facebook ban in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – The web is abuzz over the ban on social networking site Facebook in Pakistan following the Prophet cartoon row. While some favour a clamp down, others say: “Why should everyone get punished for 1 or 2 person’s mistake”.

Webpages have sprung up on Facebook after “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!” was set up.
A … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Web abuzz over facebook ban in Pakistan.

US cartoonist distances herself from Prophet cartoon row

WASHINGTON – Seattle-based cartoonist Molly Norris has distanced herself from the raging row over “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!”, saying: “I never created a facebook page for EDMD. A stranger to me did so.”

Norris has written on her webpage: “Hello, I never created a facebook page for EDMD. A stranger to me did so. Thank You, … Read more »»».

Cuban Roman Catholic cardinal calls for freedom for political prisoners

Cuban cardinal wants political prisoners freed

HAVANA – Cuba’s Roman Catholic cardinal called for the liberation of some of the island’s 200 political prisoners on Thursday after a rare sit-down with President Raul Castro, and said he thought his encounter with the Cuban leader was a “magnificent start” to serious dialogue.
“The church is interested in an …. Read the original article  : Cuban Roman Catholic cardinal calls for freedom for political prisoners.

Raul Castro sits down with Cuban Roman Catholic cardinal in rare meeting

Cuban president meets with church leader
HAVANA – President Raul Castro has held a rare sit-down with Cuba’s Roman Catholic cardinal and another top cleric, discussing many issues including a recent crackdown against dissidents that ended only after the mediation of the church.

The meeting with Cardinal Jaime Ortega and Archbishop Dionisio Garcia was a sign of … Read more >>>.

Clarification: Church Abuse-Arizona story

Clarification: Church Abuse-Arizona story
In a story April 2, The Associated Press reported that a Catholic Church tribunal examined allegations that the Rev. Michael Teta, an Arizona priest, abused boys in a confessional.

The story should have specified that the tribunal found Teta guilty of soliciting sexual favors during confessions, but not necessarily of conducting that abuse … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Clarification: Church Abuse-Arizona story.

Israeli archaeologists say pagan altar found at disputed building site shows graves not Jewish

Pagan altar unearthed at building site in Israel

JERUSALEM – Israeli archaeologists say workers have uncovered an ancient pagan altar while clearing ground for construction of a hotly disputed hospital emergency room.
They say the discovery proves an ancient cemetery at the site that has been at the center of protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews does not contain … Read more »».

UAE’s first woman ambassador to Vatican

VATICAN CITY – A mother of six who has been appointed as the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) first ambassador to the Vatican Thursday presented her credentials to Pope Benedict XVI.

The pontiff welcomed Hissa Abdulla Ahmed Al-Otaiba and recalled how diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the mostly Muslim Gulf state had “only recently been … Original source on Gaea Times at : UAE’s first woman ambassador to Vatican.

Pakistan blocks YouTube over Prophet cartoon row

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has blocked the video-sharing website YouTube because of its “growing sacrilegious contents”, officials said Thursday.

The ban came hours after the government temporarily blocked the social networking website Facebook, where a group announced an online competition for cartoons of Prophet Mohammed to be held Thursday.
A statement from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) …. Source  : Pakistan blocks YouTube over Prophet cartoon row.