In last appearance in NYC, Dalai Lama discusses meaning of kinship

In last NYC stop, Dalai Lama discusses kinship

NEW YORK – The Dalai Lama said Sunday that the U.S.-led war in Iraq could perhaps have been avoided through negotiations with Saddam Hussein.
Responding to a question about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the exiled leader of Tibetan Buddhists said that Hussein was “not such a foolish … Read more : In last appearance in NYC, Dalai Lama discusses meaning of kinship.

Iraq’s top Shiite cleric says no group will be excluded from new government

Top Shiite cleric in Iraq calls for unity
BAGHDAD – The leader of the Sunni-backed coalition that won the most seats in Iraq’s March election said the country’s most influential Shiite cleric assured him in a meeting Sunday that no group would be excluded from the new government.

There are concerns that Sunnis will be largely excluded …. Source article  : Iraq’s top Shiite cleric says no group will be excluded from new government.

Cuba to transfer some political prisoners closer to home, grant others medical treatment

Cuba to transfer political prisoners close to home

HAVANA – The Cuban government has agreed to move many of the country’s 200 political prisoners to jails closer to their homes, and will give medical attention to some ailing prisoners, a church official told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The government’s decision comes just days after a rare … Original article on : Cuba to transfer some political prisoners closer to home, grant others medical treatment.

Relatives: 3 Pakistanis held over Times Square bomb case are religious, not extremist

Relatives: 3 Pakistanis innocent in Times Sq. case

ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three Pakistanis detained for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing protested the men’s innocence Sunday, saying their fervent religious beliefs do not mean they are Islamic extremists.
The family members demanded the government either officially charge the men, who have … Read more : Relatives: 3 Pakistanis held over Times Square bomb case are religious, not extremist.

Archeologists unearth 57 ancient tombs in Egypt, most boasting a painted sarcophagus and mummy

57 ancient tombs with mummies unearthed in Egypt

CAIRO – Archeologists have unearthed 57 ancient Egyptian tombs, most of which hold an ornately painted wooden sarcophagus with a mummy inside, Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities said Sunday.
The oldest tombs date back to around 2750 B.C. during the period of Egypt’s first and second dynasties, the council …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Top Shiite cleric assures Iraq’s Sunni-backed bloc of inclusion in new government, reps say

Iraqiya: Top Shiite cleric calls for unity

BAGHDAD – Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric assured leaders of the Sunni-backed coalition that narrowly won the March election that no group will be excluded from the new government, representatives of the Iraqiya list said Sunday.
The 83-year-old Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is revered by Iraq’s majority sect and carries … Read more >>.

6 die in renewed religious violence in central Nigerian flashpoint between Christians, Muslims

Nigeria: 6 dead in religion-fueled violence in Jos

JOS, Nigeria – Witnesses say at least six people have died in renewed religious violence in central Nigeria between Christians and Muslims.
Witnesses told The Associated Press that three people died Sunday when an angry mob filled with young people started violence in the troubled city of Jos. The …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : 6 die in renewed religious violence in central Nigerian flashpoint between Christians, Muslims.

Pope’s visit stirs hopes of ancient sect hurt by Cyprus division and fearing assimiliation

Ancient sect hopes for boost from pope’s visit

KORMAKITIS, Cyprus – In the coffee shop at this farming village on the northern Cyprus coast, the conversation jumps from one hardship to the next: a bad rainy season, a religion weakened by assimilation, and a division of the island that has lasted 36 years with no end … Read more >>>.

Ousted king reappears as Nepal crisis deepens

KATHMANDU – As a constitutional crisis deepened in Nepal and the political parties failed yet again to agree on a way out, deposed king Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah made a surprise public appearance Sunday when he was given a red-carpet welcome by royalists.

The last king of Nepal, who lost his crown after an ill-judged attempt …. Original source  : Ousted king reappears as Nepal crisis deepens.