Pilgrimage to Shiva’s shrine begins in Himachal

SHIMLA – The annual Shrikhand Mahadev pilgrimage, more arduous than the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, took off Friday morning in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district with 2,000 devotees beginning the trek to pay obeisance to the Hindu god Shiva.

“The first batch of pilgrims with more than 2,000 devotees began their steep trek to the … Read more : Pilgrimage to Shiva’s shrine begins in Himachal.

Va. man stuck in Egypt after Yemen travels landed him on no-fly list returning to US Friday

Va. man stuck in Egypt on no-fly list coming to US

McLEAN, Va. – A Virginia man whose travels to Yemen caught the attention of the FBI and landed him on the U.S. no-fly list, leaving him stuck in the Middle East for months, will be allowed to return to the U.S.
Yahya Wehelie, 26, of Burke, …. Original source  : Va. man stuck in Egypt after Yemen travels landed him on no-fly list returning to US Friday.

APNewsBreak: Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders says he is launching international anti-Islam group

APNewsBreak: Dutch lawmaker forms anti-Islam group

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – An anti-Islam lawmaker in the Netherlands is forming an international alliance to spread his message across the West in a bid to ban immigration from Islamic countries, among other goals.
Geert Wilders told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday he will launch the movement late this … Read : APNewsBreak: Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders says he is launching international anti-Islam group.

UN panel says Vatican’s report on protecting children’s rights is almost 13 years overdue

UN: Vatican child rights report 13 years overdue

GENEVA – The head of a U.N. panel on child rights says the Vatican has failed to submit a key report that is now almost 13 years overdue.
Yanghee Lee, chairwoman of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child, says she sent the Holy See repeated reminders … Read this article on Gaea Times at : UN panel says Vatican’s report on protecting children’s rights is almost 13 years overdue.

Argentina becomes first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage with Senate vote

Argentina legalizes gay marriage in historic vote

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Argentina became the first Latin American nation to legalize gay marriage Thursday, granting same-sex couples all the legal rights, responsibilities and protections that marriage brings to heterosexuals.
The law’s passage – a priority for President Cristina Fernandez’s government – has inspired activists to push for similar …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Argentina becomes first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage with Senate vote.