Mexican fined for mentioning god during poll campaign

Mexico City, July 30 (IANS/EFE) A politician in Mexico has been fined over 27,000 pesos ($2,000) for referring to god in public during his election campaign for governor of a northwestern state, officials said.

Mario Lopez Valdez, governor-elect of Sinaloa state, was slapped with the fine by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Mexico’s poll body.
“I will … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Mexican fined for mentioning god during poll campaign.

Novelist Anne Rice, who spurned Catholicism, then returned to it: ‘I quit Christianity’

Novelist Anne Rice says she’s leaving Christianity
NEW YORK – Anne Rice has had a religious conversion: She’s no longer a Christian.
“In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control,” the author wrote Wednesday on her Facebook page. “In the name … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Novelist Anne Rice, who spurned Catholicism, then returned to it: ‘I quit Christianity’.

Pa. family sues Catholic diocese after accuser in priest abuse case commits suicide

Pa. diocese sued after abuse accuser’s suicide

PITTSBURGH – The estate of an alleged clery abuse victim who committed suicide is suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh because it stopped paying for his mental health treatments.
A copy of the lawsuit obtained by The Associated Press says 39-year-old Michael Unglo committed suicide in May in Massachusetts.
The … Original source on Gaea Times at : Pa. family sues Catholic diocese after accuser in priest abuse case commits suicide.

More than matzo balls: With locusts and deer, Jerusalem dinner shakes up the kosher kitchen

More than matzo balls: Kosher cooking revisited

JERUSALEM – The men behind a unique six-hour eating marathon in Jerusalem want diners to know two things about locusts: First, they taste great stir-fried, and second, they’re kosher.
When 240 observant Jews sat down to the 18-course dinner earlier this month, they were served a veritable zoo of animals …. Original article  : More than matzo balls: With locusts and deer, Jerusalem dinner shakes up the kosher kitchen.

APNewsBreak: Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh sued over alleged clergy abuse victim’s suicide

APNewsBreak: Pa. diocese sued in accuser’s suicide

PITTSBURGH – The estate of an alleged clery abuse victim who committed suicide is suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh because it stopped paying for his mental health treatments.
A copy of the lawsuit obtained by The Associated Press says 39-year-old Michael Unglo committed suicide in May in Massachusetts.
The …. Original article  : APNewsBreak: Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh sued over alleged clergy abuse victim’s suicide.

Sikhs protest harassment of youth in Kashmir

JAMMU – Members of the Sikh community staged demonstrations across the Jammu region Thursday to protest the harassment of a Sikh youth in the Kashmir Valley who allegedly had his hair cut forcibly.

Sikh leaders led protests in Digiana, Miran Sahib, R.S. Pura and other parts of Jammu, raising slogans against the state government for its …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Sikhs protest harassment of youth in Kashmir.

Saudi villagers prayed in wrong direction for 10 years

RIYADH – Worshippers at a mosque in a Saudi Arabian village near Mecca discovered they were praying for 10 years in the wrong direction, a newspaper in the country reported Thursday.

Muslims are meant to pray in the direction of the most sacred site in Islam, known as the Kaaba, a large granite structure in the …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Kerala poll panel asks for report on bishop council letter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – Kerala’s state election commissioner has asked for a report on a letter by the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) asking people not to vote for independent candidates who are atheists in the upcoming local bodies poll.

State Election Commissioner (SEC) P. Kamalkutty has asked the Ernakulam district collector for a report on the KCBC …. Original source  : Kerala poll panel asks for report on bishop council letter.

Court restores `secularism’ in Bangladesh constitution

DHAKA – In a far-reaching move, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has restored ’secularism’ in the country’s constitution. It has also denounced the declaration of martial law in the past and sought safeguards to end “extra-constitutional adventures”.

Responding to the ruling, Bangladesh’s top law officer, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, said the country would, however, continue to be …. Source article  : Court restores `secularism’ in Bangladesh constitution.