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Respect dignity of children: Pope North Korea rejects talks venue: report
‘Most Pakistanis for army rule’ China’s no to obese foreign parents |
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Israel orders easing of restrictions |
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‘Godfather of Soul’ James Brown dies
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Respect dignity of children: Pope
Vatican City, December 25 With the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem, God "teaches us respect for children," the Pope said in his homily broadcast live on 73 television stations in 47 countries. "The child of Bethlehem directs our gaze towards all children who suffer and are abused in the world, the born and the unborn," said the spiritual leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics. He pointed to "children who are placed as soldiers in a violent world ... children who have to beg ... children who suffer deprivation and hunger ...children who are unloved. He said "In all of these it is the child of Bethlehem who is crying out to us. ... Let us pray this night that the brightness of God's love may enfold all these children. Let us ask God to help us do our part so that the dignity of children may be respected." Benedict, celebrating his second Midnight Mass since his election in April 2005, then spoke of Christmas as a "feast of gifts in imitation of God who has given himself to us." He said "Among the many gifts that we buy and receive, let us not forget the true gift: to give each other something of ourselves." The mass in Latin, the universal language of the Roman Catholic Church, was punctuated by readings in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish and Polish.
— AFP
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North Korea rejects talks venue: report
Seoul, December 25 Chief nuclear negotiator Kim Kye-Gwan was speaking Saturday, Dong-A Ilbo newspaper reported, the day after a week of six-party nuclear talks ended in Beijing without any progress. The talks -- the first for 13 months -- closed without even setting a date for the next round.
— AFP
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‘Most Pakistanis for army rule’
Islamabad, December 25 Six out of 10 Pakistanis prefer military administration, said the report, adding that higher the education, lower was the support for the army. The survey was conducted in five South Asian countries - Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, which had had an unbroken record of democratic functioning, loved democracy the most. Bangladesh, going to the most contentious polls next month, came second as the most upbeat nation when it came to democracy. Democratic values were one of the principal reasons for Bangladesh parting from Pakistan. But it had had phases of military rule and military-guided democracies during 1975-90. India came third in terms of democratic preferences, said the survey "Study of Democracy in South Asia" by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in collaboration with the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Stockholm and Department of Sociology, Oxford University. Half of Pakistanis were not keen on democracy, the survey said, ostensibly reflective of the sentiment in the urban areas that had been critical of the two short-lived tenures of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. The only democratically elected government to complete its tenure was that of Z.A. Bhutto (1972-77), when the country got its present constitution. The Daily Times reported the survey on Sunday. In Pakistan, about a half the respondents said democratic or non-democratic forms of government made no difference to them.
— IANS
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China’s no to obese foreign parents
Beijing, December 25 The director of the China Centre of Adoption Affairs under the Ministry of Civil Affairs Xing Kaimin confirmed a highly disputed criterion that applicants should not be overweight, a rule that is likely to affect applications from the United States. According to the new guidelines which go into effect from May one, the applicants must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 40, 'China Daily' reported. The BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women. The index of 40 means extreme obesity, for example, in a person who is 1.7 meters tall and weighs more than 115 kg. "Obese people are more likely to suffer from diseases and might have a shorter life expectancy," Xing said. "The priority criteria are meant to protect children's interests and shorten the waiting time for more qualified applicants," Xing said. "It does not mean we are prejudiced against less qualified applicants, who can still apply." — PTI |
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Israel orders easing of restrictions Jerusalem, December 25 "The Prime Minister ordered the immediate easing of restrictions on the Palestinian population in order to strengthen the moderate elements and in accordance with the agreements reached during his meeting with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas" yesterday, his office said in a statement. — AFP
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‘Godfather of Soul’ James Brown dies
Atlanta, December 25 Brown died at 1:45 a.m. (0645 GMT) at Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta after being admitted there on Saturday for treatment of severe pneumonia, his manager, Frank Copsidas, said. Charles Bobbit, Brown's longtime friend and personal manager, was at his side, he said. The singer, also known as "Mr. Dynamite," is credited with bringing the word "funk" into mainstream musical vernacular and influencing a new generation of black music. Rap and hip hop artists revered him for the grooves he was able to produce as a band leader and used his beats extensively as the backdrop to their own songs. Brown's hit "Say it Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" became a civil rights anthem during the turbulent 1960s
— Reuters
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India helps light
Nepal village
Body of Indian
found in toilet Indian honoured
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Atlanta, December 25
