Hundreds of thousands join Pope Francis at canonization of Sri Lanka"s first saint

Jan. 14, 2015: A devotee stretches out his hand to touch the hand of Pope Francis as he arrives to hold a mass at Colombo’s seafront Galle Face Green for the canonization ceremony of Joseph Vaz. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives to hold a mass at Colombo’s seafront Galle Face Green for the canonization ceremony of Joseph Vaz, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. Francis declared Vaz a saint at the start of the service. The church considers Vaz a great model for today’s faithful, ministering to the faithful of both Sri Lanka’s ethnic groups and putting himself at great risk to spread the faith. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) (The Associated Press) Members of the audience listen to Pope Francis holding a mass at Colombo’s seafront Galle Face Green for the canonization ceremony of Joseph Vaz, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. Francis declared Vaz a saint at the start of the service. The church considers Vaz a great model for today’s faithful, ministering to the faithful of both Sri Lanka’s ethnic groups and putting himself at great risk to spread the faith. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das) (The Associated Press) A Sri Lankan Catholic devotee reads a newspaper carrying portraits of Pope Francis as she waits for his arrival at the church premise of Our Lady of Madhu in Madhu, northern Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. The visit is the first by a pope to the northern Tamil territory that was devastated by Sri Lanka’s 25-year civil war, which erupted in 1983 with Tamil demands for an independent homeland because of perceived discrimination by the Sinhalese majority. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) (The Associated Press)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka –  Pope Francis pressed his call for Sri Lankan reconciliation Wednesday by canonizing the country’s first saint as a model for national unity and visiting the war-ravaged north to pray at a shrine revered by both Sinhalese and Tamil faithful.

More than a half-million people packed the capital’s seafront park for the Mass, with some spending the night under the stars to ensure a good spot. Seemingly rested after a grueling first day of his Asian tour, Francis arrived well ahead of time to greet the crowd, getting off his popemobile to kiss the sick and handicapped.

Bells rang out and the crowd erupted in applause when Francis declared the Rev. Joseph Vaz a saint at the start of the service. Vaz was a 17th century Indian missionary who revived the faith in Sri Lanka during a time of anti-Catholic persecution by Dutch colonists, who were Protestant Calvinists.

The Catholic Church considers Vaz a great model for today’s faithful, ministering to the faithful of both of Sri Lanka’s main ethnic groups and putting himself at great risk to spread the faith.

Francis told the crowd that Vaz lived at a time — like today — when Catholics were a minority and often persecuted, and yet he ministered to all, regardless of their ethnic or religious background.

“St. Joseph shows us the importance of transcending religious divisions in the service of peace,” Francis said in his homily, delivered in English and then translated for the crowd in both Sinhalese and Tamil. “As the life of St. Joseph Vaz teaches us, genuine worship of God bears fruit not in discrimination, hatred and violence, but in respect for the sacredness of life, respect for the dignity and freedom of others, and loving commitment to the welfare of all.”

He said the Sri Lankan church today only wants to continue Vaz’s legacy of service to all, asking only for the freedom to preach in return. “Religious freedom is a fundamental human right,” he said.

To underscore that point, Francis gave Sri Lanka’s bishops a replica of a 17th century decree from the then-king of Kandy allowing Catholic conversions of Buddhists — a somewhat provocative message given the recent upswing in violence against Muslims and some Protestant churches by Buddhist extremists who want Sri Lanka exclusively Buddhist.

After Mass, Francis was heading by helicopter to the northern city of Madhu to pray at the Our Lady of Madhu shrine, a Catholic pilgrimage site that is a destination for people of other faiths as well. The visit is the first by a pope to the northern Tamil territory that was devastated by Sri Lanka’s 25-year civil war, which erupted with Tamil demands for an independent homeland because of perceived discrimination by the Sinhalese majority.

Francis is expected to call again for reconciliation between Sinhalese and Tamils, and people of different faiths, to overcome the wounds of the war.

Upon his arrival in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Francis called for reconciliation but also for the truth to come about injustices committed during the conflict, which ended in 2009 with the army’s violent crushing of the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Catholics make up slightly more than 6 percent of Sri Lanka’s population of 21 million. They are by far the largest Christian denomination in the country, but are a distinct minority compared to Buddhists, who make up about 70 percent, with Hindus comprising 13 percent. Muslims make up about 10 percent of the population.

Most Sinhalese are Buddhist and most Tamils Hindu, but the Catholic Church counts both ethnic groups as its members, and as a result considers itself a source of unity for the country.

Wednesday morning’s Mass drew people from across the teardrop-shaped Indian Ocean island nation, eager to see the first visiting pope since St. John Paul II in 1995. In fact, it was during that brief visit that John Paul beatified Vaz, using the same altar that Francis used Wednesday to make Vaz a saint.

The crowds poured off buses and out into the street from the nearby railway station. Security was tight, and everyone had to walk the last few hundred meters (yards) to the Galle Face Green, but the atmosphere was festive and ordered. Taxi drivers handed out free cups of tea and the crowd was treated to traditional dancing and music.

The park has a capacity of 500,000 and the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the crowd more than surpassed the half-million mark.

“My son can’t understand what’s going on, but I will take photographs and show him when he grows up how he attended this Holy Mass,” Pradeep Niroshan, a 31-year-old insurance agent, said as he carried his 2-year-old son to the service. “It will be memorable for him, because the next pope to come to Sri Lanka may be after 20 years.”

On Thursday, Francis flies to the Philippines for the second and final leg of his Asian pilgrimage.

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Hundreds of thousands join Pope Francis at canonization of Sri Lanka"s first saint

Hundreds march in London against Iraq air strikes

Saturday, October 04, 2014 | 10:28 AM    

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Several hundred people marched in central London on Saturday to protest Britain’s involvement in US-led air strikes against Islamic State (IS) group targets in Iraq.

Demonstrators chanted slogans including “Hands off the Middle East, no justice, no peace” and held up placards with slogans such as “Stop bombing Iraq”.

The protest was due to end outside Prime Minister David Cameron’s Downing Street office, with addresses by speakers including British comedian Russell Brand.

The march came the day after a video was released showing the execution-style murder of British aid worker Alan Henning, who had been kidnapped by the Islamic State group. The London protest had been organised prior to the news.

Parliament voted last week for British forces to join US-led raids on targets in Iraq but not Syria. Britain now has eight Tornado jets flying out of Cyprus in combat operations in Iraq.

One demonstrator, Francis O’Neill, 36, said he had “every sympathy” with Henning’s family but that he thought air strikes were not the solution.

“Whether you see someone being beheaded or being hit by a drone strike… it makes no difference,” he added.

Another, 55-year-old Carl Backland, said of the operations: “It’s just making the situation worse. It’s crazy that we’re spending billions to destroy weapons that we gave to the Iraqi army.”

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Hundreds march in London against Iraq air strikes

Massive fire destroys hundreds of acres of land in St. Elizabeth

A massive fire in the drought stricken community of  Malvern in St. Elizabeth, has razed hundreds of  acres of  farmlands and damaged property as well as farm supplies.

Livestock was also destroyed in the blaze, which started early Saturday.      

At news time, personnel from the Santa Cruz, Junction and Black River Fire Stations, were trying to contain the blaze that is now threatening sections of  the Bigwoods and Mountainside Plains. 

Assistant Superintendent of  the Black River Fire Station, Harry Clarke, says his teamencountered difficulties en route to the scene.

“We responded with one unit from the Santa Cruz fire station … we are battling a huge blaze , so far about 600 acres of farm and pasture land have been destroyed by this fire.   

Based on a report from a very large cattle farmer in the area, someone lit a fire in  a section of his pasture and due to severe drought conditions and high winds, the fire spread quickly to adjoining areas,” Clarke said.

Meanwhile, Manager at Fareview Farm in Malvern, Anthony Hamilton, said in less than 30 minutes the fire quickly spread and employees could only stand and watch helplessly.

“On our farm here we lost about 500 acres , we didn’t lose any of t he animals, but when you speak of the posts and wires, you are talking about several thousands (of dollars).

A team from the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) team was dispatched to the company’s wind farm in Munroe, due to the threatening flames.

Firefighters were successful in preventing the fire from reaching  Munro College and nearby houses.

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Massive fire destroys hundreds of acres of land in St. Elizabeth

Hundreds arrested in Chile clashes

12 September 2013 Last updated at 11:26 ET President Pinera said those behind the violence should be severely punished Police in Chile say they arrested more than 260 people during protests marking the anniversary of the 1973 military coup.

Officials said 42 police officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators on Wednesday night.

Among those injured was a police general who was struck in the head with a petrol bomb.

President Sebastian Pinera called on judges to punish those behind the clashes “with severity”.

“The violence we saw last night has absolutely no justification,” Mr Pinera said after visiting some of the injured police officers in hospital.

He said that organised groups were behind the violent acts, and they were joined by common criminals.

The president called on the population to back him in his rejection of such incidents.

Troublesome anniversary

More than a dozen cars and buses were set alight during the protests, and electricity lines were severed, prompting power cuts in 200,000 homes in the capital, Santiago.

Police said six of their officers had been seriously injured, including at least one who had suffered acid burns.

The government had deployed more than 8,000 police throughout the capital to prevent a repeat of the violence seen in previous years.

The BBC’s Gideon Long in Santiago says 11 September – the anniversary of the coup which led to 17 years of military rule – is always a divisive date in Chile and invariably ends in clashes between left-wing protesters and the police, who respond with tear gas and water cannon.

Some 40,000 people suffered human rights abuses in Chile under military rule from 1973 to 1990. More than 3,000 were killed or forcibly disappeared, their bodies buried in unmarked graves or dumped at sea.

And more than 1,000 human rights cases are still ongoing in Chilean courts.

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Hundreds arrested in Chile clashes

Taliban jailbreak frees hundreds

30 July 2013 Last updated at 06:12 ET The militants used a loud hailer to call prisoners out by name, as Orla Guerin reports

Taliban militants have freed 243 prisoners in an assault on a prison in north-west Pakistan, officials say.

The attack in the town of Dera Ismail Khan began with huge explosions at around midnight on Monday (15:00 GMT).

Gunmen then opened fire with rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns, police chief Sohail Khalid said. About 70 attackers were in police uniform.

The town is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, next to Pakistan’s restive mountainous tribal region.

The town’s prison houses hundreds of Taliban and militants from banned groups.

Twelve people – including six police officers – were killed in the gun battle that raged for three or four hours after militants launched their assault.

The town’s civil commissioner Mushtaq Jadoon said that 30 hardened militants jailed for their involvement in major attacks or suicide bombings were among those who escaped.

Continue reading the main story Those released include two local Taliban commanders, Abdul Hakim and Haji Ilyas, reports BBC Urdu’s Ahmed Wali.Continue reading the main story M Ilyas Khan BBC News, Islamabad

The Taliban assault comes on the day parliament is electing a new president. We will never know if the timing was deliberate, but it has hugely embarrassed the government, and once again highlighted the ability of the militants to strike at will.

Suggestions the authorities had advance warning of the attack, but did not act on it, only make matters worse.

No very high-profile Taliban members were being held at the Dera prison, but at least 30 militants freed in the assault are described by the authorities as “hardened” Taliban fighters. The attack rekindles memories of a 2012 jailbreak in the nearby city of Bannu in which about 400 prisoners escaped, including Adnan Rashid, a radicalised former member of the military who recently wrote an open letter to child activist Malala Yousafzai, explaining why she was attacked by the Taliban.

The Dera jail attack comes a month after the police said they had arrested a group of militants who were planning to launch a similar attack on Karachi Central Jail. This is indicative of an emerging Taliban strategy to break jails instead of negotiating the release of their prisoners by taking hostages, which they have done in the past.

Also released is a sectarian militant, Waleed Akbar, the principle suspect in last year’s attacks on Shia mourners in Dera Ismail Khan during the Shia mourning month of Moharram.

Attackers used loudhailers to call the names of particular inmates, Mr Jadoon said.

Fourteen fugitives were later re-arrested by police, he said. A curfew has now been imposed on Dera Ismail Khan as police hunt for the remaining escaped prisoners, but correspondents say this will be a difficult task as they flee into tribal areas.

Katherine Houreld, a correspondent for Reuters news agency, told the BBC it had been a “very sophisticated attack – they blew the electricity line, they breached the walls and they set ambushes for reinforcements”.

Mr Jadoon told a local TV station that 14 explosive devices planted in the jail had so far been defused.

Attack ‘threats’

A local resident told the agency that the initial blast was so loud that “it rattled every house in the neighbourhood”.

The attackers were chanting “God is great” and “Long live the Taliban”, officials said.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid has claimed responsibility for the attack. He said around 300 prisoners had been freed.

Continue reading the main story

Since Prime Minister Nazaz Sharif took office on 5 June, his government has faced a number of brazen attacks around the country:

27 July: At least 57 killed and scores injured as bombs hit market in Parachinar, a town with large Shia population near Afghan border 24 July: Attackers storm office of ISI intelligence agency in Sukkur, Sindh province, detonating bombs and injuring more than 30 people. Five killed, mostly attackers10 July: Chief security officer of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and aides killed in Karachi bomb attack 30 June: At least 56 people killed, dozens injured, in bomb attacks in Quetta and Peshawar - as Sharif pledges new action on terrorism23 June: Gunmen kill 10, including at least nine foreign tourists, after storming hotel at Nanga Parbat mountain base camp in northern Pakistan. Attack claimed by new branch of Pakistani Taliban15 June: Fourteen students killed in blast on bus at women’s university in city of Quetta; hours later gunmen attack Quetta hospital, killing 10 – attacks both claimed by extremist Sunni militant group, Laskar-e-JhangviThe authorities are reported to have received intelligence about an impending attack two weeks ago, but prison officials said they did not expect it to come so soon.

The building is about a century old and officials say it was not constructed to house high-security prisoners.

Hundreds of inmates were freed in an assault on a prison in Bannu in northern Pakistan in April last year.

Correspondents say the authorities will face questions about how militants were able to stage a virtually identical attack in Dera Ismail Khan.

The attack appears to be part of a Taliban strategy to break jails instead of negotiating prisoner releases with government, the BBC’s Ilyas Khan reports from Islamabad.

Last month, police claimed they arrested some Taliban operatives who were planning to attack a jail in the southern port city of Karachi, our correspondent adds.

Monday night’s violence came hours before Pakistani politicians were to choose the country’s new president.

The replacement for Asif Ali Zardari is being elected by the members of both houses of parliament and the four provincial assemblies.

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Taliban jailbreak frees hundreds