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HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Texas on Wednesday put to death an inmate convicted of killing two men over a drug deal, the first U.S. execution of 2017....
NEW YORK (AP) -- President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he will continue to profit from his global business empire after he enters the White House this month - a precedent-breaking decision that the director of the Office of Government Ethics swiftly condemned as unpatriotic....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It was a bombshell story, emerging on the eve of Donald Trump's first news conference as president-elect: U.S. intelligence officials had presented Trump with unsubstantiated claims that Russia had amassed compromising personal and financial allegations about him....
NEW YORK (AP) -- In a combative and freewheeling news conference, President-elect Donald Trump said for the first time Wednesday that he accepts Russia was behind the election year hacking of Democrats that roiled the White House race. Looking ahead, he urged Congress to move quickly to replace President Barack Obama's signature health care law and insisted anew that Mexico will pay the cost of a border wall....
(Vatican Radio) A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied allegations that the Kremlin has collected compromising information about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The comments came after Moscow already denied any involvement in a cyber hacking and propaganda campaign to influence the recent presidential elections in the United States. Listen to the report by Stefan Bos: "Pulp fiction". That's how Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov describes claims that Russia has compromising personal and financial information about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. In a statement, Pescklov said the allegations are aimed at harming bi-lateral relations between the U.S. and Russia.Even President Elect Trump reacted. He used social networking service Twitter to rubbish the allegations saying in one messages: "Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I have nothing to do with Russia – No deals, no loans, no nothing."U.S. intelligence ...
(Vatican Radio) A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied allegations that the Kremlin has collected compromising information about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The comments came after Moscow already denied any involvement in a cyber hacking and propaganda campaign to influence the recent presidential elections in the United States.
Listen to the report by Stefan Bos:
"Pulp fiction". That's how Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov describes claims that Russia has compromising personal and financial information about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
In a statement, Pescklov said the allegations are aimed at harming bi-lateral relations between the U.S. and Russia.
Even President Elect Trump reacted. He used social networking service Twitter to rubbish the allegations saying in one messages: "Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I have nothing to do with Russia – No deals, no loans, no nothing."
U.S. intelligence agencies are reported to have presented a classified report about the material, obtained by Russian agents, to both Trump and the outgoing president, Barack Obama.
'FAKE NEWS'
After news reports were published about the briefing, Trump tweeted: "FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!"
It was attached to wider findings of alleged ongoing ties between Trump associates and the Kremlin and interference by Russia into the US election.
Though both Putin and Trump deny the allegations, the US intelligence community seems convinced about its finding.
James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, told the U.S. Senate’s Intelligence Committee: "We have high confidence that President Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election."
He added that the "goals of this campaign were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process."
Putin and the Russian government, he said, "also developed a clear preference for President-elect [Donald]) Trump.
Russia aspired to help President-elect Trump’s election chances when possibly by discrediting Secretary Clinton [as presidential candidate] and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him."
While several Republican and Democratic senators have expressed concern about the situation, possible closer ties between Trump and Putin are especially closely watched in former Soviet satellite states where officials fear it could harm their security.
(Vatican Radio) The Greek Navy has sent a transport vessel to the island of Lesbos to take on about 500 migrants whose camp tents have been flattened by heavy snow.Listen to the report by John Carr: Over the past few days parts of Greece have seen some of the heaviest snowfalls in many years, with most of the Aegean islands freezing under temperatures well below zero. Migrant holding camps around the country are particularly affected, as in many cases they consist of little but flimsy canvas tents.Several hundred Afghan migrants on Lesbos last night climbed up to the island’s ruined mediaeval castle and lit fires there to keep warm. Greek television is broadcasting images of sad-faced migrant children shivering between piles of snow. A helicopter carrying a Greek official to Lesbos had to turn back because of strong winds.The weather people say warmer weather will return to Greece this week, but the wider issue of what to do with more than 60,000 migrants t...
(Vatican Radio) The Greek Navy has sent a transport vessel to the island of Lesbos to take on about 500 migrants whose camp tents have been flattened by heavy snow.
Listen to the report by John Carr:
Over the past few days parts of Greece have seen some of the heaviest snowfalls in many years, with most of the Aegean islands freezing under temperatures well below zero. Migrant holding camps around the country are particularly affected, as in many cases they consist of little but flimsy canvas tents.
Several hundred Afghan migrants on Lesbos last night climbed up to the island’s ruined mediaeval castle and lit fires there to keep warm. Greek television is broadcasting images of sad-faced migrant children shivering between piles of snow.
A helicopter carrying a Greek official to Lesbos had to turn back because of strong winds.
The weather people say warmer weather will return to Greece this week, but the wider issue of what to do with more than 60,000 migrants trapped in the country remains unsolved.
Vatican City, Jan 11, 2017 / 01:33 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Tuesday, the Vatican unveiled a “new and improved” weekly edition of its newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, which will begin with the Jan. 19 issue, and include updates to both content and the newspaper’s look, according to the director.The changes are intended to merge new with old, keeping the newspaper’s fundamental characteristic, that it’s an “echo of papal teaching,” Director Giovanni Maria Vian told journalists Jan. 10.New voices, including both secular and Catholic writers, will be added to four of the main sections of the paper: Vatican information, international news, religious news, and culture.There will also be new articles written by representatives of different Christian denominations and non-Christian religions, and a new meditation on the Sunday Gospel passage.Some content of the weekly edition will be pulled from the daily editions of that week, which is also a ...
Vatican City, Jan 11, 2017 / 01:33 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Tuesday, the Vatican unveiled a “new and improved” weekly edition of its newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, which will begin with the Jan. 19 issue, and include updates to both content and the newspaper’s look, according to the director.
The changes are intended to merge new with old, keeping the newspaper’s fundamental characteristic, that it’s an “echo of papal teaching,” Director Giovanni Maria Vian told journalists Jan. 10.
New voices, including both secular and Catholic writers, will be added to four of the main sections of the paper: Vatican information, international news, religious news, and culture.
There will also be new articles written by representatives of different Christian denominations and non-Christian religions, and a new meditation on the Sunday Gospel passage.
Some content of the weekly edition will be pulled from the daily editions of that week, which is also a change. Graphics will receive an update as well.
One thing the director emphasized is that the “fundamental” content of the paper, full papal texts, an overview of the Pope’s activities, etc. will remain as they have been. The paper will also keep its “fraternity of the tongue,” Vian said, that is, “not to wound anyone and to have good relations with all.”
The updated edition comes out on the 69th anniversary of the Italian weekly’s first publication on Jan. 19, 1948.
L’Osservatore Romano – “The Roman Observer” in English – was launched in 1861 to defend the Papal States against the Italian political radical Giuseppe Garibaldi in his bid to subsume the Pope’s territories into a newly unified Italy. The paper’s ownership was independent of the Church up until 1885 when the Vatican acquired it during the reign of Pope Leo XIII.
The main, daily edition of the newspaper is in Italian.
In 1968, a weekly edition in English was started. It now has weekly editions in German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and starting Jan. 6, Malayalam, a language spoken in India. The publication also has a monthly edition in Polish.
IMAGE: CNS photo/Jason Miczek, ReutersBy CHARLESTON, S.C. (CNS) -- Jurorsunanimously agreed to sentence DylannRoof to death for killing nine black churchgoers.In closing statements before thedeliberation Jan. 10, the unrepentant 22-year-old told jurors that "I stillfeel like I had to do it," the Associated Press reported.Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone said in a statement that the CatholicChurch opposes capital punishment and reminded people that all life is sacred."We are all sinners, but throughthe father's loving mercy and Jesus' redeeming sacrifice upon the cross, wehave been offered the gift of eternal life. The Catholic opposition to thedeath penalty, therefore, is rooted in God's mercy. The church believes theright to life is paramount to every other right as it affords the opportunityfor conversion, even of the hardened sinner," Bishop Guglielmone said."Sentencing Dylann Roof to deathconflicts with the church's teaching that all human life is sacred, even forthose who have comm...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Jason Miczek, Reuters
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (CNS) -- Jurors unanimously agreed to sentence Dylann Roof to death for killing nine black churchgoers.
In closing statements before the deliberation Jan. 10, the unrepentant 22-year-old told jurors that "I still feel like I had to do it," the Associated Press reported.
Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone said in a statement that the Catholic Church opposes capital punishment and reminded people that all life is sacred.
"We are all sinners, but through the father's loving mercy and Jesus' redeeming sacrifice upon the cross, we have been offered the gift of eternal life. The Catholic opposition to the death penalty, therefore, is rooted in God's mercy. The church believes the right to life is paramount to every other right as it affords the opportunity for conversion, even of the hardened sinner," Bishop Guglielmone said.
"Sentencing Dylann Roof to death conflicts with the church's teaching that all human life is sacred, even for those who have committed the most heinous of crimes. Instead of pursuing death, we should be extending compassion and forgiveness to Mr. Roof, just as some of the victims' families did at his bond hearing in June 2015," the bishop added.
The jury had to reach a unanimous decision to sentence Roof to death. Had they disagreed, he would have been automatically sentenced to life in prison. He was convicted of 33 federal charges last month, including hate crimes. Roof acted as his own attorney and did not question any witnesses. In his FBI confession, he said he hoped the massacre would bring back segregation or start a race war, the Associated Press reported.
Bishop Guglielmone offered prayers of support for those who were killed and their families.
"Our Catholic faith sustains our solidarity with and support for the victims of the Emanuel AME Church massacre and their relatives. We commit ourselves to walk with these family members as well as the survivors as they continue to heal from the trial and this tragedy," he said.
The bishop asked people to continue to pray for the victims, survivors and families connected with the shooting. He also encouraged people to pray for Roof and his family.
"May he acknowledge his sins, convert to the Lord and experience his loving mercy," Bishop Guglielmone said.
The Rev. Clementa Pinckney, pastor of Emanuel AME Church, Tywanza Sanders, the Rev. Sharonda Singleton, the Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, the Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., the Rev. Cynthia Hurd, Myra Thompson, Ethel Lance, and Susie Jackson were killed in the shooting.
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Contributing to this report was The Catholic Miscellany, newspaper of the Diocese of Charleston, S.C.
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IRVINE, Calif. (AP) -- Taco Bell plans to go nationwide this month with its latest concoction: a taco with a shell made entirely out of fried chicken....
