International News

Americas

On the issue of human rights in Cuba, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff avoided criticism, as some opposition sectors hoped she would do, and opted instead for a conceptual approach.

Brazil strengthens ties with Cuba with presidential visit

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/4/2012

Brazil's first female president, Dilma Rousseff\' touched down in Haiti after visiting Cuba in an effort to strengthen ties with the two beleaguered Caribbean nations. Rousseff is committed to investing her nations with both nations and deepen political ties. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic ...

According to information from the Presidential Commission against Racism, 705 Guatemalan women lost their lives to gender-related violence in 2011, which is substantially higher than the 675 deaths the year before.

Social activists in Guatemala march against 'femicides'

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/1/2012

The Central American nation of Guatemala has been one of the hardest hit by a wave of "femicides" - murders committed against women for the sole reason that they are female. Guatemala is second only to Mexico in terms of murders committed against women. Right-wing retired general Otto P�rez ...

Eighty-year-old Raul Castro has led Cuba since his brother Fidel stepped aside during a 2006 health crisis.

Cuban President pledges to set term limits; even his own

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/30/2012

Cuban President Raul Castro reiterated his pledge to limit political terms in office to 10 years - including his own. Castro made the statement at the country's Communist Party ended its two-day national conference in Havana. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Castro said a constitutional ...

More Americas News »

Europe

Lucas Papademos's chief mission was to at least agree to a preliminary deal with the

Greek talks on national debt suspended

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/6/2012

Talks on the Greek national debt have been suspended - however, leaders say that many issues have been successfully resolved, and that the talks will continue. After five hours of discussions, Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said that the talks would continue this week. LOS ANGELES, CA ...

Congregation for the Clergy on the Mystery of Suffering and the Saving Power of God

By Congregation for the Clergy • Catholic Online • 2/6/2012

Moved by human suffering, Jesus healed many who were sick and cast out unclean spirits. What the readings tell us is not just that suffering can be healed. In the second reading St Paul explains the possibility for each of us to participate in the saving work of Christ. We can truly ...

Pope Benedict XVI Calls Christians to Prayer as the 'Yes' Which Sets Us Free

By Deacon Keith Fournier • Catholic Online • 2/4/2012

Pope Benedict XVI continued his astounding catechesis on prayer to the pilgrims assembled for his weekly General Audience. He invited them - and he invites all of us - to learn from the example of the Lord Jesus Christ and his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Christ's "yes" to the ...

More Europe News »

Middle East

Two opposing forces appear to be at work in the conflict: a government bent on crushing the uprising by force and an opposition that, if not increasing in numbers, appeared to be growing even more determined.

Double veto from Russia, China sink Syrian sanctions

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/6/2012

An effort from the United nations Security Council to slap Syria with sanctions collapsed amidst bad feelings when both Russia and Chine rejected the proposals with a double veto. The breakdown in talks came as the Syrian military stepped up its brutal onslaught of the civilian population. Many ...

Boys hold toy weapons in protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad after Friday prayers in Hula near Homs

United Nations asks Syrian president to step down

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/1/2012

Western and Arab nations have gathered at the United Nations in New York City to push for a tough resolution on Syria, calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step down and hand power over to his deputy. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The resolution stresses that there will be no foreign ...

More Middle East News »

Asia Pacific

Cambodian war criminal Kaing Guek Eav, commonly known by his alias of Duch ran a torture prison during the reign of Pol Pot. He had ordered the execution of countless prisoners after their interrogation was completed.

Notorious Cambodian war criminal sentenced to life in prison

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/5/2012

Cambodia's war crimes court has rejected the appeal of one of the Khmer Rouge's most notorious war criminals. Kaing Guek Eav, commonly known by his alias of Duch ran a torture prison during the reign of Pol Pot. Eav was instead sentenced to life in prison. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - ...

China remains Tehran's largest trading partner and biggest oil customer. Cooperation from China is crucial to the West's plan to use the embargo to force Iran to stop uranium enrichment.

China unlikely to join embargo against Iranian oil

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/2/2012

According to various analysts, China is highly unlikely to join the West in an oil embargo penalizing Iran for its nuclear program. China has practiced a non-interfering foreign policy for the last 30 years, i.e. denouncing sanctions on one hand yet working to protect its national interests ...

More Asia Pacific News »

Africa

Zimbabwe Health Minister Henry Madzorera says that the country is reporting up to 50 cases of typhoid a day.

Zimbabwe officials to investigate typhoid outbreak

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/1/2012

Health officials in the African nation of Zimbabwe have called for an overhaul of the national water and sanitation systems. There has been an unprecedented outbreak of typhoid in that country that has affected more than 1,500 people. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Zimbabwe Health ...

Hassan Osman Abdi, director of the Shabelle Media Network, was shot and killed by unidentified men outside his home in the city's Wadajir district over the weekend. The reporter, who also went under the name of

Al-Shabab bans Red Cross from stricken sections of Somalia

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 2/1/2012

Somalia's militant Islamist organization has banned the International Committee of the Red Cross from that African nation's most stricken areas. In a statement, al-Shabab declared that it had "decided to fully terminate the contract" of the RED CROSS, claiming the organization had handed ...

More Africa News »