Putin, Obama Discuss Syria And Ukraine | Row over US Supreme Court future | And other stories
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama have agreed to intensify joint diplomatic efforts following the agreement struck in Munich earlier this week to defuse the conflict in Syria.
The death of one of the most conservative members of the US Supreme Court, Justice Antonin Scalia, sparks a battle for its control.
 Washington Post |
Kremlin: Obama called Putin to talk about Syrian ceasefire
Washington Post TIRANA, Albania—President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to intensify diplomatic and military cooperation to implement a ceasefire and aid delivery in Syria, the Kremlin said early Sunday. A statement from Putin's office said ... Europe's Extremists Are Not Putin's FaultForeign Policy (blog) Putin, Obama agree on cooperation to implement Syria agreementTimes LIVE Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama discuss Syria over phone: KremlinThe Indian Express Daily News & Analysis- Russia Beyond the Headlines all 28 news articles » |
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Kurdish PYD party on Sunday rejected Turkish demands that allied militia withdraw from positions near the border that are being shelled by Turkish army, and warned that Syrians would resist any Turkish intervention in the country.
Putin, Obama discuss Syria, Ukraine by Associated Press
The Kremlin says Vladimir Putin and President Barack Obama have held a telephone conversation about the Syrian war and the unresolved conflict in Ukraine.
U.S. Senator Blasts Syria Truce Deal, Says Serves Putin's Purposes by support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
U.S. Senator John McCain has sharply criticized an international agreement on a cessation of hostilities in Syria, calling it "diplomacy in the service of military aggression" by Russia.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria, the Kremlin said.
Story highlights
- The officer is out of surgery and in stable condition
- He works for the Clarksdale Police Department
(CNN)Two masked men shot a police officer in the head while he was responding to a robbery in Mississippi, authorities said.
The gunmen are on the run after the shooting in Clarksdale on Saturday night.
The wounded officer, who works for the Clarksdale Police Department, is out of surgery and in stable condition, Mayor Bill Luckett said.
Suspicious activity
The men were robbing the store when the officer, who was nearby, noticed suspicious activity there, according to the mayor. Two clerks fled through the back door.
The men stole money from a cash register and took off, Luckett said.
Officer shot
The officer caught up with the robbers four blocks from the store, where they shot him and left him bleeding on the street, the mayor said.
At least one of the assailants had a gun, he said.
The Latest: Police Question Second Man in Officer's Shooting
ABC News - 26 minutes ago
Authorities in northwest Mississippi say police are questioning a man believed to have shot a Clarksdale police officer point-blank in the face and a man believed to be his accomplice in an earlier robbery. Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett says it will be ...
Two in custody in connection with shooting Clarksdale officer
WDAM-TV - 26 minutes ago
CLARKSDALE, MS (WMC) -. Clarksdale police have a person in custody in connection to the shooting of Corporal Derrick Couch. MOREAdditional LinksPoll. Clarksdale, MS officer shot in head; in hospital · Clarksdale, MS officer shot in head; in hospital.
Mississippi cop shot in head during robbery investigation
CBS News - 3 hours ago
CLARKSDALE, Miss. - Authorities in northwest Mississippi say an officer is in critical condition after being shot in the head while investigating a robbery across the street from a police station. Cpl. Derrick Couch. WREG-TV. Nursing supervisor Vivian ...
Mississippi officer shot in head investigating robbery
Porterville Recorder - 3 hours ago
CLARKSDALE, Miss. (AP) — Authorities in northwest Mississippi say an officer is in critical condition after being shot in the head while investigating a robbery across the street from a police station. Nursing supervisor Vivian Crawford said Sunday ...
Clarksdale, Mississippi, Police Officer Shot in Head During Robbery
<a href="http://NBCNews.com" rel="nofollow">NBCNews.com</a> - 7 hours ago
A Mississippi police officer was in critical condition Sunday after being shot in the head during an armed robbery call, authorities said. Two suspects opened fire on Clarksdale Officer Derrick Couch after he responded to an armed robbery call at a ...
Mississippi officer shot in face; police questioning suspect
<a href="http://mySanAntonio.com" rel="nofollow">mySanAntonio.com</a> - 59 minutes ago
CLARKSDALE, Miss. (AP) — A man believed to have shot a northwest Mississippi police officer point-blank in the face was brought to the police station by his father Sunday, and police were questioning him, Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett said. Luckett ...
Both alleged Clarksdale shooters in custody
Jackson Clarion Ledger - 3 hours ago
Both of the suspects in the shooting of a Clarksdale police officer are in custody Sunday afternoon, officials said. One was turned in to police by his father. Mayor Bill Luckett said the first suspect came in to the police department with his father ...
Clarksdale police officer shot identified, surveillance video of suspects released
WDAM-TV - 3 hours ago
CLARKSDALE, MS (WMC) -. The Clarksdale police officer was shot Saturday has been identified. MOREAdditional LinksPoll. Clarksdale, MS officer shot in head; in hospital · Clarksdale, MS officer shot in head; in hospital. Updated: Sunday, February 14 ...
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Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu speaks after Turkey’s military hit Kurdish militia targets around the northwestern Syrian town of Azaz on Saturday. He orders the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to immediately evacuate the Minnigh airbase, amid suggestions that Ankara could take military action inside Syria. The shelling came just days after the US and Russia agreed on a“cessation of hostilities” in Syria within a week
Continue reading... CNN |
Masked men shoot police officer in Mississippi
CNN (CNN) Two masked men shot a police officer in the head while he was responding to a robbery in Mississippi, authorities said. The gunmen are on the run after the shooting in Clarksdale on Saturday night. The wounded officer, who works for the ... Mississippi police shot in face while investigating armed robberyFox News Clarksdale police officer who was shot identified, suspects on the runWDAM-TV Masked men shoot police officer during robberyWTAJ wreg.com all 59 news articles » |
A Turkish assault on positions claimed by Kurdish fighters in northern Syria continues into a second day.
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Activists: Turkey Shells Syrian Kurds for 2nd Dayby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Syrian activists said Turkey shelled Kurdish fighters in northern Syria for a second day Sunday after warning it would take action if it faced a threat from across the border. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict in Syria, said the shelling targeted areas north of the city of Aleppo and killed two fighters. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Saturday the Kurdish forces were a threat to the Syrian town of Azaz located a few kilometers from the...
NATO warships are steaming toward the Aegean Sea in an escalated bid to impose order on the chaotic arrival of more than 1 million migrants, which has not abated despite the wintry weather in southern Europe.
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The Latest on the civil war in Syria (all times local):
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Turkey launched new attacks on U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northwestern Syria on Sunday in a direct rebuff to American calls for an immediate cease-fire.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Latest on developments following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (all times local):...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama discussed the Syria crisis with Russian leader Vladimir Putin by telephone, including the importance of rushing humanitarian aid to that country and containing air strikes, the White House said on Sunday.
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(JERUSALEM) — Three Palestinian teenagers were shot and killed while attempting to attack Israeli security forces in two separate incidents in the West Bank on Sunday, the Israeli military and police said.
In the first incident, the military said two Palestinians were throwing rocks at passing vehicles near the West Bank city of Jenin and when forces arrived at the scene Palestinians opened fire at them. The soldiers fired back and killed two Palestinians, the military said, adding that no soldiers were wounded in the exchange.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the two Palestinians as Nihad Waked and Fouad Waked, both 15 years old. They were from the same extended family in the West Bank village of al-Araka, near Jenin, but were not close relatives.
Later, at a West Bank security checkpoint on the outskirts of Jerusalem, a Palestinian gripping a knife ran at Israeli paramilitary border police officers, and an officer shot and killed him, Israeli police said. No Israeli officers were wounded. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian as 17-year-old Naim Safi of Abadiya village near Bethlehem.
In the last five months, Palestinian stabbings, shootings and vehicular assaults have killed 27 Israelis. At least 160 Palestinians, the majority of whom Israel says were attackers, have been killed by Israeli fire.
Israel says the ongoing violence is fueled by a campaign of incitement by Palestinian leaders that is compounded on social media sites that glorify attacks. Palestinians say it stems from frustration at nearly five decades of Israeli rule and dwindling hopes for gaining independence.
Also Sunday, a watchdog group said Israel began building 1,800 new settlement homes in the West Bank in 2015.
Peace Now, a dovish Israeli group that tracks settlement construction, said most of the building has taken place in isolated settlements in areas of the West Bank that Israel would likely evacuate in the event of a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast War and built settlements there. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but nearly 600,000 Israeli settlers remain in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The Palestinians claim these areas as parts of a future state, a position that has wide global support. They view Israeli settlement construction as a major obstacle to resolving the conflict.
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The head of the international group overseeing the cease-fire deal in eastern Ukraine said the situation in the region is at its worst point since last September’s lull in fighting.
 Washington Post |
Turkey shells Kurdish positions in Syria for 2nd day
Washington Post BEIRUT — Turkey shelled positions held by the main Kurdish militia in northern Syria for a second day on Sunday, drawing condemnation from the Syrian government, whose forces are advancing against insurgents in the same area under the cover of ... and more » |
Obama Urges Putin to Halt Airstrikes Against Syrian Oppositionby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
U.S President Barack Obama has discussed the Syria crisis with Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing the importance of Moscow playing "a constructive role by ceasing its air campaign against moderate opposition forces in Syria." The two leaders spoke by phone Saturday to "discuss the decisions and agreements made at the February 11 meeting of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and to stress the importance of rapidly implementing humanitarian access to...
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Latest on developments following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (all times local):...
 Reuters |
Record-setting cold chills US Northeast on Valentine's Day
Reuters BOSTON Residents of much of the northeastern United States woke up on Sunday to bone-chilling cold conditions that shattered Valentine's Day records in Boston, Hartford and Providence. Officials warned residents to stay indoors in the face of the -9 ... Northeast Wakes up to Record Cold for Valentine's DayABC News The Latest: Cold temps cause gas problems in Connecticutseattlepi.com Record-breaking cold sweeps across NortheastUSA TODAY NBCNews.com -Fox News Latino all 731 news articles » |
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In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph to mark his retirement, Sir Peter Westmacott reveals his struggles to keep the "special relationship" alive in Washington
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With Scalia Death, US Supreme Court Could Have 4-4 Splits in Key Cases by webdesk@voanews.com (Ken Bredemeier)
With the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the U.S. Supreme Court could be facing a divisive ideological split during its current term as it considers key cases involving abortion, immigration policy, religious liberty and affirmative action to assist racial minorities gain admittance to flagship universities. Scalia, a stalwart conservative, was often one of five justices in the majority in contentious 5-to-4 rulings on the highest court, holding sway over the court's four...
DUBAI (Reuters) - No date has been set for Saudi King Salman's visit to Russia, Saudi Arabia's state news agency SPA reported on Sunday citing a source at the foreign ministry.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri said on Sunday Lebanon would never be an "Iranian province" hostile to Saudi Arabia, and attacked Shi'ite Hezbollah's role in the Syrian war in a speech reflecting regional tensions.
 Daily Times |
Saudi Arabia and Allies Gather for Major Military Exercises
New York Times RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia says troops from 20 countries are gathering in the oil-rich nation for large-scale military exercises. The kingdom announced the exercises Sunday on the official Saudi Press Agency, describing them as "the largest ... Saudi Arabia Said to Ease Rules on Bank Loans to Boost LiquidityBloomberg Saudi central bank raises loan-to-deposit ratio -sourcesReuters Swiss to Represent Saudi Arabia in Iran After Ties CutABC News Yahoo News all 740 news articles » |
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Justice Antonin Scalia's death deprives conservatives of a key vote that could change the outcome in some major Supreme Court cases, including one in which labor unions appeared headed for a big defeat....
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- The presidential election just got real....
Washington Braces for Brawl Over Supreme Court Vacancyby webdesk@voanews.com (Michael Bowman)
The death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has set off a legal and political earthquake in Washington and beyond. The arch-conservative jurist’s passing guarantees a confrontation between the White House and the Republican-led Senate on confirming a successor, and could put ideological control of the high court at stake in this year’s presidential election.
The death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has set off a legal and political earthquake in Washington and beyond. The arch-conservative jurist’s passing guarantees a confrontation between the White House and the Republican-led Senate on confirming a successor, and could put ideological control of the high court at stake in this year’s presidential election.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/washington-braces-for-brawl-over-supreme-court-vacancy/3190635.html
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/washington-braces-for-brawl-over-supreme-court-vacancy/3190635.html
Upcoming indie-rock band, Viola Beach have been killed in a car accident in Sweden. Report by Jonny Nelson.
EL PASO -
EL PASO -- An El Paso source close to Justice Antonin Scalia tells ABC-7 that the 79-year-old died in his sleep last night after a day of quail hunting at Cibolo Creek Ranch outside of Marfa, Texas.
The Justice did not report feeling ill and retired to his room after dinner. The source, who was traveling with Scalia, told ABC-7 an El Paso priest has been called to Marfa.
Scalia was the longest-serving current Justice on the Supreme Court. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.
The Justice did not report feeling ill and retired to his room after dinner. The source, who was traveling with Scalia, told ABC-7 an El Paso priest has been called to Marfa.
Scalia was the longest-serving current Justice on the Supreme Court. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.
Diocese of El Paso's Spokeswoman Liz O'Hara tells ABC-7 Catholic Priest Mike Alcuino, in Presidio, was called to the ranch and administered Justice Scalia's last rights Saturday afternoon.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott released the following statement:
"Justice Antonin Scalia was a man of God, a patriot, and an unwavering defender of the written Constitution and the Rule of Law. He was the solid rock who turned away so many attempts to depart from and distort the Constitution. His fierce loyalty to the Constitution set an unmatched example, not just for judges and lawyers, but for all Americans. We mourn his passing, and we pray that his successor on the Supreme Court will take his place as a champion for the written Constitution and the Rule of Law. Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences to his family, and we will keep them in our thoughts and prayers."
Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. issued the following statement:
"On behalf of the Court and retired Justices, I am saddened to report that our colleague Justice Antonin Scalia has passed away. He was an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues. His passing is a great loss to the Court and the country he so loyally served. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his family."
Scalia and his wife had nine children.
The issue of his replacement is virtually certain to a major political story during a presidential election year. ABC-7 managing editor Eric Huseby said, "Republican senators will be under enormous pressure from their donors and electoral base to refuse to confirm an appointment from President Obama that would tip the balance of the Court to a 5-4 majority of Democratic appointees. And the President will surely do all he can to make that choice as politically unpalatable and costly as possible."
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Scalia died in his sleep during a visit to Texas.
A government official said Scalia went to bed Friday night and told friends he wasn't feeling well. Saturday morning, he didn't get up for breakfast. And the group he was with for a hunting trip left without him.
Someone at the ranch went in to check on him and found him unresponsive.
The U.S. Marshals Service is not investigating Scalia's death, an official told CNN. They are helping to arrange for his body to be returned.
They were present because marshals sometimes help supplement security for traveling justices.
In a statement, Chief Justice John Roberts said he and other justices were "saddened" to hear of Scalia's passing.
"He was an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues," Roberts said. "His passing is a great loss to the court and the country he so loyally served. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his family."
Deputy White House Press Secretary Eric Schultz said President Barack Obama was informed of Scalia's passing on Saturday afternoon.
"The President and First Lady extend their deepest condolences to Justice Scalia's family. We'll have additional reaction from the President later today," Schultz said.
Scalia's death in an election year sets up a titanic confirmation tussle over his successor on the bench. The already challenging task of getting a Democratic president's nominee through a Republican-controlled Senate will made even more difficult as the fight over Scalia's replacement will emerge as a dominant theme of an already wild presidential election.
"His departure leaves a huge political fight in the offing because this is a court with five Republican appointees (and) four Democratic appointees," CNN Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin said.
Major presence on high court
The first Italian-American to sit on the nation's highest court, Scalia was a conservative in thought, but not in personality.
The jaunty jurist was able to light up, or ignite, a room with his often brash demeanor and wicked sense of humor, grounded always in a profound respect for American law and its constitutional traditions.
"What can I say," was a favorite phrase of the man colleagues knew as "Nino." As it turned out, quite a lot.
"Justice Scalia had an irrepressibly pugnacious personality," said Edward Lazarus, a former Supreme Clerk law clerk who wrote about the experience in "Closed Chambers."
"And even in his early years of the Court, that came out at oral argument when he was the most aggressive questioner. And behind the scenes, where the memos he would write -- what were called 'Ninograms' -- inside the court had a real galvanizing effect on the debate among the justices."
A sharp mind combined with a sharp pen allowed Scalia to make his point, both to the pleasure and disappointment of his colleagues and the public.
"He could be belligerent, he was obviously very candid about he felt about things," said Joan Biskupic, a USA Today reporter who wrote a biography of Scalia. "He loved to call it as he saw it, completely not politically correct. In fact, he prided himself on not being PC on the bench in court."
His New York and Mediterranean roots -- "I'm an Italian from Queens" he was fond of saying -- helped fashion a love of words and debate, combining street smarts with a well-calculated conservative view of the law and its limits on society.
"He was very good with audiences that weren't predisposed to like him," said Paul Clement, a former Scalia law clerk. "He was incredibly disarming and charming in his own way."
Former CNN Supreme Court Correspondent Bill Mears researched and wrote much of this obituary prior to Justice Scalia's death. CNN's Steve Almasy and Stephen Collinson contributed to this report.
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The conservative US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has died, the Texas governor and media reports say.
 CBS News |
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia found dead in Texas
CBS News U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead Saturday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. According to the San Antonio News-Express, which was first to report his death, Scalia was found dead in his room at a West Texas resort. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dies at age 79AL.com BREAKING: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Has DiedMediaite Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dead at 79New York Post WPRI 12 Eyewitness News -International Business Times -Town Hall all 32 news articles » |
Authorities in Puerto Rico say the alleged head of an auto theft gang has been arrested in connection with last month’s killing of a prosecutor.
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's military shelled Kurdish militia targets in northern Syria on Saturday and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu demanded that the group withdraw from the area in a move that further complicated the conflict across the NATO member's border.
KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. troops in Afghanistan will not return to an active role fighting the Taliban despite the likelihood of another difficult year of combat, the outgoing commander of international forces, Gen. John Campbell, said on Saturday.
In the staunchly pro-military state of South Carolina - where the next Republican primary will be held - the issue of Donald Trump's draft deferments is likely to be central
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Pope Tells Mexican Leaders to Provide 'True Justice'by webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Pope Francis opened a long-anticipated visit to Mexico on Saturday, demanding that Mexican leaders provide "true justice" and security in a country wracked by years of endemic drug violence, official corruption and poverty. Francis told President Enrique Pena Nieto and assembled lawmakers in Mexico City that they have a responsibility to help citizens gain access to "indispensable material and spiritual goods," including housing, employment and a peaceful...
Pope Francis: Mexico Must Confront Drug Trade, Corruptionby Nicole Winfield / AP
(MEXICO CITY) — Pope Francis issued a tough-love message to Mexico’s political and church elites Saturday, telling them they have a duty to provide their people with security, justice and courageous pastoral care to confront the drug-inspired violence and corruption that are tormenting the country.
The raucous welcome Francis received from cheering Mexicans who lined his motorcade route seven-deep contrasted sharply with his pointed criticism of how church and state leaders here have often failed their people, especially the poorest and most marginalized.
“Experience teaches us that each time we seek the path of privileges or benefits for a few to the detriment of the good of all, sooner or later the life of society becomes a fertile soil for corruption, drug trade, exclusion of different cultures, violence and also human trafficking, kidnapping and death, bringing suffering and slowing down development,” he told government authorities at the presidential palace.
In a subsequent hard-hitting speech to his own bishops, Francis challenged church leaders known for their deference to Mexico’s wealthy and powerful to courageously denounce the “insidious threat” posed by the drug trade and not hide behind their own privilege and careers.
He told them to be true pastors, close to their people, and to develop a coherent plan to help Mexicans “finally escape the raging waters that drown so many, either victims of the drug trade or those who stand before God with their hands drenched in blood, though with pockets filled with sordid money and their consciences deadened.”
The speech was met with tepid applause, with only a handful of bishops standing in ovation.
Francis’ entire five-day trip to Mexico is shining an uncomfortable spotlight on the church’s shortcomings and the government’s failure to solve entrenched social ills that plague many parts of the country — poverty, rampant drug-inspired gangland killings, extortion, disappearances of women, crooked cops and failed public services.
Over the coming days, Francis will travel to the crime-ridden Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec, preach to Indians in poverty-stricken Chiapas, offer solidarity to victims of drug violence in Morelia and, finally, pay respects to migrants who have died trying to reach the United States with a cross-border Mass in Ciudad Juarez.
Francis began his first full day in the country with a winding ride into the capital’s historic center to the delight of tens of thousands of Mexicans greeting history’s first Latin American pope. Despite an exhausting Friday that involved a historic embrace with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Francis obliged their demands and stopped to hand out rosaries to the elderly, sick and disabled who gathered in front of his residence.
The mileage that Francis is clocking standing up in his open-air popemobile is a testament to his appreciation of Mexicans’ need to see him up close: After a 14-mile (23-kilometer) nighttime ride in from the airport and the 9 miles (14 kilometers) logged Saturday morning, Francis still has about 93 miles (150 kilometers) more to go in the popemobile before his trip ends Wednesday.
In a nod to his thrifty ways, three of the five popemobiles Francis will use are being recycled from his U.S. trip in September. Francis is also sticking to an economy car when he’s not in a popemobile, using a tiny white Fiat to move around.
Francis began Saturday by meeting with President Enrique Pena Nieto at the presidential palace. He told the president and other members of government that public officials must be honest and upright and not be seduced by privilege or corruption.
Corruption permeates many aspects of Mexican society, from traffic cops and restaurant inspectors who routinely shake down citizens for bribes, to politicians and police commanders who are sometimes on the payroll of drug cartels. Even Pena Nieto’s administration has been tainted by what critics call fishy real estate dealings by people close to him, including the first lady, with companies that were awarded lucrative state contracts.
Francis said political leaders have a “particular duty” to ensure their people have “indispensable” material and spiritual goods: “adequate housing, dignified employment, food, true justice, effective security, a healthy and peaceful environment.”
In his speech, Pena Nieto said he shared Francis’ concerns about hunger, inequality and the dangers of people “letting themselves be carried away by evil.”
Pena Nieto, who has sought to make economic reform, modernization and bolstering the middle class hallmarks of his administration, is suffering the lowest approval ratings of any Mexican president in a quarter century.
Francis then met with his own bishops at the city’s cathedral, issuing a six-page mission statement urging them to be true pastors and not gossiping, career-minded clerics who spew words and inoffensive denunciations that make them sound like “babbling orphans beside a tomb.”
Speaking off the cuff, he urged them to maintain unity and show more transparency. “If you have to fight, fight. If you have to say things, say them, but do it like men: to the face,” he said.
Later in the afternoon, Francis heads to the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the largest and most important Marian shrine in the world. Francis has spoken reverently of his “most intimate desire” to pray before the icon so beloved by Latin Americans, Catholic and not.
Francis’ visit has been cheered by Mexicans who have been treated to six previous papal trips — five by St. John Paul II and one by Benedict XVI — and are known for their enthusiastic welcomes.
Tens of thousands of people lined Francis’ motorcade route, some watching from rooftops and balconies, and thousands more gathered in Mexico’s main square, known as the Zocalo, to catch a glimpse as he arrived for his meeting with Pena Nieto. Authorities set up huge TV screens that transmitted the scene inside the National Palace.
“What the pope told the president shows he is very aware of the violent situation the country is going through,” said 48-year-old Jose Luis Santana, who watched the pope’s speeches at the Zocalo. “I think (the speech) was good, and hopefully it will be able to change things.”
On a broad avenue leading to the Zocalo, hundreds of people waited for hours for the pope to arrive.
“It’s very cold, but it’s worth it to see his holiness,” said Maria Hernandez, 69. “This will be the third pope I’ve seen. Hopefully his visit will help us to be better Mexicans.”
Francis’ denunciation of the social ills afflicting Mexico reflected the reality of the world’s largest Spanish-speaking Catholic country: According to government statistics, about 46 percent of Mexicans live in poverty, including 10 percent in extreme poverty.
Mexico’s homicide rate rose precipitously after then-President Felipe Calderon launched a war on drug cartels shortly after taking office in 2006, with the bloodshed peaking around 2011. Murders declined somewhat for the next three years after that, before ticking up again in 2015.
Women have been particularly targeted: At least 1,554 women have disappeared in Mexico state, bordering Mexico City, since 2005, according to the National Observatory on Femicide.
___
Associated Press writers Peter Orsi, Carlos Rodriguez, Eduardo Castillo, Juan Zamorano and Jacobo Garcia in Mexico City contributed to this report.
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US President Barack Obama's administration is offering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a consolidated aid package that essentially guarantees Israel expanded top-line funding from State Department and Pentagon accounts each year for the next decade, starting in 2018.
Cuba has returned a dummy U.S. Hellfire missile that was mistakenly shipped to the country in 2014, American officials said Saturday.
Speaking before the international community at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned the West that Europe sanctions and lack of dialogue with Moscow is driving the continent into a new Cold W
Syrian War Could Turn on the Battle for Aleppoby By KAREN ZRAICK and ANNE BARNARD
Syrian government forces and their allies are besieging the rebel-held section of Aleppo to starve the re- Get link
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