“Dirty War” Past of Argentina Also Stirred Up
By Harold Hutchison

Pope Francis I, elected earlier this week, is seen by some as one of the more liberal cardinals on some matters. According to a report by Newsmax.com, the new pope has expressed support for what is known as liberation theology.

The report, though, is disputed by Accuracy in Media, which in a report quoted a “Catholic insider” as saying, “Looks like we might have ourselves a relatively conservative new pope. He appears to be opposed to liberation theology and doesn’t approach ‘social justice’ from the political end.”

Video by ACU

Cops Shoot Suspect – 46 Rioters Arrested
By Harold Hutchison

Riots broke out in Brooklyn after NYPD officers shot and killed a 16-year-old who allegedly pointed a gun at them. A loaded .38-caliber revolver was recovered at the scene of the shooting. The shooting is currently under investigation.

During what were described by the New York Daily News as “furious clashes with police,” 46 people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. At least one police officer was wounded when he was struck by a thrown brick.

Candidate Dies in Crash!
By Harold Hutchison

A helicopter crash in northern Paraguay has killed Lino Oviedo, who reportedly played a role in deposing Alfredo Stroessner in 1989, and who was running for the presidency of the South American nation.

The crash, which occurred on Saturday, could throw the upcoming presidential election into chaos. At least six other candidates are running for the presidency, which is currently held by Frederico Franco, who took over the position after Fernando Lugo was impeached.

While Burma's military steps up battles against Kachin rebels along the border with China, security analysts say Beijing has been quietly selling advanced weapons to another insurgent group on its border, the United Wa State Army. The Wa are the largest militia in Burma and considered the biggest narcotics dealing organization in Southeast Asia.

The United States is "deeply concerned" by ongoing violence in Burma's Kachin state, where fighting continues between the army and rebel groups despite a cease-fire.

A statement from the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon Thursday said the Burmese army is continuing its offensive in the northeastern state. It cited media and NGO reports, and added that the offensive has resulted in civilian casualties and is undermining efforts to achieve national reconciliation.

Burma says it will end its offensive against ethnic minority rebels in the northern state of Kachin, in light of growing international criticism.

The government's information ministry on Friday announced a halt to military operations in the area.

The move comes as fighting between Kachin rebels and Burmese forces has moved closer to rebel headquarters in the town of Laiza and to a large number of displaced people.

A senior Chinese leader is calling for talks with Japan to resolve an increasingly bitter dispute over a group of islands in the East China Sea.

Jia Qinglin, who heads China's top political advisory body, made the comments during a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

The state-run China Daily quoted Jia as saying Beijing places "great importance" on its ties with Japan, and that the dispute should be resolved in order to preserve regional stability.

India's army chief says he has ordered his commanders to deliver an "aggressive" response to any firing from Pakistani forces in disputed Kashmir.

General Bikram Singh said Monday that he expects his troops to fire back if they are provoked by Pakistani forces.

Singh's comments were made ahead of a meeting Monday between Indian and Pakistani commanders to discuss last week's deadly flare ups along the de factor border in Kashmir in which both Indian and Pakistani troops were killed.