Pope Francis called for an end to extremism and violence in his opening address Friday on the first-ever papal visit to Iraq, long scarred by war and now gripped by coronavirus. The 84-year-old is defying a second wave of the global pandemic and renewed security fears to make a “long-awaited” trip to comfort one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, while also deepening his dialogue with Muslims.“May the weapons be silenced (.). May there be an end to acts of violence and extremism,” urged Francis in the stirring address, his first after arriving in Iraq.Francis landed in the afternoon at Baghdad’s International Airport, where he was greeted by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, as well as groups showcasing Iraq’s diverse folklore music and dance.He then met with President Barham Salih – who had extended the official invitation to the pontiff in 2019 – as well as other government and religious figures.At the imposing
Philippine forces have arrested nine women related to Abu Sayyaf commanders and militants and who the military said could have been “potential suicide bombers."
ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey’s president says mutual interests with the United States outweigh their differences and has called for more cooperation with President Joe Biden's new U.S..
Biden, in a virtual address Friday to the annual Munich Security Conference, said it was a critical time for the world's democracies to “prove that our model isn’t a relic of our history.”