My Blog My WordPress Blog

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis is insisting that his concern for the poor and critique of the global economic system isn’t some novel, communist-inspired ideology but rather the original and core “touchstone” of the Christian faith. Some U.S. conservatives have branded Francis a Marxist for his frequent critiques of consumerism …

JERUSALEM – Israel’s half a million high school students are staying home for three days to protest cancelled field trips, the first time the country’s teenagers are playing hooky nationwide. Education Ministry spokeswoman Hagit Cohen said the strike was in protest against a decision by an organization of Israeli teachers …

TOKYO – Japan’s leading opposition Democratic Party has chosen 61-year-old Harvard-trained former Deputy Prime Minister Katsuya Okada as its top leader. Okada won in a runoff vote Sunday against Goshi Hosono after another contender, former Health Minister Akira Nagatsuma, was eliminated in the first round. He faces the daunting challenge …