Amado Wheat

Benedict blasted proposed laws before the British Parliament that are intended to prevent employers from denying jobs to applicants on the grounds of gender, sexuality, age or race. Current legislation exempts religious organizations, but the planned new law would effectively apply to lay people employed by churches. Benedict told the bishops that they needed to take a firm, public stand against the proposed legislation, which he said violated natural law. "Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society," he told them. "The effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs." The Vatican says unjust forms of discrimination must be avoided. But it has, for example, opposed a U.N. initiative against gender discrimination on the grounds that it could pressure countries to recognize same-sex marriages. The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual activity is sinful. Meanwhile, Benedict confirmed Monday he would visit Britain later this year, a trip that has grown fraught following his move to welcome into the Roman Catholic Church groups of Anglicans upset over the ordination of gays and women. No dates were announced. Officials at both the Vatican and in Britain say the visit is planned for September. It marks the first papal visit to Britain since Pope John Paul II visited in 1982. Benedict confirmed his plans in a speech to visiting British bishops, saying he hoped the trip would "strengthen and confirm" the faith of Catholics across the country. He urged the bishops to help disaffected Anglicans who want to convert to Catholicism. "I am convinced that, if given a warm and openhearted welcome, such groups will be a blessing for the entire Church," he said. The Vatican announced last October it was making it easier for Anglicans to become Catholic, essentially creating independent dioceses for converts who could still maintain certain Anglican traditions, including having married priests. The unprecedented invitation shocked Anglicans and Catholics alike - particularly in Britain, seat of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Neither Williams nor Britain's Catholic bishops were consulted by the Vatican, and they were only advised of the new rules shortly before they became public. Williams pointedly raised his concerns about the way in which the announcement was made when he met with the pope last November. "Clearly many Anglicans, myself included, felt that it put us in an awkward position," Williams told Vatican Radio at the time. The Vatican has said it was merely responding to the many Anglican requests to join the Catholic Church and has denied it was poaching for converts. But the move strained Catholic-Anglican relations and is sure to affect Williams' 77-million Anglican Communion, which was already on the verge of schism over homosexuality and women's ordination issues before the Vatican intervened. Anglicans split from Rome in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. For decades, クイーンカジノ the two churches have held discussions on trying to reunite, part of the Vatican's long-term effort to unify all Christians. But differences remain, and the ecumenical talks were going nowhere as divisions mounted between liberals and traditionalists within the Anglican Communion.

Benedict blasted proposed laws before the British Parliament that are intended to prevent employers from denying jobs to applicants on the grounds of gender, sexuality, age or race. Current legislation exempts religious organizations, but the planned new law would effectively apply to lay people employed by churches. Benedict told the bishops that they needed to take a firm, public stand against the proposed legislation, which he said violated natural law. "Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society," he told them. "The effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs." The Vatican says unjust forms of discrimination must be avoided. But it has, for example, opposed a U.N. initiative against gender discrimination on the grounds that it could pressure countries to recognize same-sex marriages. The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual activity is sinful. Meanwhile, Benedict confirmed Monday he would visit Britain later this year, a trip that has grown fraught following his move to welcome into the Roman Catholic Church groups of Anglicans upset over the ordination of gays and women. No dates were announced. Officials at both the Vatican and in Britain say the visit is planned for September. It marks the first papal visit to Britain since Pope John Paul II visited in 1982. Benedict confirmed his plans in a speech to visiting British bishops, saying he hoped the trip would "strengthen and confirm" the faith of Catholics across the country. He urged the bishops to help disaffected Anglicans who want to convert to Catholicism. "I am convinced that, if given a warm and openhearted welcome, such groups will be a blessing for the entire Church," he said. The Vatican announced last October it was making it easier for Anglicans to become Catholic, essentially creating independent dioceses for converts who could still maintain certain Anglican traditions, including having married priests. The unprecedented invitation shocked Anglicans and Catholics alike - particularly in Britain, seat of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Neither Williams nor Britain's Catholic bishops were consulted by the Vatican, and they were only advised of the new rules shortly before they became public. Williams pointedly raised his concerns about the way in which the announcement was made when he met with the pope last November. "Clearly many Anglicans, myself included, felt that it put us in an awkward position," Williams told Vatican Radio at the time. The Vatican has said it was merely responding to the many Anglican requests to join the Catholic Church and has denied it was poaching for converts. But the move strained Catholic-Anglican relations and is sure to affect Williams' 77-million Anglican Communion, which was already on the verge of schism over homosexuality and women's ordination issues before the Vatican intervened. Anglicans split from Rome in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. For decades, the two churches have held discussions on trying to reunite, part of the Vatican's long-term effort to unify all Christians. But differences remain, and the ecumenical talks were going nowhere as divisions mounted between liberals and traditionalists within the Anglican Communion.

Lohan, accompanied by her attorney, surrendered herself at the Beverly Hills Police Department shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday to be fingerprinted and photographed, said Officer Brian Ballieweg. She was booked on suspicion of a DUI with a blood alcohol level above .08, California's legal limit, and on suspicion of misdemeanor hit and run, Ballieweg said. A message left early Friday with her publicist was not immediately returned. The booking was reported by TV's "The Insider."'Lohan and two other adults were in her 2005 Mercedes SL-65 convertible when she lost control and crashed into a curb and shrubbery on westbound Sunset Boulevard at about 5:30 a.m. on May 26, police said. After the crash, Lohan got into a second car and was driven to a hospital in nearby Century City for ルーレット treatment of minor injuries, police said. The two other people in her car were not hurt. Officers received a 911 call about the accident and traced her to a local hospital. Police said at the time she had been arrested for investigation of driving under the influence, though she wasn't formally booked on the allegation until Thursday. Lohan's booking comes a few days after she finished a second rehab stint that lasted over six weeks. She began rehab after a wild Memorial Day weekend that included the crash. She said in January she had checked into a rehabilitation center for substance abuse treatment.

Benedict blasted proposed laws before the British Parliament that are intended to prevent employers from denying jobs to applicants on the grounds of gender, sexuality, age or race. Current legislation exempts religious organizations, but the planned new law would effectively apply to lay people employed by churches. Benedict told the bishops that they needed to take a firm, public stand against the proposed legislation, which he said violated natural law. "Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society," he told them. "The effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs." The Vatican says unjust forms of discrimination must be avoided. But it has, for example, opposed a U.N. initiative against gender discrimination on the grounds that it could pressure countries to recognize same-sex marriages. The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual activity is sinful. Meanwhile, Benedict confirmed Monday he would visit Britain later this year, a trip that has grown fraught following his move to welcome into the Roman Catholic Church groups of Anglicans upset over the ordination of gays and women. No dates were announced. Officials at both the Vatican and in Britain say the visit is planned for September. It marks the first papal visit to Britain since Pope John Paul II visited in 1982. Benedict confirmed his plans in a speech to visiting British bishops, saying he hoped the trip would "strengthen and confirm" the faith of Catholics across the country. He urged the bishops to help disaffected Anglicans who want to convert to Catholicism. "I am convinced that, if given a warm and openhearted welcome, such groups will be a blessing for the entire Church," he said. The Vatican announced last October it was making it easier for ‎ベラジョンカジノ Anglicans to become Catholic, essentially creating independent dioceses for converts who could still maintain certain Anglican traditions, including having married priests. The unprecedented invitation shocked Anglicans and Catholics alike - particularly in Britain, seat of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Neither Williams nor Britain's Catholic bishops were consulted by the Vatican, and they were only advised of the new rules shortly before they became public. Williams pointedly raised his concerns about the way in which the announcement was made when he met with the pope last November. "Clearly many Anglicans, myself included, felt that it put us in an awkward position," Williams told Vatican Radio at the time. The Vatican has said it was merely responding to the many Anglican requests to join the Catholic Church and has denied it was poaching for converts. But the move strained Catholic-Anglican relations and is sure to affect Williams' 77-million Anglican Communion, which was already on the verge of schism over homosexuality and women's ordination issues before the Vatican intervened. Anglicans split from Rome in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. For decades, the two churches have held discussions on trying to reunite, part of the Vatican's long-term effort to unify all Christians. But differences remain, and the ecumenical talks were going nowhere as divisions mounted between liberals and traditionalists within the Anglican Communion.

The comments by Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, Pakistan's army chief, クイーンカジノ however, were also a reflection of growing self confidence within the military, which increasingly recognizes its pivotal role in Mr. Obama's plan to stabilize Afghanistan. In the past week, U.S. officials, before and after the international conference on Afghanistan which was held in London, spoke of the beginning of a period of rehabilitation of Taliban militants who are prepared to lay down their arms in Afghanistan.

The comments by Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, カジノ Pakistan's army chief, however, were also a reflection of growing self confidence within the military, which increasingly recognizes its pivotal role in Mr. Obama's plan to stabilize Afghanistan. In the past week, U.S. officials, before and after the international conference on Afghanistan which was held in London, spoke of the beginning of a period of rehabilitation of Taliban militants who are prepared to lay down their arms in Afghanistan.

The comments by Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, Pakistan's army chief, however, were also a reflection of growing self confidence within the military, which increasingly recognizes its pivotal role in Mr. Obama's plan to stabilize Afghanistan. In the past week, U.S. officials, before and after the international conference on Afghanistan which was held in London, spoke of the beginning of a period of rehabilitation of Taliban militants who are prepared to lay down their arms in Afghanistan.

Mexico has racked up its fair share of menacingly named outlaws in a three-year drug war: the Zetas, Aztecas and even a band of female assassins called the Panthers. Now, if the government gets its way, another name will also make the wanted list: los Twitteros. That's right. Twitter users are fast becoming public enemy No. 1, at least in Mexico City, where they have angered authorities by warning one another of roadside "alcoholimetro" - or Breathalyzer - checkpoints set up by the police. But the case against the Twitteros is about more than alcohol. Mexico is, after all, a country at war - at least according to President Felipe Calderon, who launched the crackdown on drug cartels shortly after taking office. Three years later, the streets of border cities like Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana remain full of soldiers. In many ways, the government is still playing catch-up to the nation's criminals. In this context, the issue of the Twitteros has quickly expanded into an argument over whether public safety takes priority over free speech in a country struggling to contain serious social ills. Fearing that kidnappers and drug cartels use Twitter, Facebook or MySpace to communicate, the Mexican government is considering a bill to restrict social networking websites and to set up a police force to monitor them. The Twitter feed in question, Anti Alcoholimetro, doesn't hide its intent. On any given night, a dozen people write in listing the time and location where they saw a police checkpoint, helping others to avoid it. The government's response has been erratic. At first, city officials said tweeting the location of police checkpoints was a crime, akin to helping someone break the law, and vowed to find a way to prosecute Twitteros. But after a media frenzy, they quickly backed down. "We're not taking any action against the Twitteros," said Othon Sanchez, director of preventative programs for Mexico City's public safety office. "I don't think it's a crime to say, 'Hey, I just passed Reforma Avenue and there's an alcoholimetro,'" he said. "But it is an irresponsible act because here in Mexico drunk driving is a serious problem. We see it on a daily basis." In fact, バカラ Sanchez said the Twitteros had been a blessing in disguise: their tweets have helped publicize the alcoholimetros and spurred his office to launch its own Twitter campaign in support of the program. Yet the right to tweet is far from guaranteed, even in the relatively liberal capital of Mexico City. Article 320 of the city's penal code prescribes prison terms of up to five years for those who "in any way help a delinquent avoid investigation by the authorities or escape their actions." If that seems vague, it is. But federal lawmakers are quickly working on specific legislation to track down and punish Twitteros who break the law or help others escape it. "We have to regulate these websites to make sure there aren't people breaking the law, making death threats or committing crimes via electronic means," said Nazario Norberto, a federal representative and member of the leftist Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD). Although Twitter asks users to abide by local laws, it and other social networking websites are currently completely unregulated and un-policed in Mexico, according to Norberto. He says his bill is still in the works, but is modeled in part after a controversial Spanish bill that would allow judges to shut down websites that, according to the government, help people break copyrights and other laws. The Spanish bill has already drawn fierce criticism from civil liberties groups. But Norberto denies his bill would restrict free speech. Instead, he argues, it would keep Twitteros from sharing private government data about the location of alcoholimetros. "This isn't public information because the federal police and public safety officials set up these roadblocks without telling anyone where they'll be," he insisted. "That's the whole point." If passed, the bill would do much more than prevent Twitterers from revealing Breathalyzer checkpoints. It would also create a "cybernetic police force" to scour the web for crime, including kidnappings and drug activity, Norberto said. His bill reflects a growing fear in Mexico that kidnapping rings and drug cartels are using social networking sites like Twitter to do business. "It's a way for drug cartels to locate targets," said Ghaleb Krame, a security expert at Alliant International University in Mexico City. "Facebook and Twitter have lots of weaknesses," he said. "For instance, criminals can find out who are the family members of someone who has a high rank in the police. Perhaps they don't have an account on Twitter or Facebook, but their children and close family probably do." Indeed, a recent string of killings suggest drug cartels are more web-savvy than the police. In December, a marine was killed during an operation to capture one of Mexico's most wanted drug lords, Arturo Beltran Leyva, who also died in the shootout. Less than a week later, gunmen attacked the marine's home, killing his mother and three relatives. "How did they know where his parents lived?" Krame asked, suggesting that the cartel could have used websites like Facebook to track down the family. "Drug traffickers have an intelligence network and, as far as I know, at this moment in time it's more effective than ours." While he seconds Rep. Norberto's call for police to mine Twitter and Facebook for data, Krame said any attempt to restrict social networking websites would be a mistake. "We have to play within the rules of the game," Krame said. "These are open sources. If we try to regulate them we're just going to end up like China battling Google." "We can't go down that path," he added. "It would be absolutely anti-democratic." More stories from GlobalPost:The Front Lines of Mexico's Drug WarDrug Cartels to Businesses: Pay UpJournalist Murders in Mexico Hit Record

Benedict blasted proposed laws before the British Parliament that are intended to prevent employers from denying jobs to applicants on the grounds of gender, sexuality, age or race. Current legislation exempts religious organizations, but the planned new law would effectively apply to lay people employed by churches. Benedict told the bishops that they needed to take a firm, public stand against the proposed legislation, which he said violated natural law. "Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society," he told them. "The effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs." The Vatican says unjust forms of discrimination must be avoided. But it has, for example, opposed a U.N. initiative against gender discrimination on the grounds that it could pressure countries to recognize same-sex marriages. The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual activity is sinful. Meanwhile, Benedict confirmed Monday he would visit Britain later this year, a trip that has grown fraught following his move to welcome into the Roman Catholic Church groups of Anglicans upset over the ordination of gays and women. No dates were announced. Officials at both the Vatican and in Britain say the visit is planned for September. It marks the first papal visit to Britain since Pope John Paul II visited in 1982. Benedict confirmed his plans in a speech to visiting British bishops, saying he hoped the trip would "strengthen and confirm" the faith of Catholics across the country. He urged the bishops to help disaffected Anglicans who want to convert to Catholicism. "I am convinced that, if given a warm and openhearted welcome, such groups will be a blessing for the entire Church," he said. The Vatican announced last October it was making it easier for Anglicans to become Catholic, essentially creating independent dioceses for converts who could still maintain certain Anglican traditions, including having married priests. The unprecedented invitation shocked Anglicans and Catholics alike - particularly in Britain, seat of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Neither Williams nor Britain's Catholic bishops were consulted by the Vatican, and they were only advised of the new rules shortly before they became public. Williams pointedly raised his concerns about the way in which the announcement was made when he met with the pope last November. "Clearly many Anglicans, myself included, felt that it put us in an awkward position," Williams told Vatican Radio at the time. The Vatican has said it was merely responding to the many Anglican requests to join the Catholic Church and has denied it was poaching for converts. But the move strained Catholic-Anglican relations and is sure to affect Williams' 77-million Anglican Communion, which was already on the verge of schism over homosexuality and women's ordination issues before the Vatican intervened. Anglicans split from Rome in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. For decades, the two churches have held discussions on trying to reunite, part of the Vatican's long-term effort to unify all Christians. But differences remain, and the ecumenical talks were going nowhere as divisions mounted between liberals and バカラ traditionalists within the Anglican Communion.