[World] Make Room for God, Pope Says at Christmas Eve Mass

Make Room for God, Pope Says at Christmas Eve Mass
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/pope-benedict-xvi-presides-packed-christmas-eve-mass-vatican-article-1.1226884?localLinksEnabled=false
ROME - Pope Benedict XVI, delivering his annual Christmas Eve message in a voice that sometimes seemed to waver, called on the faithful to make room for God in their thoughts and busy, technology-filled lives.

US condemns 'vicious' Syrian bakery attack
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jEl0UQgu-bs747JzYO1OMpESB0Ug?docId=CNG.6ba84d349210ac16aceb34260de96bc8.8e1
WASHINGTON - The United States accused the Syrian regime Monday of launching a "vicious" attack on civilians at a bakery that proved President Bashar al-Assad's days as leader were numbered.

The Mystery of Mandela's Arrest
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324461604578191683590816070.html
On a gently sloping road leading out of the town of Howick, South Africa, a Ford V-8 full of police waved over a car carrying a tall black man wearing a white chauffeur's jacket.

Afghan policewoman kills US advisor
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/12/24/afghanistan-policewoman-killing.html
KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan policewoman shot and killed an American civilian advisor Monday at the police headquarters in the capital, Afghan officials said, in what appeared to be the latest attack on a Westerner involving a uniformed Afghan security ...

India clamps down on gang rape protests, PM appeals for calm
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/delhi-gang-rape-case-constable-battling-for-life-after-india-gate-violence/articleshow/17735477.cms
By Ross Colvin and Arup Roychoudhury. NEW DELHI | Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:31pm EST. NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian authorities throttled movement in the heart of the capital on Monday, shutting roads and railway stations in a bid to restore law and order ...

India, Russia Seal Defense Deals Worth Billions
http://www.voanews.com/content/indian-russia-seal-dfense-deals-worth-billions/1571157.html
NEW DELHI - India and Russia have sealed defense deals worth billions of dollars during a visit by the Russian president, in a move which reaffirms the long-standing strategic alliance between the two countries.

Queen Elizabeth 3-D Christmas message will pay homage to 2012 Olympic ...
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/queen-elizabeth-3-d-christmas-message-praise-2012-olympic-games-article-1.1226793
Queen Elizabeth II is setting a new trend in eyewear…for the holidays, at least. The 86-year-old monarch sported a Swarovski crystal-studded pair of 3-D glasses to watch her annual Christmas message, set to air Tuesday.

West Bank barrier plan threatens ancient farming landscape
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/9765222/Palestinian-armed-groups-violated-laws-of-war-during-Israels-Gaza-operation.html
BATTIR, West Bank - The old stone-walled farming terraces of this scenic Palestinian village near Jerusalem stretch along the hillsides, fed by spring water flowing through a network of irrigation channels that dates to Roman times.

Easing tension over islands
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hDNhZS1Ujq5ZyxLvS4qhOFFTBLKw?docId=CNG.4ab3afb915c1242d09ed4cb056184d9e.1d1
Masato Kitera, Japan's new ambassador to China who arrives in Beijing on Tuesday, has a lot of weight on his shoulders. Kitera, a career diplomat, said he is willing to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Uichiro Niwa, who traveled around China to get ...

China school bus crash kills 11 children in Jiangxi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20835488
Eleven children have been killed in China when the van taking them to school crashed, Chinese state media have reported. The children, aged between four and six years old, died when the van apparently plunged into a roadside pond in the southern ...

Egypt to announce result of constitution vote on Tuesday
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/egypt-panel-looking-into-poll-complaints/article4235615.ece
By Tamim Elyan and Yasmine Saleh. CAIRO | Mon Dec 24, 2012 2:53pm EST. CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will announce on Tuesday the official results of a vote on its new constitution, the head of the elections committee told state media on Monday, a step ...

When “theek hai” was not ok…
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/when-theek-hai-was-not-ok/article4235989.ece
“Theek hai?” asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the end of his just-over-a-minute-long address to the nation this morning asking people to maintain peace after Sunday's violence during the protests in Delhi against the rape of a student.

Russia says Syria is acting to secure its chemical weapons
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/russia-political-suicide-if-bashar-al-assad-uses-chemical-arms-309358
By Steve Gutterman. MOSCOW | Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:04am EST. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said he doesn't believe Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government would use chemical weapons in the country's civil ...

Aides Ready To Postpone Swearing-In Of Chávez
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/RnQCa2mKXoQPe9NwpzwcIK/Chavez-heir-Maduro-steps-up-profile-in-political-void.html
CARACAS, Venezuela - Aides to President Hugo Chávez, who is recuperating from cancer surgery in Cuba, say they will postpone Mr. Chavez's inauguration, now set for Jan. 10, if he is too ill to return to Venezuela to begin his new term.

Sundown: An Israeli-Turkish Détente?
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/120169/sundown-an-israeli-turkish-detente
... ). • Turkey has removed its objection to Israel participating in NATO military activities, possibly signaling an easing of tensions between the two countries.

Prince Harry 'kills Taliban chief', The Sun reports
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/24-Dec-2012/prince-harry-kills-taliban-commander
IN what is likely to change his reputation as a Playboy Prince, Harry has allegedly killed his first Taliban commander in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's Neighbors Prepare For Post-2014
http://www.voanews.com/content/afghanistans-neighbors-prepare-for-post-2014/1569789.html
ISLAMABAD - In the coming year, Afghanistan will continue to prepare to take over its security as international combat troops work to complete their pullout, set for 2014.

Italian Premier Won't Run in New Elections but Keeps Options Open
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/world/europe/monti-wont-run-in-new-elections.html
ROME - After weeks of speculation, Italy's caretaker prime minister, Mario Monti, said Sunday that he would not run as a candidate in national elections that are expected in February, but was open to leading the government if parties that endorsed his ...

Iceberg 1 crew freed after 3 years
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/somalia/9763800/Somali-troops-rescue-22-hostages-from-pirates.html
GARAAD, Somalia, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The crew of the MV Iceberg 1, a Panama-flagged vessel that was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2010, was freed after spending 1,000 days in captivity.