hChinese New Year

hChinese New Year
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Benjamin Fieschi-Rose takes a look under a Chinese dragon head as he makes his way to watch the Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver, B.C. Thousands of people lined the streets of Chinatown on Sunday to take in the parade and to celebrate the Year of the Dog.
Pope calls on the worldto unite against poverty
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI called on world leaders to unite in the fight against poverty Sunday and sent two doves flying into St. Peter's Square in a symbol of peace, continuing a tradition begun by his predecessor, John Paul II. From his studio window overlooking the square, Benedict offered a special greeting to those who suffer from leprosy, a disfiguring condition also known as Hansen's disease that affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Noting that Sunday was World Day of Leprosy sufferers, the pontiff encouraged missionaries, health care personnel and volunteers working in the field against the scourge.
Finland re-elects leader
HELSINKI, Finland -- Finland's leftist president won another six-year term Sunday after her conservative challenger conceded defeat in Finland's presidential runoff election. President Tarja Halonen and her opponent, Sauli Niinisto, had presented similar visions for neutral Finland's foreign policy -- the president's primary domain. Halonen, a former Social Democrat, had nearly 52 percent to Niinisto's 48 percent, with all the votes counted. Halonen got an unusual endorsement from fellow redhead Conan O'Brien, the NBC late-night talk show host who promoted her re-election bid as part of a running joke about their supposed physical similarities.
New emir takes his oath
KUWAIT CITY -- Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah took the oath of office Sunday as the new emir of Kuwait, ending a leadership crisis in this oil-rich U.S. ally. The emir, 76, swore to uphold the constitution and protect the interests of Kuwaitis, shortly after parliament voted unanimously to confirm him as new leader. The ceremonies ended a leadership struggle within the Al Sabah family after Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah died Jan. 15, leaving an ailing crown prince as his successor.
Priest: Mother left note
DE QUEEN, Ark. -- A mother accused of smothering her three young children left notes that officials say could help determine what led to the killings, and her priest said Sunday that she had expressed "tremendous remorse." Paula Eleazar Mendez, 43, was in a county jail Sunday after being treated at a hospital for swallowing a toxic substance. She had collapsed as officers arrived at her southwestern Arkansas home Saturday morning in response to a telephone call from the children's father in New York. Inside the home, the officers found the bodies of the children, ages 6 to 8, lying side by side on a bed, said Chris Brackett, an investigator with the Sevier County Sheriff's Office.
Associated Press