Father arrested in death of year-old son in fire

Father arrested in death of year-old son in fire

PHILADELPHIA — Authorities say they have arrested a suburban Philadelphia man wanted on involuntary manslaughter and other charges in the house fire that killed his 1-year-old son.

Officials say 33-year-old Thomas Pierce, of Clifton Heights, was taken into custody Saturday in southwest Philadelphia after a brief chase and returned to Delaware County.

Pierce was sleeping on a couch when an unattended gas burner in the kitchen of his home started a fire that killed Robert Pierce. Police say blood tests showed that Thomas Pierce had drugs in his system.

Tens of thousands flee from fight with Taliban

MINGORA, Pakistan — Tens of thousands of civilians, many on foot or donkey-led carts, took advantage of a lifted curfew to flee Pakistan’s embattled Swat Valley on Sunday, and the army said it had killed 400 to 500 militants in its battle against the Taliban.

The hemorrhaging of residents from a scenic valley that once attracted hordes of tourists threatened to greatly exacerbate an internal refugee crisis for a nuclear-armed nation already facing economic, political and other woes.

The army offensive has garnered praise from the U.S., which wants Pakistan to root out havens on its soil where Taliban militants can plan attacks on American and NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan.

Hard-liners lose election

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The secular party of Indonesia’s president tripled its share of the vote in parliamentary elections as support for religious parties nose-dived in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.

After years of unpopular laws pushed through by religious hard-liners, regulating women’s dress and banning everything from smoking to yoga, even devout Muslims in Indonesia say they have had enough with religion in politics.

The election victory by the party of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to help him win a second term when a presidential vote is held in July. The former army general became the country’s first democratically elected leader in 2004.

Journalist’s appeal heard

TEHRAN, Iran — A lawyer for a jailed American journalist in Iran said Sunday he was optimistic that an appeals court will reduce her eight-year prison sentence for allegedly spying for the United States.

Roxana Saberi’s lawyer talked to reporters after his 32-year-old client’s five-hour, closed-door appeals hearing. He said he was allowed to defend Saberi and expects the court will make its ruling in the coming days.

“I am hopeful and optimistic that there will be a remarkable change to her verdict,” Abdolsamad Khorramshahi said outside the courthouse. “My colleague and I were allowed to defend our client in a favorable atmosphere. Our client also had enough time to defend herself.”

Saberi, who grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, was convicted last month after a closed-door hearing that her father said lasted only 15 minutes, and her lawyer was not given time to defend her.

The case has caused tensions between the U.S. and Iran at a time when President Barack Obama has said he wants to engage America’s longtime adversary. Washington has called the charges against Saberi baseless and demanded she be freed.

Pope praises courage of Middle East Christians

AMMAN, Jordan — Pope Benedict XVI praised the courage of Middle East Christians who cling to their faith despite war and adversity, addressing a crowd of 20,000 who filled a sports stadium where he celebrated the first open-air Mass of his Holy Land pilgrimage Sunday.

For years, the church has been alarmed by the declining presence of Christians in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East, ancient communities driven out by conflict and poverty.

“The Catholic community here is deeply touched by the difficulties and uncertainties which affect the people of the Middle East,” Benedict said, speaking in English at the Mass. “May you never forget the great dignity which derives from your Christian heritage, or fail to sense the loving solidarity of all your brothers and sisters in the church throughout the world.”

He said fidelity to the church’s mission in the Middle East “demands of each of you a particular kind of courage” that requires building ties with people of other religions and cultures.

Associated Press