Pope Presses The Flesh, Visits Rome Soup Kitchen (ap)
AP – Pope Benedict XVI waded into a crowd of well-wishers in Rome on Sunday, just days after he was knocked down by a woman at a Christmas Eve Mass. Read more
Bomb Suspect’s Teacher Describes Exemplary Pupil (ap)
AP – Nigeria’s information minister says the airline bomb suspect “sneaked” into Nigeria the day before his botched Christmas Day effort to blow up a plane over Detroit. Read more
Witnesses: At Least 4 Iranian Protesters Killed (ap)
AP – Iranian security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters in the capital Sunday, killing at least four people in the fiercest clashes in months, opposition Web sites and witnesses said. Read more
Bombs Kill 7 Shiite Pilgrims In Iraq (ap)
AP – A bomb killed five Shiite pilgrims in a procession in northeast Iraq on Sunday and blasts in Baghdad killed two more pilgrims as millions of people marched to commemorate the most important Shiite religious observance. Read more
Hamas Marks 1 Year After War, But Many Stay Home (ap)
AP – Hamas loyalists marked the one-year anniversary of Israel’s devastating war against Gaza’s Islamic militant rulers with defiant protests and a moment of silence on Sunday — even as most of the territory’s residents ignored commemoration events and some even criticized the militant group for not attending to their needs instead. Read more