Pope Francis draws millions to Rio beach for Mass to cap weeklong trip

Christophe Simon / AFP - Getty Images

Millions of people crowd Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro on July 28, 2013 as Pope Francis celebrates the final mass of his visit to Brazil.

By Anne Thompson, Mary Murray and Daniel Arkin, NBC News

A reported three million people jammed Rio de Janeiro?s Copacabana beach Sunday to get a glimpse of Pope Francis as he brought a whirlwind trip to his home continent to a close with a Mass, during which he called on young people participating in World Youth Day to extend their Catholic faith ?to the fringes of society, even to those who seem farthest away, most indifferent.?

?The church needs you, your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so characteristic of you,? Pope Francis said to the massive crowd, one of the largest turnouts for a papal Mass in recent history, according to The Associated Press.

?Where does Jesus send us?? the pontiff asked the audience. ?There are no borders, no limits: he sends us to everyone. The Gospel is for everyone, not just for some. It is not only for those who seem closer to us, more receptive, more welcoming. It is for everyone.?

Millions of people packed Brazil's Copacabana beach Sunday, and more were expected, to attend the Pope's final Mass of his trip to the country. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.

The celebration of the Mass marked the climax of his week-long trip to the capital of Brazil and neighboring Sao Paulo, where legions of fans and the faithful celebrated a pope who has quickly gained in popular appeal. It also crowned World Youth Day, a biannual gathering of young Catholics.

Over the course of Francis' visit ? his first foreign tour since he was elected March 13 ? the pontiff presented a broad sketch of his key papal priorities: charity for the poor, bringing priests closer to the people, and re-evangelizing regions where Catholics have left the church ? particularly Latin America, where the Catholic population has dramatically shrunk.

"I would like Christ's command ? 'Go' ? to resonate in you young people from the church in Latin America, engaged in the continental mission promoted by the bishops," Francis said in his homily Sunday. "Brazil, Latin America, the whole world needs Christ!"

Many of the pilgrims who packed Copacabana beach early Sunday slept overnight to secure a spot at Mass, some pitching tents and camping out in sleeping bags. Normally a sea of bikinis and swimsuits, the world-famous beach was, instead, crammed with Bibles, rosaries and crucifixes as worshipers convened to hear Francis.

?We were dying of cold but it was worth it,? Lucrecia Grillera, 18, told the AP. ?It was a tiring day, but it was a great experience.?

The Vatican said that over 3 million people flooded the beach for closing Mass, based on data provided by World Youth Day organizers and local authorities, eclipsing the one million people at 2011 ceremony in Madrid and the 850,000 on hand for the 2002 ceremony in Toronto, according to the AP.

And yet the Rio crowd fell short of the estimated 5 million people who swarmed Pope John Paul II?s 1995 closing Mass in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, according to the AP.

Francis announced Sunday that the next World Youth Day would be in Krakow, Poland in 2016.

En route to the beach, Francis received a welcome befitting a rock star, as admirers flung well-wishes, kisses and gifts at the pontiff as he rode to the service in an open-sided car. Straight-laced Vatican bodyguards smiled as they moved along the pope?s vehicle, swept up in the ecstatic energy surrounding the convoy, according to the AP.

Felipe Dana / AP

The pontiff is making his first visit overseas since he was elected in March. An estimated 2 million people are expected to greet him.

It was Francis? second day addressing a massive audience on the beach. He spoke on Saturday to a crowd estimated by the Vatican to have climbed above 2 million people.

In his speech, he encouraged Brazil's young people, who have protested against corruption in their country, to continue their efforts to change society by fighting apathy and offering "a Christian response."?

He received yet another rapturous reception, stopping his popemobile several times to kiss babies.

On Thursday, Pope Francis underlined his mission to lead a ?church for the poor? Thursday, preaching against ?selfishness and individualism? in an address to a rain-soaked Rio slum.

He was cheered by residents of the Varginha favela who hung out of windows and stood on rooftops just to get a glimpse he gave his address from a vast, muddy soccer field.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related:?

This story was originally published on Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:20 PM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663309/s/2f42dec6/sc/6/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A70C280C197350A60A0Epope0Efrancis0Edraws0Emillions0Eto0Erio0Ebeach0Efor0Emass0Eto0Ecap0Eweeklong0Etrip0Dlite/story01.htm

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Priest accuses Scottish Catholic church of cover-up in latest sex scandal

Another priest has revealed details of sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church, claiming he?s being punished for coming forward.

A priest who is being called Father Michael, as he wishes to remain anonymous, claims he is being kicked out of the church for reporting Father Paul Moore to the police in 1997 for sexual assault.

The church has no comment ?due to the complex legal situation, criminal, civil and canonical?.

?I woke to find Moore fondling me under the bedclothes,? said Father Michael.

?I placed a chair behind the door and would sometimes hear it rattling,? he added.

Father Michael said he sought help on two separate occasions from Cardinal Kieth O?Brien, Britain?s former most senior Roman Catholic cleric who resigned in March over sexual misconduct.

In 1996 and in 2013 when Father Michael went to O?Brien, the former cardinal expressed ?shock? but did not offer any help.

Father Michael also went to O?Brien?s temporary replacement, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia who reportedly wrote ?I think it is better for me to return these documents to you? when Father Michael appealed for his help in 2013.

According to British newspaper The Guardian, the church has told Father Michael that he will be removed unless he resigns.?

Father Michael has received a letter in which Bishop John Cunningham of Galloway informs him he must retire because of ?your ill-health, both physical and psychological, as you yourself have detailed to me in your letters and in those sent by your medical doctors and psychotherapist.

Father Michael, who is recovering from cancer, claims Bishop Cunningham denied requests to lessen his workload while in recovery.

Though Moore reportedley confessed to inappropriate behavior, Father Michael feels he's being treated unfairly because the church is still protecting Moore while asking Father Michael to resign.

Father Michael said: ?What I have had to face is something very evil. Had I known what I would experience when I was lying on the floor at ordination, I would have stood up and walked out. I focused my life on priesthood, thinking it was about goodness, kindness and everything I wanted to aspire to. I discovered it was nothing like that.?

?It's a tragic story,? he added.

?It's about cover-up, deceit and lies.?

The church is a big mafia, and they trash you. They will do everything to destroy me.?
?

Source: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/priest-accuses-scottish-catholic-church-cover-latest-sex-scandal280713

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Shailene Woodley: Jennifer Lawrence's Advice Made 'Divergent' Decision 'So Much Easier'

'I do respect her and her choices,' actress said of 'Hunger Games' star.
By Amy Wilkinson, with reporting by Josh Horowitz.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1711325/shailene-woodley-jennifer-lawrence-divergent.jhtml

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Myanmar opens doors to Big Oil, but investment pitfalls still lurk

It was only a few years ago that oil giants Chevron and Total were accused of propping up Myanmar?s military junta by helping it export oil and gas, earning them the ire of human rights groups. Yet with decades of political isolation over ? and most Western sanctions gone or waning ? this country of 60 million is now safe for Big Oil.

That?s why top officials from top energy companies have been quietly beating a path to the capital city of Naypyidaw over the past few months.

They?re looking for more details on 30 untouched offshore oil and natural gas drilling sites that the government is now opening up to foreign exploration. Earlier this month the government shortlisted more than 60 companies, including some of the biggest players ? Shell, ExxonMobil, and ConacoPhilips ? to make final bids, and the winners will be announced later this year.

That there is a race at all marks a stark turnaround: For decades after World War II, Myanmar's rich reserves of oil and natural gas were off limits for foreign companies. More recently, sanctions kept most Western companies out.

But plenty of tricky questions remain ? both for the companies and for Myanmar?s people. Violence against the Muslim Rohingya diaspora in western Rakhine state ? near where much of the fuel is located ? may give some companies pause. And the country?s oil and gas agency is plagued with mismanagement and cronyism.

Plus, Myanmar?s government is under increasing pressure at home to address its own considerable energy shortages ? and not simply export away its oil and gas riches as it did in the past.

PRAGMATIC MONEY

Satya Ramamurthy, of consulting group KPMG International, says the new government seems to be trying to chart a ?pragmatic? course and ?apply an approach which takes into consideration the country?s current situation,? while recognizing that foreign oil and gas companies want to make money, and have the potential to be lucrative for Myanmar (also known as Burma).

Myanmar is no stranger to the global energy market. Indeed, Scottish oilmen started exporting crude from this corner of southeast Asia in the late 1800s, when it was controlled by Queen Victoria.

Myanmar has proven natural gas reserves of 10 trillion cubic feet, and ranks 36th among natural gas producers worldwide ? with most of it going to neighboring Thailand ??? according to the United States Energy Information Administration. The country has proven petroleum reserves of 50 million barrels.

The companies that win the rights to operate the oil and natural gas sites will be required to enter into a production-sharing agreement with the state-run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise. The agency?s dismal reputation helped earn the government a dead-last ranking in ?resource governance? by the Revenue Watch Initiative, a New York-based non-profit watchdog group, in a May report.

TRANSPARENCY STANDARD?

The Myanmar government has promised to join the Norway-based Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, an international transparency standard that many countries have pledged to abide by. And the US State Department has promised to help Myanmar modernize the agency.

Still, the Shwe Gas Movement, a coalition of activists who have vocally opposed a recently-completed Chinese-built pipeline across Myanmar, warned investors in a report last week that Myanmar?s laws won?t protect local communities, and that until they are reformed, foreign investment in energy ?should be put to a halt.?

Mr. Ramamurthy of KPMG says that companies weighing whether they can be confident their investments will be protected, environmental considerations and the potential displacement of people. ?I think that does weigh on the minds of investors,? he said during a visit to Naypyidaw.

And what it means for one of the biggest economic concerns facing Myanmar ? jobs ? remains unclear. Myanmar?s opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, noted at a June press conference that ?the extractive industry does not create many jobs.?

Read this story at csmonitor.com

Become a part of the Monitor community

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-opens-doors-big-oil-investment-pitfalls-still-130005912.html

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Has America Forgotten the War? An Alum on His Military Experiences

Posted by news on Thursday, July 25, 2013 ? Leave a Comment?

A couple of days before a friend of mine deployed to Afghanistan, I went to dinner with his family. I was stunned when, after talking to his mom for only a few minutes, she told me that upon hearing her son was about to deploy, people would ask if America was still sending troops to war. I couldn?t believe that a war, which had pervaded every aspect of my life, was so insignificant to others who are so removed from an army burdened by constant deployments. It worries me that my friend?s profound sacrifice may go unnoticed by those who don?t have a close friend or family member who serves.

Like many young officers who commissioned in my year group, I joined the army to serve my country during wartime. I made this decision during my time at Emory and began officer training shortly after graduation. My choice felt deliberate and meaningful. I could think of nothing more rewarding than wearing a sacred uniform and leading young Americans who felt the same urge to serve their country while she prosecuted two wars overseas. Through all my training, the prospect of serving in Afghanistan loomed large. Every bloc of instruction my peers and I received whether technical, tactical, or moral was learned and practiced with the war in Afghanistan lingering in the backdrop. It is not an exaggeration to say that I have thought about the war every day since I?ve entered active service. My assignment to the First Cavalry Division, one of the most deployed units in the army, only intensified my contact with the results and daily realities of America?s longest war.

The day my friend was scheduled to fly out of the country I dropped him off at his company. As we unloaded his bags from my car we were surrounded by hundreds of deploying soldiers in the midst of tearful goodbyes to their loved ones. They are the ones who boldly answered their country?s call to serve during wartime. They are the ones who hug their loved ones one last time without knowing if their world will be the same when they return. The ones who risk life and limb to serve in a region of the world where daily mortar attacks, IEDs and small arms fire are the norm. Many of these combat soldiers know they will return with memories that scar and color the rest of their lives and yet the majority still volunteer and serve honorably. It is a privilege to serve with men and women like my friend and from the bottom of my heart, I thank them for their service. It is my hope that we all recognize how lucky we are to have them and that these soldiers? tremendous sacrifice doesn?t wane in our society?s memory.? As our last combat brigades deploy and return home from Afghanistan, we must not forget what they have given up to make sure America?s withdrawal from Afghanistan is both safe and successful.

Neel Vahil is a graduate of Emory University and is currently serving as a combat arms lieutenant in the First Cavalry Division in Ft. Hood, Texas.

Source: http://www.emorywheel.com/has-america-forgotten-the-war-an-alum-on-his-military-experiences/

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Roche blockbuster sales boost first-half profits

GENEVA (AP) -- Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG posted an 11 percent rise in first-half profit Thursday boosted by strong sales of its blockbuster cancer drugs and some new additions to the line-up.

The Basel, Switzerland-based company said its core net income, or profit, during the first six months of the year increased to 6.65 billion Swiss francs ($7.09 billion), up from 5.98 billion francs in the comparable period of 2012 ? of that 6.5 billion francs was attributable to shareholders, up 12 percent on the previous year.

The world's biggest manufacturer of cancer drugs, which reports earnings only every six months, said Thursday that its top drugs, Avastin, Rituxan and Herceptin, and new breast cancer treatments Perjeta and Kadcyla contributed to strong first-half sales of more than 23.3 billion francs, up 4 percent from the first half of 2012. And on Wednesday, Roche announced positive results with its experimental leukemia drug GA101, indicating that could become a strong-selling successor to Rituxan after it loses patent protection in Europe at the end of this year.

The strong sales came despite the increasing competition in the market from cheaper generic rivals when strong sellers lose their patent protections. Roche said it expects full-year sales for 2013 to continue along the lines of last year's 7 percent growth.

Chief Executive Severin Schwan said Roche was putting most of its effort into developing products from some 68 new molecular entities in its pharmaceuticals pipeline and 55 potential diagnostics platforms and tests.

The company has always focused on dividends to return cash to shareholders and will also continue to focus on "bolt-on acquisitions," Schwan said. Its first-half results, he said, were "driven by our existing portfolio, recently launched cancer medicines Perjeta and Kadcyla, as well as continued growth in the clinical laboratory business."

Shares in Roche rose 0.6 percent on the Zurich exchange Thursday to end at 234.80 francs.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/roche-blockbuster-sales-boost-first-094257671.html

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World Maritime News - Eco-Friendly NYK Coal Carrier Honored as ...

Soyo, an NYK-owned coal carrier, has been selected as the 2012 ?Ship of the Year? by the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JASNAOE). An awards ceremony was held on July 25, and Mitsuhiko Sunouchi, the general manager of NYK?s Technical Group was presented with the recognition by JASNAOE.

JASNAOE?s ?Ship of the Year? award has been presented every year since 1990 to a Japan-built vessel that the society considers to be the most technically advanced, well-designed, and socially conscious. The NYK Group?s cruise ship Crystal Harmony (current name: Asuka II) received the society?s first ?Ship of the Year? award in 1990, and NYK-Hinode Line Ltd.?s two module carriers Yamatai and Yamato were recognized with special awards in 2010.

Soyo was honored for its innovative air-lubrication system and its proven impact on CO2 reduction. This new air-lubrication system reduces CO2 emissions by taking some of the main engine scavenging air (combustion air) from the main engine?s turbocharger and leading it to the vessel?s bottom to reduce the frictional resistance between the vessel?s bottom and the seawater. A system featuring this scavenging air bypass is expected to be effective in reducing CO2 on large vessels having deep drafts.

Yamatai and Yamato have similar air-lubrication systems, and were actually the world?s first vessels involved in overseas transport to have such a system permanently installed. The NYK Group is currently looking to equip car carriers with this eco-friendly system.

The system was jointly developed by NYK, Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., and the Monohakobi Technology Institute, an NYK Group company, in cooperation with the National Maritime Research Institute. System development was subsidized through Japan?s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism?s ?Support for Technology Development from Marine Vessels for Curtailing CO2? project, among others.

The NYK Group will continue to encourage initiatives that address climate change by striving to install this system on other types of vessels.

NYK, July 25, 2013

Source: http://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/89826/eco-friendly-nyk-coal-carrier-honored-as-2012-ship-of-the-year/

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