| Pope Francis asks forgiveness for Church's 'sins and failings' during Rwandan genocide Posted: 20 Mar 2017 02:07 PM PDT ![Pope Francis asks forgiveness for Church's 'sins and failings' during Rwandan genocide]( "Pope Francis asks forgiveness for Church's 'sins and failings' during Rwandan genocide") Pope Francis issued an apology to Rwanda on Monday for the "sins and failings of the Church" during the nation's 1994 genocide, saying he hoped the belated sentiment might help heal wounds as the country moves forward. During a meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Pope Francis for the first time blatantly acknowledged that Catholic officials have "succumbed to hatred and violence, betraying their own evangelical mission" during the genocide, according to a statement from the Vatican. Recommended: Think you know Africa?
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| For one war-racked nation, a path to happiness Posted: 20 Mar 2017 01:24 PM PDT ![For one war-racked nation, a path to happiness]( "For one war-racked nation, a path to happiness") One of the world's most fragile countries is also its least happy. Last year, with rebel groups still on the loose, the CAR accounted for nearly a third of all attacks on nongovernmental organizations in the world.
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| Canadians cool to migrants: Are Canuck attitudes inching closer to Americans'? Posted: 20 Mar 2017 12:58 PM PDT ![Canadians cool to migrants: Are Canuck attitudes inching closer to Americans'?]( "Canadians cool to migrants: Are Canuck attitudes inching closer to Americans'?") Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has governed on a platform that has garnered international praise by refugee advocates for its welcoming stance. Four out of 10 respondents to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Monday said they believed those illegally crossing the Canadian-US border would make the country "less safe." Forty-eight percent said they supported "increasing the deportation of people living in Canada illegally," while 50 percent of Americans support "increasing the deportation of illegal immigrants," according to a US version of the poll conducted the same week. Legal immigration has enjoyed high bipartisan support in Canada for decades.
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| In this Trump enclave, a pining for Obamacare? Posted: 20 Mar 2017 12:49 PM PDT ![In this Trump enclave, a pining for Obamacare?]( "In this Trump enclave, a pining for Obamacare?") Just months after joining most of her neighbors in supporting President Trump at the polls, Ann Standridge finds herself in an odd position: longing for Obamacare. The 59-year-old grandmother says she has an independent streak as hard as any Georgia granite. With a deep breath, Ms. Standridge quit her job as a nurse to accept the guardianship of two young tow-headed boys, Atlaz and Anakhin.
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| Why Norway is the happiest nation on Earth Posted: 20 Mar 2017 09:44 AM PDT ![Why Norway is the happiest nation on Earth]( "Why Norway is the happiest nation on Earth") Move over, Disneyland: Norway has taken the crown for the happiest place on Earth, according to the United Nations. On Monday, World Happiness Day, the UN released its 2017 World Happiness Report, which ranks 155 countries based on the overall happiness of each nation's citizens. The latest report, the fifth overall since the UN launched the program in 2012, lists Norway as the world's happiest country.
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| Global Teacher Prize awarded to Canadian educator who works with Inuit Posted: 20 Mar 2017 08:35 AM PDT ![Global Teacher Prize awarded to Canadian educator who works with Inuit]( "Global Teacher Prize awarded to Canadian educator who works with Inuit") In the Inuit village of Salluit, far north in the Canadian Arctic, winters are so harsh and life so remote that most teachers leave midway through the school year or apply for stress leave. Ms. MacDonnell's perseverance helped her stand out among the ten finalists for the Global Teacher Prize, which the Canadian teacher received, along with the $1 million award that comes with it, at a ceremony in Dubai on Sunday, beating out thousands of applicants from around the world. MacDonnell's story illustrates her commitment, both in time and effort, to tackling even the most pervasive issues among students from underprivileged backgrounds.
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| North Korea's nuclear threat: Where do the US and China go from here? Posted: 20 Mar 2017 07:16 AM PDT ![North Korea's nuclear threat: Where do the US and China go from here?]( "North Korea's nuclear threat: Where do the US and China go from here?") For the Chinese, their proposal perhaps seemed obvious: North Korea would suspend its nuclear and missile tests in return for the United States and South Korea halting their annual joint military exercises. It became yet another wishful attempt at compromise as the two heavyweights struggle to forge a common strategy over North Korea's expanding nuclear program. As tensions escalate on the Korean peninsula, China's patience with the US is growing thin, says Wu Riqiang, a nuclear expert at Renmin University in Beijing.
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| Does Germany owe 'vast sums' to US for NATO defense? Germany says no. Posted: 20 Mar 2017 06:48 AM PDT ![Does Germany owe 'vast sums' to US for NATO defense? Germany says no.]( "Does Germany owe 'vast sums' to US for NATO defense? Germany says no.") Germany has flatly rejected a claim President Trump tweeted on Saturday morning, when he wrote that Germany owes "vast sums" of money to NATO and the United States for underspending. "There is no debt account at NATO," German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement on Sunday, adding that it was wrong to link the alliance's target for members to spend 2 percent of their economic output on defense by 2024 solely to NATO. "Defense spending also goes into UN peacekeeping missions, into our European missions and into our contribution to the fight against IS terrorism," Ms. von der Leyen said.
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| To boost its economy, Tennessee is creating more college grads Posted: 20 Mar 2017 06:17 AM PDT ![To boost its economy, Tennessee is creating more college grads]( "To boost its economy, Tennessee is creating more college grads") Amy Haddock, a 41-year-old stay-at-home mom, may not seem like a mechanically minded tinkerer, but she wants a career. Haddock is in the academy's mechatronics program – a combination of mechanical engineering and electronics. It was developed by the German automaker in partnership with Chattanooga State Community College, where the academy's current class of 72 students is enrolled.
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| What Judge Gorsuch (and the rest of us) can expect at his confirmation hearing Posted: 19 Mar 2017 02:02 PM PDT ![What Judge Gorsuch (and the rest of us) can expect at his confirmation hearing]( "What Judge Gorsuch (and the rest of us) can expect at his confirmation hearing") A whole 13 months after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia left a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the Senate will hold confirmation hearings starting on Monday to probe the judge nominated to replace him. "It's a fascinating process because clearly he has strengths in intellect and articulateness that make him an appealing candidate," Mr. Blumenthal told The New York Times.
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