Pope proclaims year of families
Rome, Dec 27: Pope Francis on Sunday proclaimed an upcoming year dedicated to the family as he doubled down on one of his papal priorities and urged renewed attention to his controversial 2016 document on family life. Francis announced the upcoming year on the family would begin March 19, the fifth anniversary of his document “The Joy of Love.” Among other things, the document opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried couples receive Communion, sparking criticism and even claims of heresy from conservative Catholics. Francis made the comments during his Sunday noon blessing, delivered from inside his studio to prevent people from gathering in St. Peter’s Square below as part of the Vatican’s anti-virus precautions. In making the announcement, Francis offered some friendly papal advice to bickering families, reminding them to say “pardon me, thank you and sorry” and never end the day without making peace. “Because the Cold War the day after is dangerous,” he quipped. (AP)
China lowers age of criminal liability
Beijing, Dec 27: China has lowered the age of criminal responsibility for some serious crimes from 14 to 12, as it looks to combat juvenile crime committed by children. Under an amended law, children aged 12 to 14 will be held criminally liable for “intentional homicide or intentional injury that leads to death or causes others severe disabilities by extremely cruel means.” The amendment, which was passed on Saturday by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, will take effect on March 1. Those under the age of 14 who commit crimes apart from those mentioned in the newly amended law will be exempt from criminal punishment, but could be given correctional education. Currently, the age of criminal liability in China is 16, with those between 14 and 16 held criminally responsible for serious crimes such as rape, robbery and intentional homicide. (AP)
5.3 magnitude quake in Turkey
Istanbul, Dec 27: An earthquake with a 5.3 magnitude shook Elazig province in eastern Turkey on Sunday. Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu tweeted there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The quake struck at 09:37 am (0637 GMT), Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate said. It was felt in several neighbouring provinces. Turkey is crisscrossed by major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent. In January, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Elazig, killing 41 people in that province and neighbouring Malatya. Another deadly quake struck western port city of Izmir in October, killing 116 people. Turkey’s worst quake in decades came in 1999, when a pair of strong earthquakes struck northwest Turkey, killing around 18,000 people. (AP)