Blinken: Ukraine Will Join NATO

 Washington wants to see Ukraine defeat Russia , and become a member of NATO,  U.S. Secretary of Srtate  Antony Blinken said today (Sept. 11, 2024), according to the RT website. 

Blinken is visiting Kiev with his British counterpart, David Lammy, to reiterate Anglo--American support for Vladimir Zelensky's governmwent. 

Hungary and Slovakia have  already said they will not agree to Ukraine's NATO membership,  because  bringing Ukraine into NATO would mean war with Russia. 

During his speech in Kiev, Blinken painted a rosy picture of Ukraine's military industry, claiming it had expanded six--fold over the last year. 

The bottom line is this: "We want Ukraine to win," Blinken declared  at another point during his visit in Kiev. 

In Timor, Pope Praises Becoming "Small before God"

 Pope Francis celebrated Mass for East Timor's overwhelming Catholic majority today (Sept. 10, 2024), applauding the country for its high percentage of youth and stressing the importance of becoming  small and humble in order for God to work miracles, the Crux website reports.

Speaking to Catholics during his Sept. 10 Mass at the Esplanade of Taci Tolu in Dili, the pope said, "Let us not be afraid to make ourselves small before God, and before each other, to lose our lives, to give up our time, to revise our schedules, giving up something to help a brother or sister become better and happier." 

"Let us not be afraid to scale down our plans when necessary, not in order to diminish them, but to make them even more beautiful lthrough the gift of ourselves and the acceptance of others, with all the unpredictability that this entails,"  he added. 

True kingship, he said, "is seen in those who give their life out of love."

Pope Francis is in Dili as part of a broader Sept2--13 tour of Asia and Oceania that has so far taken him to Indonesia and Papua, New Guinea, and which will take him in Singapore before he returns to Rome. 

It marks the longest and farthest trip of Francis's papacy. 

Calif. Fire Grows Due t o High Temps.; Thousands Forced to Leave Homes

 Regarding the spreading fire in California today (September 9, 2024), Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement  "It's critical that residents in the impacted areas remain vigilant and prepare to evacuate immediately if called for by local authorities, the USA Today website reports. 

The Line Fire in Southern California has set over 20,500 acres ablaze and is 0% contained. 

 The wildfire was discovered Sept. 5, acccording to InciWeb's data. t is located in San Bernardino County, around 121 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

High temperatures have increased the fire's activity and will continue through today. By September 11, temperatures are expected to be below normal.

The fire is spreading towards the northeast direction. The cooler weather will help to moderate the flames below the marine level. 

Over 36,000 structures, including single and multi--family homes, commercial buildings, and others, are threatened by the fire and thousands are forced to evacuate. 

The fire also set areas of San Bernardino National Forest ablaze. 

A Damage Inspection Team was ordered, and there were 1,855 personnel assigned to fight the fire, while  more resources arrived from other parts of California. 

Suitcase--Packing Pope Delivers Materials to the Margins; Calls on Papua, New Guinea Residents to Spread God's Beauty and Love

 In one of Papua, New Guinea's most remote diocese, Pope Francis arived today (Sept. 8, 2024), bringing both spiritual and material comfort to people at the margins, some of whom live in communities so isolated they can only be reached by using a machete to hack a path through thick jungles, the Crux website reports. 

On his 600--mile fligt from the national capirtal of Port Morseby to Vanimo, the Vatican said the pontiff brought eight suitcases, each weighing around 65 pounds. They contain food, medicine, toys, and primary goods, as well as containers for the food which otherwise would risk rapid deterioration in the tropical climate.

On the spiritual level, the pontiff also brought a message of hope to a crowd estimated at some 20,000 exhorting faithful to spread God's beauty and love wherever they go. 

Speaking to members of the local church in the reote Diocese of Vanimo today, Pope Francis called each person to be a missionary in the places they live, bearing witness to Christ at home, at school, at work, and everywhere they go. 

"Let us remember that love and its beauty can heal the world, because it has its roots in God," he said. 

Pope Tells Pastors in New Guinea to Be Close to Peripheries

 Pope Francis told bishops and pastors in Papua, New Guinea today (Sept. 7, 2024) to be close to those on the peripheries and to continue spreading hope, despite the challenges they may face, the Crux website reports. 

Speaking inside Port Moresby's Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, the pope told pastors to "focus their work on the peripheries of this country."

"I think of people belonging to the most deprived segments of urban populations, as well as those who live in the most remote and abandoned areas, where sometimes basic necessities are lacking," he said, also pointing to those marginalized and wounded due to prejudice and superstition.

The church, he said, "desires especially to be close  to these brothers and sisters, because in them, Jesus is present in a special way.And where He , our head is present, there are we, His members, for we belong to the same body."

Indonesia Arrests 7 Suspects Planning to Attack Pope Francis

 Seven people in Indonesia have been detained after a failed plot to attack Pope Francis , who is currently visiting the country, the Crux website reports today (Sept. 6, 2024). 

Local media says the people were taken by police on Sept. 2 and Sept 3 in Jakarta, Bogor, and Bekasi.

Spokesperson Colonel  Aswin Siregar told reporters that investigations are still ongoing, and it is not known if the detainees knew each other or were  part of the same terrorist group.

"We have a mechanism to monitor and filter. We had tip--off information from members of the public, "  he said.

Four Killed, Several Injured in Georgia High School Shooting

 Two students and two teachers were killed , after a 14--year--old student opened fire,and several others were injured at a high school in Georgia in the Atlanta suburb of Winder., the AP website reports today (Sept. 5, 2024).

A  14--year--old student was in custody , facing murder charges. Nine other people were taken from Apalachee High School to hospitals with injuries, officials said. 

Killed were two 14--year--olds, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and instructors Richard Aspenwall and Christina Irimie, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said. 

Two school resource officers encountered the shooter within minutes after a report of shots fired went out, Hosey said. The suspect , a student at the school, immediately surrendered and was taken into custody. He is being charged as an adult with murder. Authorities said the weapon he used was an assault--style rifle.