VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI is decrying the commercialization of Christmas and urging the faithful to look beyond the holiday’s “superficial glitter” to discover its true meaning. Benedict made the comments Saturday night as he presided over Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Mass kicks off an intense two weeks of public appearances that will test the 84-year-old pontiff’s stamina amid signs that fatigue is starting to slow him down. In his homily, Benedict laments that... Read more

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI kicks off a busy two weeks of Christmas celebrations with an evening Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Midnight Mass was moved up to 10 p.m. a few years ago to spare the 84-year-old pontiff such a late night. Benedict will celebrate the Mass, and then after a few hours rest will deliver his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” speech — Latin for “to the city and the world,” where Benedict usually reflects on the... Read more

CAIRO (AP) — Islamist parties have consolidated earlier gains in Egypt’s multistage parliamentary elections, winning nearly 70 percent of the seats determined so far, according to results announced Saturday. Election commission chief Abdel-Moez Ibrahim announced results from the second round of three rounds, which was held Dec. 14-15, followed by a run-off this week. The second round was held in nine provinces, and Ibrahim said turnout reached 65 percent. Based on the results he gave, the Muslim Brotherhood says it... Read more

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s prime minister warned Saturday that efforts to create an autonomous Sunni region within Iraq would divide the country and lead to “rivers of blood.” His comments came as a government crisis has strained ties between two main Muslim sects, Sunnis and Shiites, to the breaking point. Nouri al-Maliki, the Shiite prime minister, is engaged in a showdown with the top Sunni political leader in the country. His government has issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Vice... Read more

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Tens of thousands of tourists and Christian pilgrims packed the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations Saturday, bringing warm holiday cheer to the traditional birthplace of Jesus on a raw, breezy and rainy night. With turnout at its highest in more than a decade, proud Palestinian officials said they were praying the celebrations would bring them closer to their dream of independence. Bethlehem, like the rest of the West Bank, fell onto... Read more

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Thousands of pilgrims, tourists and local Christians have kicked off Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus. Visitors gathered around the 50-foot (15-meter) Christmas tree at Manger Square on Saturday morning, taking pictures and enjoying the sunshine. The main event will be the Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, where Jesus is believed to have been born. Israel’s Tourism Ministry said it expects 90,000 visitors for the holiday. It said... Read more

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Roman Catholic church in San Francisco that canceled a series of pre-Christmas services featuring gay ministers from other denominations is being criticized for sending a negative message to its predominantly gay and lesbian congregation. Pastor Steve Meriwether of Most Holy Redeemer Church late last month rescinded the invitations he had extended to the three ministers at the direction of San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday. The story first was reported... Read more

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco has banned a special issue of a French newsweekly featuring an in-depth look at Arab civilization because it shows a picture of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed. L’Express magazine veiled the prophet’s face in a bid to get around the belief by many Muslims that any depiction of the prophet is blasphemous. Government spokesman Khalid Naciri said Friday that “any graphic representations of the Prophet Mohammed is forbidden in Morocco.” L’Express editor-in-chief Christophe Barbier said the ban... Read more

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI’s popemobile may be getting an ecological upgrade. Young car designers participating in an annual auto style competition are being asked to design a low-emission popemobile that meets the Vatican’s high security standards. The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano announced details of the competition Friday, saying the green popemobile will be one of the proposed projects of the 2012 edition of Autostyle International Design Competition. Italian auto parts maker Berman organizes the competition each year,... Read more

QALACHWALAN, Iraq (AP) — The Sunni vice president wanted for allegedly running a hit squad in Iraq on Friday accused Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of waging a campaign against Sunnis and pushing the country toward sectarian war. In an interview with The Associated Press Tariq al-Hashemi said al-Maliki wants to get rid of all political rivals and run Iraq like a “one-man-show.” The comments by Iraq’s highest level Sunni political figure reflect the mounting sectarian tensions surrounding the confrontation... Read more