Did Pope Francis Perform Exorcism on Teen?

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images(ROME) -- Claims that Pope Francis performed an exorcism on a disabled teenager in St. Peter's Square after mass on Sunday have led to denials from the Vatican.

The Catholic TV2000 filmed the pope blessing children with disabilities, showing the pope covering one teen's head with his hands and pushing back.

The TV network interviewed exorcists who said it was an exorcism, or "liberation prayer" from evil.

The Vatican instead said it was simply a prayer for someone suffering.

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Nearly 100 Deaths in Multiple Iraq Bombings

Iraqi Prime Minister office via Getty Images(BAGHDAD) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is accusing some lawmakers of fueling the latest sectarian unrest that's responsible for close to 250 deaths in his country over a five-day period.

The Shiite leader also blamed large Sunni demonstrations for counteracting his attempts at achieving national unity almost a year-and-a-half after U.S. forces pulled out of Iraq.

Sunnis and Kurds contend its al-Maliki who's stoking sectarian tensions by marginalizing minorities.

Either way, violence has picked up during the past two months, with reports Monday of at least 95 deaths in predominantly Shiite areas of the country.  Two days earlier, insurgents struck largely Sunni regions, killing dozens.

Monday's attacks included explosions reported in 10 separate sections of Baghdad where Shiites congregate in marketplaces and other busy spots.  As many as 50 people were killed in the Baghdad attacks, which also left at least 150 others wounded.

Al Qaeda-linked groups in Iraq are believed to be the main culprits, but Sunni and Shiite militants are also suspected of instilling violence.

While al-Maliki has called for calm, some Sunni tribesman, particularly in Anbar province where many of the protests are taking place, are promising to keep fighting back against security forces sent by the Shiite-led government.

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Hezbollah Heavily Involved in Key Syrian Battle

Scott Peterson/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The battle for the Western Syrian city of Qusayr is being described by both sides as the possible turning point of the two-year civil war.

What makes this conflict different from other cities where fighting continues to rage is that it also involves the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his bid to crush opposition groups seeking his ouster.

Even as the Syrian government has been hitting rebel strongholds hard with air strikes in Qusayr, Hezbollah is sustaining heavy losses.

One Syrian watchdog group reports that nearly 30 Hezbollah guerrillas have died so far in the battle for Qusayr, not far from Lebanon's eastern border.

There are conflicting reports about who is gaining ground in the city located in Homs province although there's wide acknowledgement Syrian government forces regained control of more than half of Qusayr since the fight began last Sunday.

Taking back Qusayr in its entirety is seen as crucial for al-Assad as it would give him better footing in western Syria although rebel forces still seem to be holding the upper hand in northern and eastern territories.

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Oscar Pistorius Will Not Compete As He Awaits Trial

Herman Verwey/City Press/Gallo Images/Getty Images(PRETORIA, South Africa) -- Oscar Pistorius's agent says the international athlete known as "Blade Runner," who is accused of murdering his girlfriend, will not compete again this year as he fights to clear his name.

The 26-year-old Olympic sprinter is currently awaiting trial after being charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February. Pistorius maintains he shot Steenkamp, 29, by accident, mistaking her for an intruder on Valentine's Day. He is due back in court on June 4 with a trial scheduled to take place before the end of this year.

In a statement Monday, Peet van Zyl, confirmed Pistorius will not be seen on an athletics track before then.

“There was never any pressure from me or his coach to return to competition. It is his decision and it is his decision not to compete,” van Zyl said.

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Report: Terror Attack Thwarted in Russia

Creatas/Thinkstock(MOSCOW) -- Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have cornered a group of suspected militants in the town of Orekhovo-Zuyevo, east of Moscow, thwarting a possible terror attack, according to Russian news reports. The group opened fire, and two suspects were killed in the shootout. A third person was detained.

The reports don’t say when the operation took place.

The FSB claims the suspects were planning a terror attack in Moscow, but reports thus far don’t provide any details of their plans. The three are reportedly from Russia and received training in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
 
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Anti-Taliban Politician, Civilians Killed in Suicide Attack

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(BAGHLAN, Afghanistan) -- At least 14 people, including a senior political official, were killed Monday by a suicide attacker in the northern Afghanistan province of Baghlan.

The attacker entered the provincial council compound on foot wearing a police uniform before detonating a suicide vest at the gate of the council's headquarters, BBC News reports.

According to the spokesperson of the governor of Baghlan province, the attack claimed the lives of 14 people, including council head Haji Rasool Khan Mohseni, a key Taliban opponent in the province. Nine others were injured in the attack.

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President Obama Schedules Trip to Africa

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Obama will travel to Africa this summer.

The president will take his family to U.S. allies Senegal, Tanzania, and South Africa, where Nelson Mandela lives in retirement.

During the trip, scheduled for June 26 through July 3, the president, "will reinforce the importance that the United States places on our deep and growing ties with countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including through expanding economic growth, investment, and trade, strengthening democratic institutions, and investing in the next generation of African leaders," White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement Monday.

As the first African American president, President Obama has wanted to make an extended tour of the African continent, but he cannot go to his father's homeland, Kenya, for the lack of political stability there.

Carney said the president, "will meet with a wide array of leaders from government, business, and civil society, including youth, to discuss our strategic partnerships on bilateral and global issues."

“The trip will underscore the President’s commitment to broadening and deepening cooperation between the United States and the people of sub-Saharan Africa to advance regional and global peace and prosperity,” he said.

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South Korea Warns North to Stop Missile Launches

Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images(SEOUL, South Korea) -- North Korea fired a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Monday, marking the third straight day the country has launched similar rockets in the area, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

The latest missile comes after the North launched one on Sunday, Yonhap reports. Three others were fired on Saturday.

North Korea's committee in charge of inter-Korean relations says the recent firing of short-range rockets are part of a regular military drill.

Following Sunday's launch, South Korea called North Korea's action "deplorable" and "provocative."  Seoul warned that it had placed "dozen of [Israeli-made] Spike missiles and their launchers" on its border islands, adding, "They can destroy [North Korea's] underground facilities and can pursue and strike moving targets."

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also remarked, "We are very concerned about North Korea's provocative actions."  He called on Pyongyang to return to talks on suspending its nuclear program although the regime of leader Kim Jong-un has made no move in that direction.

In April, there were fears that North Korea was ready to conduct another mid-range launch but it's likely China intervened in the matter upon U.S. urging.

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Pervez Musharraf Gets Bail in Benazir Bhutto Murder Case

Riccardo S. Savi/WireImage(ISLAMABAD) -- Pervez Musharraf is one step closer to freedom, but he's not out of the woods yet.

A judge granted bail on Monday to the former Pakistani president and military strongman.  Musharraf stands accused of being involved in the December 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Bail was granted when the man who made the accusation refused to testify.  

Despite the bail, Musharraf remains under house arrest while two other cases against him make their way through Pakistan's complicated legal system.

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Continued Violence in Iraq Reaching Critical Point

iStockPhoto/ThinkstockUPDATE: A series of car bombings in Iraq on Monday has left close to 60 people dead and more than 200 others injured.

(BAGHDAD) -- Is Iraq destined for another civil war?

The most recent spike in sectarian-related violence leading to more 140 deaths in just four days has many worried that Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is losing control even as security patrols were ordered increased around the country.

Last Friday, at least 70 people died in targeted Sunni neighborhoods, with dozens killed in a bombing near a mosque north of Baghdad.

The capital itself is turning into an armed camp with more SWAT teams, army patrols, police officers and mobile checkpoints than in recent memory.

What precipitated the new tension was a government attack on a Sunni protest encampment about a month ago that led to Sunni tribesmen taking up arms to fight back against what they believe is continued oppression by the Shiite regime.

Last month, 700 people died in Iraq, the highest casualty figure in nearly five years.  During the first three weeks of May, there have been more than 300 killed by violence.

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