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The Pontiff reminds students that 'War Begins in Our Heart, When We Are Unable to Dialogue With Our Neighbor'

 Vatican, Feb.17.─ “Wars begin in our heart,” said Pope Francis, answering off-the-cuff the question of a student of the University Roma Tre, and confirming a concept that he used just yesterday in the morning homily of the Mass at his residence Casa Santa Marta.

The Pope’s appeal is to each one of us, so that, moderating our tone and opting for the way of dialogue, we contribute to peace.

 Munich, Feb.19 (AP).─ U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday conveyed a message to jittery partners that the Trump administration will "hold Russia accountable" and maintain steadfast support for NATO, a military alliance the American commander in chief once dismissed as "obsolete."

In his overseas debut as vice president, Pence told the audience at the Munich Security Conference that the U.S. would be "unwavering" in its commitment to NATO and that President Donald Trump would "stand with Europe." Pence pointed to their shared "noble ideals — freedom, democracy, justice and the rule of law."

Addressing the violence in Ukraine, Pence said the U.S. would demand that Russia honor a 2015 deal to end violence in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists. He did not mention findings by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in last year's presidential election to help Trump win the White House.

Feb.3.─ The rise of populism in Europe and the United States has revealed that voters are deeply divided over immigration. Nationalists and populists, from Donald Trump to Britain’s UK Independence Party and Alternative for Germany (AfD), proclaim that governments should give priority to keeping foreigners out. But pinning down what exactly makes someone truly a national or a stranger is tricky. This is partly because identity is based on a nebulous mix of values, language, history, culture and citizenship.

A new poll by the Pew Research Centre, a think-tank, attempts to unravel the idea of how someone can be judged to be genuinely American, British or German ...

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Evacuation planned in frontline town of Avdiivka after renewed attacks from pro-Russian rebels

Kiev, Jan.31.─ If evacuation takes place, officials say up to 8,000 people could be removed each day from the government-held town, which has no water or electricity.

Shelling and the deaths of several more people were reported by both sides on Tuesday. Each blames the other for the upsurge in violence.

It erupted from the pro-Russian side despite an attempt to renew a ceasefire last month. Ukrainian forces say the outbreak began when rebels launched an attack on Avdiivka, which borders land controlled by the separatists.