Pakistan strikes kill 31 jihadists

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Pakistani airstrikes killed 31 jihadists, and a suspected U.S. drone strike killed another seven, officials said Sunday, as local troops pressed an ongoing offensive in the country’s tribal regions along the Afghan border that have been longtime Taliban havens.

The airstrikes late Saturday in the Tirrah valley of the Khyber region destroyed four terrorist hideouts and a suicide bomber training center, said an army statement.

The military said several would-be suicide bombers were among the dead, without providing further details.

Pope picks 15 new cardinals

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis named 15 new cardinals Sunday, selecting them from 14 nations including far-flung corners of the world – such as Tonga, New Zealand, Cape Verde and Myanmar – to reflect the diversity of the church and its growth in places like Asia and Africa compared to affluent regions.

Other cardinals hail from Ethiopia, Thailand and Vietnam.

None comes from the United States, and only three European nations received new cardinals – Portugal and Spain in addition to Italy. Cape Verde, Tonga and Myanmar gained cardinals for the first time.

Francis told faithful in St. Peter’s Square that the new batch of cardinals “shows the inseparable tie with the church of Rome to churches in the world.”

Five new cardinals come from Europe, three from Asia, three from Latin America, including Mexico, and two each come from Africa and Oceania.

Iran’s president offers nuke-talk perspective

TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday that ongoing nuclear negotiations with world powers are a matter of “heart,” not just centrifuges ahead of talks next week in Geneva.

Speaking to an economic conference in Tehran, Rouhani both countered hard-line critics worried Iran will give up too much while also attempting to signal his administration remains open to negotiation with the six-nation group leading the talks.

If “we are ready to stop some types of enrichment which we do not need at this time, does it mean we have compromised our principles and cause?” Rouhani asked.

He responded: “Our cause is not linked to a centrifuge. It is connected to our heart and to our willpower.”

Ship capsizes near Scotland

LONDON – British rescue teams searched Sunday for eight missing crew members from a cargo ship that capsized north of Scotland.

Searchers on two helicopters and four lifeboats were looking for survivors from the bulk carrier Cemfjord, which was carrying cement from Aalborg, Denmark, to Runcorn on England’s west coast.

A passing ferry in the Pentland Firth off Scotland spotted the upturned hull of the Cyprus-flagged ship Saturday.

Associated Press