Pope pledges to end division

Bari, Italy Pope Benedict XVI pledged Sunday to work to end Roman Catholicism’s 1,000-year-old rift with the Orthodox Church, delivering a message of healing on the first trip of his papacy.

Benedict flew to the Adriatic port of Bari, home to the relics of St. Nicholas of Myra, a fourth- century saint popular among Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians. The trip was Benedict’s first outside Rome since being elected 265th leader of the Roman Catholic Church on April 19. The outing showed he was following in the much-traveled footsteps of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

Venezuelans demand Cuban be extradited

Caracas, Venezuela Thousands of Venezuelans marched through the capital Saturday demanding the United States extradite a Cuban militant wanted for his alleged role in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner.

The protesters, supporters of President Hugo Chavez, accused President Bush of harboring terror suspect Luis Posada Carriles and of a double standard in dealing with terrorists.

The march came a day after U.S. authorities rejected Venezuela’s request for the arrest of Posada. Venezuela wants to try Posada, an ex-CIA operative, on murder charges for the bombing of a Cubana Airlines plane that exploded after taking off from Barbados, killing 73 people.

Saudi king recovering from pneumonia case

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Saudi King Fahd was recovering from the pneumonia that sent him to the hospital last week, a hospital official said, citing chest X-rays taken Sunday.

The king’s condition was “stable and improving” and his temperature was back to normal, but he remains in intensive care, an official said. Fahd was hospitalized Friday for medical tests. Saudis have followed health updates on the king, believed to be 82, who brought the kingdom closer to the United States.

Cleric offers to swap places with hostage

Canberra, Australia A Muslim cleric is offering to swap places with an Australian hostage held in Iraq, the sheik’s spokesman said Thursday.

Douglas Wood, a 63-year-old engineer, was abducted this month by a group calling itself Shura Council of the Mujahedeen of Iraq.

Australia’s mufti, Sheik Taj El Din al-Hilaly, flew to Iraq to negotiate his release and last week reported a phone chat with an Australian he believed to be Wood who said he was well.

The sheik has offered to swap places with Wood, who suffers from a serious heart condition.