Free Republic

A US evangelical Christian minister has been appointed to lead a million-dollar program to tackle gang violence in Los Angeles, the city's mayor said. Reverend Jeff Carr, a minister in the Church of the Nazarene, was named director of gang reduction and youth development programs for the city. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa promised to name an anti-gang "tsar" as part of a crackdown earlier this year. There are an estimated 40,000 gang members in LA. Mr Carr will co-ordinate an anti-gang strategy unveiled by Mr Villaraigosa in April, and lead an audit of the 23 gang-prevention programmes already operating in LA....

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday said Iran bore no hatred towards the United States as he held talks with American Christians in a rare official contact with visitors from Tehran's arch enemy. State television showed Ahmadinejad meeting with a dozen American representatives from various Christian orders who are in Iran for a week-long visit to promote peace and dialogue between the foes. "The Iranian nation does not have any feeling of hatred and opposition towards the American people and we believe that all people are respectful and given the common grounds people have, they could achieve peace and justice," Ahmadinejad...