World datelines

Czech Republic: Pope visit

PRAGUE — Pope Benedict XVI sought to reach out to the heavily secular people of the Czech Republic on Saturday, decrying the "wounds" left by atheistic communism and urging them to rediscover their Christian roots.

As he began a three-day pilgrimage coinciding with the fall of communism in this central European country 20 years ago, Benedict said Christianity has an "irreplaceable role" to play in their lives.

Colombia: 2 pilots guilty

BOGOTA — A judge has found two Colombian air force pilots guilty of murder and sentenced them to 31 years in prison each for the 1998 cluster-bombing of a village that killed 17 people.

Judge Martin Suarez found that the pilots, both lieutenants, had acted impetuously, failing to distinguish between civilians and leftist rebels. Six children were among the dead. Suarez ordered the two pilots, Cesar Romero and Johan Jimenez, to be jailed immediately.

Denmark: Climate protest

COPENHAGEN — Hundreds of climate activists protested Saturday against the use of fossil fuels, but were blocked from entering a coal-firing plant they had hoped to shut down by chaining themselves to conveyor belts.

Police held back the 1,500 or so protesters from entering the coal- and oil-fueled Amagervaerket power station on Copenhagen's Amager Island, police spokesman Flemming Steen Munwwch said. About 100 people were taken into custody, Danish news agency Ritzau said.

Germany: al-Qaida videos

BERLIN — Ignoring threats by Islamic militants, Chancellor Angela Merkel and her main rival held their final political rallies Saturday before Germany's national election, focusing on the key domestic issues of jobs and economic recovery.

Two videos surfaced Friday — one by al-Qaida and another by the Taliban — threatening retaliation for Germany's military presence in Afghanistan. The Taliban video showed top German landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and Munich's world-renowned Oktoberfest. In response, authorities on Saturday banned all flights over Oktoberfest until it ends on Oct. 4.

Iraq: U.S. drone crashes