Pope Francis on Monday (September 4) accepted that his recent comments on Russia, which were perceived as praise for imperialism by Ukraine, were poorly phrased.

The pope stated that he intended to remind Russia's cultural heritage and not political one to its young citizens. While interacting with reporters aboard the plane on his way back from Mongolia, Francis stated that he wished to assure China, which has complicated relations with the Vatican, that the Catholic Church should not be considered a foreign power with any ulterior motives.

"I was not thinking of imperialism when I said that," said Francis, reacting to the comments he made last month. In a video conference held on August 25, Pope Francis talked about tsars Peter I and Catherine II, who had expanded Russian territory, and told the young Russian Catholics that they were the heirs of the "great Russian empire".

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-begins-low-key-visit-to-catholics-in-buddhist-mongolia-631140">Pope Francis begins low-key visit to Catholics in Buddhist Mongolia</a>

The remarks led to an uproar in Ukraine because the two Russian monarchs' legacies were invoked by Russian President Vladimir Putin while he was trying to justify the invasion of Ukraine.

"Maybe it wasn't the best way of putting it, but in speaking of the great Russia, I was thinking not so much geographically but culturally," said Francis, while referring to Russian literary icon Fyodor Dostoevsky.

"It was an off-the-cuff comment that came to mind because I studied it (Russian history) in school. Russian culture is of such beauty, such profoundness. It should not be cancelled because of political problems. There were dark political years in Russia but the heritage is there, available to all," he stated.

<h2>'Catholic Church is not a foreign power'</h2>

Speaking about the Vatican-China relations, Francis said: "I think we have to move forward in the religious aspect in order to understand each other better so that Chinese citizens do not think the Church does not accept their culture and their values and (do not think) that the Church represents another foreign power."

WATCH |&nbsp;Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to visit Mongolia

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A policy of "Sinicisation" of religion is being followed by Beijing as it tries to enforce obedience to the Communist Party and root out foreign influences.

An agreement reached between China and the Vatican in 2018 on the appointment of bishops has remained tenuous, as the Vatican complains about Beijing violating it many times.

"Relations with China are very respectful. Personally, I have great admiration for the Chinese people," he stated.

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Pope Francis on Monday (September 4) accepted that his recent comments on Russia, which were perceived as praise for imperialism by Ukraine, were poorly phrased.

Pope Francis on Monday (September 4) accepted that his recent comments on Russia, which were perceived as praise for imperialism by Ukraine, were poorly phrased. The pope stated that he intended to remind Russia's cultural heritage and not political one to its young citizens. While interacting with reporters aboard the plane on his way back from Mongolia, Francis stated that he wished to assure China, which has complicated relations with the Vatican, that the Catholic Church should not be considered a foreign power with any ulterior motives. "I was not thinking of imperialism when I said that," said Francis, reacting to the comments he made last month. In a video conference held on August 25, Pope Francis talked about tsars Peter I and Catherine II, who had expanded Russian territory, and told the young Russian Catholics that they were the heirs of the "great Russian empire". ALSO READ | Pope Francis begins low-key visit to Catholics in Buddhist Mongolia The remarks led to an uproar in Ukraine because the two Russian monarchs' legacies were invoked by Russian President Vladimir Putin while he was trying to justify the invasion of Ukraine. "Maybe it wasn't the best way of putting it, but in speaking of the great Russia, I was thinking not so much geographically but culturally," said Francis, while referring to Russian literary icon Fyodor Dostoevsky. "It was an off-the-cuff comment that came to mind because I studied it (Russian history) in school. Russian culture is of such beauty, such profoundness. It should not be cancelled because of political problems. There were dark political years in Russia but the heritage is there, available to all," he stated. 'Catholic Church is not a foreign power' Speaking about the Vatican-China relations, Francis said: "I think we have to move forward in the religious aspect in order to understand each other better so that Chinese citizens do not think the Church does not accept their culture and their values and (do not think) that the Church represents another foreign power." WATCH | Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to visit Mongolia A policy of "Sinicisation" of religion is being followed by Beijing as it tries to enforce obedience to the Communist Party and root out foreign influences. An agreement reached between China and the Vatican in 2018 on the appointment of bishops has remained tenuous, as the Vatican complains about Beijing violating it many times. "Relations with China are very respectful. Personally, I have great admiration for the Chinese people," he stated. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Pope Francis accepts his Russia comments were 'badly phrased', 'faulty'

New York’s prison system unjustly penalized more than 1,600 incarcerated people based on faulty drug tests, putting them in solitary confinement, delaying their parole hearings and denying them family visits, the New York state inspector general said in a damning report released Tuesday.

The arbitrary penalties were meted out across the state over an eight-month period in 2019, while the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision relied on improperly administered drug tests made by the company Microgenics, the report found. The tests led to “rampant false positive” results for buprenorphine, an opioid used to treat addiction, as well as synthetic cannabinoids.

“This stands as a heartbreaking example of how the absence of transparency can undermine due process and basic human rights,” Lucy Lang, the inspector general, said at a news conference Tuesday.

The department started using the tests in January 2019, the report found. The manufacturer’s directions specified that a positive result should be confirmed with a second, more sensitive test, but officials neglected to do so as a matter of policy. Instead, they simply carried out the same test a second time to confirm the results.

The rate of positive tests immediately spiked, but the department failed to address widespread concerns among prisoners, their families and advocates that many of the results were false positives, the report found.

The report cited several examples of the grave consequences the tests had for prisoners. One woman at Albion Correctional Facility, near Rochester, New York, who had never tested positive for drug use during her two years in jail, suddenly tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids.

As punishment, she was confined to her cell for 40 days and placed in solitary confinement for 45 days. She lost her prison job and privileges like recreation time, receipt of packages and phone use for months. She was also denied visits with her three children.

The report also accused Microgenics representatives of presenting false or misleading information to prison officials. A review of internal company documents revealed that even ingesting over-the-counter antacids and the sweetener Stevia could potentially lead to false positives, but the company failed to disclose those possibilities, the report said.

The report faulted department officials for deciding to forgo the second test and found that a sales representative from Microgenics had exerted undue influence over the process.

It also found that the contract with the company most likely violated procurement guidelines and that the department “did not perform due diligence when contracting with Microgenics for its drug-testing systems, failing to understand that such tests were merely preliminary screening tests.”

During the eight-month period, more than 1,600 prisoners were punished over drug tests statewide, including 140 who were subjected to solitary confinement, leading to complaints from inmates across the state, Lang said.

Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, an advocacy group, brought the concerns of four incarcerated people who said they had been disciplined based on false positives to the department in June 2019. Later that summer, the department sent six positive test samples from other prisoners to another company for retesting, and five came back negative.

The department then brought its findings to the office of the inspector general. It later moved to expunge more than 2,500 disciplinary records that were based on the faulty drug tests.

Karen L. Murtagh, executive director of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, said the impact of the penalties was difficult to overstate.

“The psychological and physical damage caused by solitary confinement, the loss of family visitation, the lack of proper programming, lost work-release and educational opportunities, all of which help combat recidivism, adds to the ledger for which we as a society need to take account,” she said.

Bianca Tylek, executive director of Worth Rises, an advocacy group that seeks to dismantle the prison industry, said the report illustrated the problems inherent in allowing private companies to profit from incarceration. She called for further review of prison contracts.

In a statement Tuesday, the department noted that its staff had cooperated with the inspector general’s investigation and adopted all its recommendations, which included ending solitary confinement in response to drug tests and improving drug test training and data collection.

Microgenics is a subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific, a Massachusetts-based company. In a statement Tuesday, Ron O’Brien, a spokesperson for the company, said the instructions clearly state that the drug tests are only preliminary and that a more specific, alternative chemical method must be used to obtain a confirmed result.

“We have complete confidence in our product and, when it is used as directed, have no reason to believe there is any issue with its accuracy,” O’Brien said.

He added that the company had conducted its own investigation and did not believe that any Microgenics representatives provided “any intentionally false or misleading testimony” at disciplinary hearings, as alleged in the report.

The drug tests have spurred several lawsuits, including a federal class-action suit filed by Prisoners’ Legal Services and the law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward &amp; Maazel in 2019. The following year, Letitia James, the New York attorney general, filed suit on behalf of the Department of Corrections against Microgenics in Albany, alleging breach of contract. The lawsuit is pending.

The department now uses a preliminary drug-screening test known as the Premier Biotech Bio-Cup, and positive results are confirmed using a second method.

Lang, who was appointed inspector general in the fall, said that more than half the complaints her office receives involve the prison system.

“We are directing resources toward addressing those complaints as proactively as possible,” she said.

New York’s prison system unjustly penalized more than 1,600 incarcerated people based on faulty drug tests, putting them in solitary confinement, delaying their parole hearings and denying them family visits, the New York state inspector general said in a damning report released Tuesday.

New York’s prison system unjustly penalized more than 1,600 incarcerated people based on faulty drug tests, putting them in solitary confinement, delaying their parole hearings and denying them family visits, the New York state inspector general said in a damning report released Tuesday. The arbitrary penalties were meted out across the state over an eight-month period in 2019, while the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision relied on improperly administered drug tests made by the company Microgenics, the report found. The tests led to “rampant false positive” results for buprenorphine, an opioid used to treat addiction, as well as synthetic cannabinoids. “This stands as a heartbreaking example of how the absence of transparency can undermine due process and basic human rights,” Lucy Lang, the inspector general, said at a news conference Tuesday. The department started using the tests in January 2019, the report found. The manufacturer’s directions specified that a positive result should be confirmed with a second, more sensitive test, but officials neglected to do so as a matter of policy. Instead, they simply carried out the same test a second time to confirm the results. The rate of positive tests immediately spiked, but the department failed to address widespread concerns among prisoners, their families and advocates that many of the results were false positives, the report found. The report cited several examples of the grave consequences the tests had for prisoners. One woman at Albion Correctional Facility, near Rochester, New York, who had never tested positive for drug use during her two years in jail, suddenly tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids. As punishment, she was confined to her cell for 40 days and placed in solitary confinement for 45 days. She lost her prison job and privileges like recreation time, receipt of packages and phone use for months. She was also denied visits with her three children. The report also accused Microgenics representatives of presenting false or misleading information to prison officials. A review of internal company documents revealed that even ingesting over-the-counter antacids and the sweetener Stevia could potentially lead to false positives, but the company failed to disclose those possibilities, the report said. The report faulted department officials for deciding to forgo the second test and found that a sales representative from Microgenics had exerted undue influence over the process. It also found that the contract with the company most likely violated procurement guidelines and that the department “did not perform due diligence when contracting with Microgenics for its drug-testing systems, failing to understand that such tests were merely preliminary screening tests.” During the eight-month period, more than 1,600 prisoners were punished over drug tests statewide, including 140 who were subjected to solitary confinement, leading to complaints from inmates across the state, Lang said. Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, an advocacy group, brought the concerns of four incarcerated people who said they had been disciplined based on false positives to the department in June 2019. Later that summer, the department sent six positive test samples from other prisoners to another company for retesting, and five came back negative. The department then brought its findings to the office of the inspector general. It later moved to expunge more than 2,500 disciplinary records that were based on the faulty drug tests. Karen L. Murtagh, executive director of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, said the impact of the penalties was difficult to overstate. “The psychological and physical damage caused by solitary confinement, the loss of family visitation, the lack of proper programming, lost work-release and educational opportunities, all of which help combat recidivism, adds to the ledger for which we as a society need to take account,” she said. Bianca Tylek, executive director of Worth Rises, an advocacy group that seeks to dismantle the prison industry, said the report illustrated the problems inherent in allowing private companies to profit from incarceration. She called for further review of prison contracts. In a statement Tuesday, the department noted that its staff had cooperated with the inspector general’s investigation and adopted all its recommendations, which included ending solitary confinement in response to drug tests and improving drug test training and data collection. Microgenics is a subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific, a Massachusetts-based company. In a statement Tuesday, Ron O’Brien, a spokesperson for the company, said the instructions clearly state that the drug tests are only preliminary and that a more specific, alternative chemical method must be used to obtain a confirmed result. “We have complete confidence in our product and, when it is used as directed, have no reason to believe there is any issue with its accuracy,” O’Brien said. He added that the company had conducted its own investigation and did not believe that any Microgenics representatives provided “any intentionally false or misleading testimony” at disciplinary hearings, as alleged in the report. The drug tests have spurred several lawsuits, including a federal class-action suit filed by Prisoners’ Legal Services and the law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel in 2019. The following year, Letitia James, the New York attorney general, filed suit on behalf of the Department of Corrections against Microgenics in Albany, alleging breach of contract. The lawsuit is pending. The department now uses a preliminary drug-screening test known as the Premier Biotech Bio-Cup, and positive results are confirmed using a second method. Lang, who was appointed inspector general in the fall, said that more than half the complaints her office receives involve the prison system. “We are directing resources toward addressing those complaints as proactively as possible,” she said.

New York prisons punished 1,600 based on faulty drug tests, report finds

Switzerland winger Xherdan Shaqiri said he hoped sportswear maker Puma &quot;doesn&#39;t make condoms&quot; after several Swiss players ended their Euro 2016 match with France with shredded jerseys. 
 
The German company blamed a material flaw after four Swiss players -- Admir Mehmedi, Breel Embolo, Blerim Dzemaili and Granit Xhaka -- had to change their shirts in the first half of the goalless draw in Lille on Sunday. 
 
Recent Arsenal recruit Xhaka had to change his shirt again in the second half. 
 
&quot;I hope Puma doesn&#39;t make condoms,&quot; Shaqiri told Switzerland&#39;s SRF broadcaster. 
 
Former England striker Gary Lineker took the opportunity to poke fun on Twitter, writing: &quot;Swiss team&#39;s Puma shirts tearing like paper. Adidas ball bursting. You can never rely on German efficiency!&quot; 
 
During the same match, the Adidas ball used burst in a tackle by Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami. 
 
In a statement, Puma said that &quot;our five Puma teams have played 10 games at Euro 2016 before this without experiencing this problem&quot;. 
 
It later followed up to say that, in all, seven jerseys were ripped Sunday in &quot;grabbing and tugging by French opponents&quot; in the European Championship match. 
 
It said its investigation had found that &quot;there was a faulty batch of material in which the yarn was damaged during production&quot;. 
 
It blamed incorrect application of heat and pressure in the manufacturing process in a workshop in Turkey and promised that &quot;there will not be a repetition&quot; of the flaw. 
 
Puma is also the supplier for the teams of Austria, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia. 
 
All of them had &quot;confirmed that they had no problems of this kind and are very satisfied with the quality, functionality and design of the shirts,&quot; said the company. 
 
&quot;Puma regrets the incident and apologises to the Swiss Football Association and its players,&quot; it added. 
 
The Swiss shirts will be needed for at least one more match as the team has qualified for the second round. 
 
Puma&#39;s German rival Adidas said today that it had agreed a four-year deal to remain kit supplier to Germany until 2022, worth more than 50 million euros ($56.5 million) a year. 
 
The agreement with the world champions came in the face of competition from US giant Nike for the prestigious contract. 
(AFP)

Puma blamed for material flaw after four Swiss players had to change their shirts in the first half of the goalless draw in Lille on Sunday

Switzerland winger Xherdan Shaqiri said he hoped sportswear maker Puma "doesn't make condoms" after several Swiss players ended their Euro 2016 match with France with shredded jerseys. The German company blamed a material flaw after four Swiss players -- Admir Mehmedi, Breel Embolo, Blerim Dzemaili and Granit Xhaka -- had to change their shirts in the first half of the goalless draw in Lille on Sunday. Recent Arsenal recruit Xhaka had to change his shirt again in the second half. "I hope Puma doesn't make condoms," Shaqiri told Switzerland's SRF broadcaster. Former England striker Gary Lineker took the opportunity to poke fun on Twitter, writing: "Swiss team's Puma shirts tearing like paper. Adidas ball bursting. You can never rely on German efficiency!" During the same match, the Adidas ball used burst in a tackle by Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami. In a statement, Puma said that "our five Puma teams have played 10 games at Euro 2016 before this without experiencing this problem". It later followed up to say that, in all, seven jerseys were ripped Sunday in "grabbing and tugging by French opponents" in the European Championship match. It said its investigation had found that "there was a faulty batch of material in which the yarn was damaged during production". It blamed incorrect application of heat and pressure in the manufacturing process in a workshop in Turkey and promised that "there will not be a repetition" of the flaw. Puma is also the supplier for the teams of Austria, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia. All of them had "confirmed that they had no problems of this kind and are very satisfied with the quality, functionality and design of the shirts," said the company. "Puma regrets the incident and apologises to the Swiss Football Association and its players," it added. The Swiss shirts will be needed for at least one more match as the team has qualified for the second round. Puma's German rival Adidas said today that it had agreed a four-year deal to remain kit supplier to Germany until 2022, worth more than 50 million euros ($56.5 million) a year. The agreement with the world champions came in the face of competition from US giant Nike for the prestigious contract. (AFP)

?'I hope Puma don't make condoms' says Shaqiri

Toyota Motor Corp&nbsp;said on Tuesday that&nbsp;it was recalling a total of about 490,000 vehicles in Japan, China, Europe and other regions over potentially faulty air bag inflators produced by Takata Corp, further widening a massive global recall.

The Japanese automaker said it was recalling around 45,000 vehicles from its Lexus line in Japan for passenger-side airbags produced between 2005 and 2011.

It added that it was recalling around 140,000 Lexus vehicles in China, along with 80,000 Lexus and Toyota vehicles in Europe and 120,000 vehicles from both brands in South America and other regions. Around 100,000 Toyota vehicles would be recalled in Mexico, the company said.

Automakers are ramping up global recalls of Takata airbag inflators after the auto parts maker, under pressure from the US&nbsp;government, agreed last month to declare more of its airbags as defective in the United States.

Toyota Motor Corp recalled about 490,000 vehicles in Japan, China, Europe and other regions over potentially faulty airbag inflators produced by Takata Corp

Toyota Motor Corp said on Tuesday that it was recalling a total of about 490,000 vehicles in Japan, China, Europe and other regions over potentially faulty air bag inflators produced by Takata Corp, further widening a massive global recall. The Japanese automaker said it was recalling around 45,000 vehicles from its Lexus line in Japan for passenger-side airbags produced between 2005 and 2011. It added that it was recalling around 140,000 Lexus vehicles in China, along with 80,000 Lexus and Toyota vehicles in Europe and 120,000 vehicles from both brands in South America and other regions. Around 100,000 Toyota vehicles would be recalled in Mexico, the company said. Automakers are ramping up global recalls of Takata airbag inflators after the auto parts maker, under pressure from the US government, agreed last month to declare more of its airbags as defective in the United States.

Toyota recalls 490,000 vehicles in Japan, other regions over airbag concerns

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