SYDNEY - The Catholic Church in one Australian state has revealed that at least 620 children have been abused by its clergy since the 1930s, sparking a fresh call for an independent inquiry. The Catholic Church in Victoria revealed the number in a submission to a state parliamentary hearing, but said the instances of abuse reported had fallen dramatically from the "appalling" numbers of the 1960s and 1970s. AFP
CARACAS - Chinese and Venezuelan officials signed an agreement to jointly develop one of the world's largest gold mines. The pact to develop Las Cristinas mine was signed by officials of the government and the China International Trust and Investment Corp, or Citic. The mine in southern Bolivar state has been estimated to hold about 17 million ounces of gold. President Hugo Chavez called it an agreement to begin exploiting gold and copper deposits at the mine. AP
