World

Human rights organizations believe that some 70,000 innocent civilians have been killed by the government in Syria's civil war and a million more have fled their country as refugees. Another million internally displaced people are wandering around inside Syria seeking safety. Since World War II, after Hitler's evil attempt to annihilate an entire population, people have been asking why the world took so long to intervene. Yet today, while innocent people are being sent to their deaths in Syria, the world continues to hem and haw while it tip-toes around the politically correct policies of honoring Syria's national autonomy and respecting its "sovereignty.

Newly elected Pope Francis represents change in many respects. He is the first pope from the New World (and the first from outside of Europe in 1,200 years), the first Jesuit and the first Francis. But for American Catholics, who in poll after poll in recent weeks have expressed disagreement with the church's stances on the ordination of women or the requirement of celibacy for priests, he may seem like more of the same. Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, is a doctrinaire conservative in those matters, as were Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II before him. Given the views of the College of Cardinals - all of whom were appointed by John Paul or Benedict - it could hardly have been otherwise.

Ernest T. Davis, a retired construction project manager and a World War II B-24 pilot, died Feb. 13 of heart failure at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. He was 92. The son of a civil engineer and a government worker, Ernest Theodore Davis was born in Bemis, Tenn., and later moved with his family to Washington. He was a graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and started engineering studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. In 1942, he enlisted in what was then the Army Air Corps, and after completing training as a B-24 Liberator pilot, was assigned to the 8th Air Force in England.

Inside a classroom at Howard Community College's new health sciences building are computerized mannequin patients, a replica ambulance and other devices that place students in simulated life-and-death situations. The facilities are part of the school's emergency medical service/paramedic program, which trains students to respond to the situations they'll face on emergency calls. But for Cory Boone and Nick Frazier, there's nothing like the real thing. They would know. Early this year, the Ellicott City residents, both students in the program, applied the skills they learned in class and while volunteering with the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue to assist victims of cardiac arrest.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Catcher Chris Robinson returned to Orioles camp on Wednesday after playing a key role in a brawl in last week's World Baseball Classic pool play game between Canada and Mexico. Robinson, the starting catcher for Canada, reached on a bunt single in the ninth inning with Canada comfortably leading Mexico 9-3. The Mexican team didn't like that, and Mexico pitcher Arnold Leon threw two pitches near the next batter, Rene Tosoni, before plunking him with the third. That incited a benches clearing brawl.

Adam Jones delivered again at the World Baseball Classic, driving home a run in the seventh inning of the U.S. team's 7-1 win over Puerto Rico in Miami on Tuesday night. Jones' single up the middle against former Orioles lefty J.C. Romero stretched the U.S. lead to 4-0. The Orioles center fielder had the go-ahead hit in the U.S. team's win over Canada on Sunday, which sent them through to the double-elimination second round. The U.S. is off Wednesday and faces the Dominican Republic on Thursday at 7 p.m., also at Marlins Park.

John C. Ford Jr., who as a young World War II cryptanalyst was part of a team whose work resulted in the shooting down of the bomber carrying Japanese Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, died Wednesday from respiratory failure at a son's Arnold home. He was 94. The son of an oil salesman and a homemaker, John Cecil Ford Jr. was born in Federal Hill and raised in Catonsville, where he ran track and played lacrosse at Catonsville High School. He graduated from there in 1935. "He was at the Baltimore Business College at the time of Pearl Harbor, and he was about to be drafted into the Army.

Adam Jones drove in three runs - including a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning - as the U.S. beat Canada, 9-4, Sunday to advance to the World Baseball Classic's second round. The U.S. was trailing 3-2 and five outs from elimination when the Orioles' center fielder lined a double into the gap in left-center against Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jimmy Henderson . Jones then scored on a single by Shane Victorino , and Eric Hosmer added a three-run double in the ninth.

Syracuse defenseman Brandon Mullins will miss the rest of the season because of a right knee injury that will require surgery, the team announced Thursday. Mullins went down in the fourth quarter of Friday night's 9-8 overtime victory against Virginia, clutching his knee when he hit the Carrier Dome turf. He labored off the field but did not return. Mullins was enjoying a strong start to his sophomore campaign, contributing significant minutes in Syracuse's first three games, including starting two. He garnered attention for his ability to cover skilled offensive players and make plays in the middle of the field.

A businessman and competitive sailor, Frank Savage has benefited from following seas and been battered on rocky shoals. Born in North Carolina and raised by a single mother in segregated Washington, Savage rose to prominence in the world of international banking and investment at Citibank and Alliance Capital Management, a subsidiary of AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. that managed more than $450 billion in assets. He served on prestigious boards, was a trustee at both Howard University and the Johns Hopkins University, and jetted around the world, making deals and money.