“People were angry at God [after 9/11] and they had every right to be, but that was not my experience,” said Chief Joseph W. Pfeifer of the NYFD.

The changes sweeping through the region give rise to hopes, but also concerns.

A UN report said that violations alleged to have taken place in the south of Sudan “could amount to crimes against humanity or war crimes.”

Far from American headlines Irene also left widespread destruction in the Bahamas and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

As the search goes on for Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the bishop of Tripoli is stuck in Italy but hoping to return to the North Africa nation soon.

More than 126,000 people have been deported through the program since it began in 2008.