5 Things You May Have Missed This Weekend
From U.S. airstrikes in Iraq to a record-breaking gator.
— -- If you spent your weekend following the aftermath of the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., here are some stories from the weekend you may have missed.
1. Pope Francis Makes Anti-Abortion Statement in South Korea
Pope Francis stopped to pray at a monument for aborted children while on a trip to South Korea.
The move was unusual for the pope, who traditionally avoids culturally controversial issues.
The pope also beatified 124 Korean martyrs who were executed in the 18th and 19th centuries for refusing to renounce their Catholic faith.
"They were willing to make great sacrifices and let themselves be stripped of whatever kept them from Christ -- possessions and land, prestige and honor -- for they knew that Christ alone was their true treasure," Pope Francis said in his homily. "They challenge us to think about what, if anything, we ourselves would be willing to die for."
Almost 1 million people came to the see the pope in Seoul on Saturday, according to local media.
2. More Charges to Come for Amish-Kidnap Suspects
Prosecutors expect to file more charges against the New York couple accused of kidnapping two young Amish sisters and sexually abusing them.
Stephen Howells Jr., 39, and Nicole Vaisey, 25, have been charged with kidnapping with the intent to physically or sexually abuse the 7-year-old and 12-year-old Amish girls.
The couple is being held without bail and are scheduled to make their first court appearance on Thursday.
On Sunday, police searched the couple's home and collected computer hard drives and other pieces of evidence.
"I 100 percent expect more charges," Mary Rain, district attorney for St. Lawrence County, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
3. U.S. Unleashes Airstrikes in Push to Retake Mosul Dam
The United States continues to launch air strikes near the Mosul Dam in Iraq in support of Kurdish and Iraqi ground operations in an effort to retake Iraq's largest dam from ISIS fighters.
The dam is of critical strategic concern for Iraq and the United States. A breach in the dam could result in the flooding of Mosul and Baghdad.
"The failure of the Mosul Dam could threaten the lives of large numbers of civilians, endanger U.S. personnel and facilities, including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and prevent the Iraqi government from providing critical services to the Iraqi populace," President Obama said in the letter to Congressional leaders on Sunday.
On Saturday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement that fighter aircraft and Predator drones conducted nine airstrikes near the Mosul Dam and the city of Erbil.
According to the statement, the strikes "destroyed or damaged four armored personnel carriers, seven armed vehicles, two Humvees and an armored vehicle."
Iraq's Most Dangerous Dam Still Operating, Under ISIS Control
Why Control of a Terrifying Dam in Iraq Is Life or Death for Half Million People
Iraq, Syria and ISIS: What It All Means
4. Malala Releasing New Edition of Her Memoir
Malala Yousafzai, the 17-year old who became an international advocate for education after surviving a Taliban attack two years ago is releasing a new edition of her memoir, "I Am Malala."
The new edition will make the book more accessible for younger readers.
"The first thing is that we already had this book ... [the] adult edition, 'I Am Malala.' It might be difficult for young readers to understand it, so we thought that there should be a children's edition as well," Malala told ABC News' Amy Robach. "The story's the same. It's about me. And I want to go to school, so I hope that the children will learn how important education is for them and for their country and how they should focus on it."
Read an excerpt from the prologue of the book here.
How Can I Be More Like Malala? Young Readers Meet the Teen Who Inspired the World
5. Alabama Family Catches Record-Breaking Alligator
Five members of the Stokes family caught a monster gator Saturday in Thomaston, Ala..
It took them 10 hours to wrangle the alligator, which weighed 1,011.5 pounds, according to biologists at the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.
This is the largest alligator to be killed by hunters in Alabama.