Pope names top economists, finance experts to Vatican body
ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis named top laymen from the worlds of finance and economics on Saturday to a new Vatican Council for the Economy, intended to improve scrutiny of the Holy See’s scandal-plagued accounts.
Red Cross worker killed in Central African Republic
BANGUI (Reuters) – A Red Cross worker was killed on Saturday in the north of the Central African Republic, amid escalating religious violence that peacekeepers have been powerless to stop.
Iraqi women protest against proposed Islamic law in Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – About two dozen Iraqi women demonstrated on Saturday in Baghdad against a draft law approved by the Iraqi cabinet that would permit the marriage of nine-year-old girls and automatically give child custody to fathers.
Syria government forces take village near Lebanese border
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian government forces seized a village in the central Homs province on Saturday, state media and a monitoring group said, as part of a push for control of areas along the Lebanese border.
Lebanese march against domestic violence in rare non-partisan protest
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A few thousand protesters took to the streets of Beirut on Saturday to demand that politicians approve Lebanon’s first law against domestic violence in a non-partisan display rarely seen in Lebanon’s highly politicized climate.
Gulf airlines defend female cabin crew policies
BERLIN (Reuters) – Qatar Airways and Emirates Airline have defended their policies on pregnancy and marriage for cabin crew after the Qatar carrier came under fire over its working conditions.
Two Yemeni soldiers, four militants killed in south: ministry
ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) – At least two Yemeni soldiers and four militants were killed in a clash on Saturday when al Qaeda fighters tried to attack a military compound in southern Yemen, the Defence Ministry said.
Al Qaeda-linked militants in Lebanon apologize for civilian deaths
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Sunni Lebanese militant group linked to al Qaeda has apologized for the civilian casualties of a suicide bombing last month and said its fight was against Iran and its ally Hezbollah, not Shi’ites in general.
Israel brings arms ship to dock, hopes to shame Iran
EILAT, Israel (Reuters) – A ship seized by the Israeli navy on suspicion of smuggling arms from Iran to the Gaza Strip docked on Saturday in Israel, which planned to put the cargo on display in hope of denting Tehran’s rapprochement with the West.
EU’s Ashton visits Iran for first time; nuclear issue on agenda
ANKARA (Reuters) – European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton arrived in Tehran on Saturday to discuss issues including Iran’s disputed nuclear program, before another round of talks between Iran and world powers, Iranian media reported.
